Bill > AB375

This bill expands the definition of "health care provider" in the Medical Practice Act to include qualified autism service paraprofessionals, alongside existing qualified autism service providers and professionals. Currently, the law defines health care providers in the context of telehealth services, and this bill would add qualified autism service paraprofessionals to that definition, which means they would now be able to provide telehealth services under the same regulations as other healthcare professionals. The bill requires healthcare providers to obtain patient consent before delivering services via telehealth and maintains existing protections around patient confidentiality, professional standards, and scope of practice. By expanding the definition, the bill potentially increases access to autism-related healthcare services, particularly through telecommunications technologies. Since the bill technically expands the scope of a crime (by adding a new category of healthcare provider), it is considered a state-mandated local program, but the bill specifies that no reimbursement will be required for implementing these changes. The modification is relatively narrow, focusing specifically on including qualified autism service paraprofessionals within the existing telehealth framework.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB375