20250SB__141699INT INTRODUCED 2026-02-20 2025 SB INT Introduced by Senator Wahab LEAD_AUTHOR SENATE Wahab

An act to amend

Section of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. healing arts Physicians and surgeons: dentists: unprofessional conduct. Existing law establishes various healing arts boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs, including the Medical Board of California and the Dental Board of California, that license and regulate various healing arts licensees. Existing law, including the Medical Practice Act and the Dental Practice Act, deem certain violations by licensees to be unprofessional conduct subject to discipline by the licensee’s licensing board.

Existing law requires a physician and surgeon or dentist to refund to a patient any amount paid by the patient for services rendered that was subsequently paid to the physician and surgeon or dentist by a third-party payor and that constitutes a duplicate payment, as prescribed. Existing law requires that the above-described duplicate payment refund be paid, if requested by the patient, either within days of that request or, if the duplicate payment has not been received, within days of receipt of the duplicate payment by the physician and surgeon or dentist.

Existing law requires, if the patient does not request a refund, a physician and surgeon or dentist who knows, or should have known, of the receipt of the duplicate payment to notify the patient, as prescribed, and to refund the payment within days of that notification, except as specified. Existing law makes a violation of the above requirements unprofessional conduct subject to disciplinary proceedings as described above. This bill would reduce the duration for a physician and surgeon or dentist to refund a duplicate payment following patient request or patient notification to days.

MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 732. (

a) A physician and surgeon and a dentist shall refund any amount that a patient has paid for services rendered that has subsequently been paid to the physician and surgeon or dentist by a third-party payor and that constitutes a duplicate payment. The refund shall be made as follows:

(1) If the patient requests a refund, within days following the request from that patient for a refund if the duplicate payment has been received, or within days of receipt of the duplicate payment if the duplicate payment has not been received.

(2) If the patient does not request a refund, within days of the date the physician and surgeon or dentist knows, or should have known, of the receipt of the duplicate payment, the physician and surgeon or dentist shall notify the patient of the duplicate payment, and the duplicate payment shall be refunded within days unless the patient requests that a credit balance be retained. (

b) Violation of this

section shall constitute unprofessional conduct. Disciplinary proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with the Medical Practice Act (Chapter 5 (commencing with

Section 2000)) or the Dental Practice Act (Chapter 4 (commencing with

Section 1600)), as applicable.