Aanestad Patient Safety Bill Passes First Committee Test - SB 1178 Protects Consumers From Convicted Sex Offenders (USA)

Main Category: Dentistry
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 25 Mar 2008 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

SACRAMENTO: SB 1178, authored by Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley), is moving forward in the legislative process after receiving the unanimous approval of the Senate Committee on Business and Professions during hearings earlier today. The measure is closely related to SB 252, which Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law last year.

SB 252, also authored by Senator Aanestad, required that registered sex offenders be prohibited from licensure by the Dental Board of California and also required the Dental Board to revoke existing licenses for any individual who was required to register as a sex offender.

However, SB 252 applied only to those individuals who had been convicted of sex offenses under California state law. The new measure, SB 1178, will extend the same set of requirements to dental professionals who have been convicted of sex offenses under federal law.

"Dental patients have a right to be protected from predators in California, whether they have been convicted under state or federal law," said Senator Aanestad. "This measure will provide them with the safety they deserve, while protecting the integrity of the dental industry."

Senator Aanestad introduced both SB 252 and SB 1178 following high profile cases where patients had been victimized by physicians who were unable to respect appropriate boundaries and limit their behavior. Two of the cases involved physicians who were actually convicted of sexual offenses, but were still allowed to resume their medical practices.

Senator Aanestad, a licensed Oral Surgeon who owned and operated his own private practice in Grass Valley for several decades, says California patients should be able to fully trust medical professionals.

SB 1178 will require the Dental Board of California to deny an application for licensure or renewal, or revoke the license, of an individual who is required to register as a sex offender under state or federal law. The Aanestad measure gives the Dental Board a mechanism to better protect the public by providing much faster legal action against individuals who have been convicted of sexual crimes.

"It should not matter where the conviction took place, or what court the conviction took place in," said Senator Aanestad. "Registered sex offenders should not be providing dental services for adults or children under any circumstance."

http://www.senate.ca.gov/aanestad