BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 419|
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 419
Author: Scott (D), et al
Amended: 7/23/04
Vote: 21
ALL PRIOR VOTES NOT RELEVANT
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 77-0, 8/12/04 (Passed on Consent) - See
last page for vote
SUBJECT : Medical waste: containment
SOURCE : California Healthcare Association
DIGEST : Assembly amendments delete the Senate version of
the bill which would have required the Public Utilities
Commission to adopt rules related to the conversion of
Cellular Digital Packet Data telecommunications systems
used by public safety departments, as specified.
The bill now allows the consolidation of biohazardous waste
and sharps waste into a common container, provided that the
consolidated waste is treated by an extremely high heat
technology (in excess of 1300 degrees Fahrenheit) approved
by the Department of Health Services (DHS) that results in
the destruction of pathogenic micro-organisms.
Additionally, this bill requires the container to be
labeled with the words "HIGH HEAT ONLY" or other label
approved by DHS to ensure treatment of the biohazardous
waste with high heat technology.
CONTINUED
SB 419
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ANALYSIS : This bill is sponsored by the California
Healthcare Association to allow hospitals choosing to use
extremely high heat technologies to combine medical waste
and create a more efficient on-site medical waste disposal
system. The author argues that combining medical waste
would save hospitals money and decrease the possibility of
error when separating medical waste.
Background
The Medical Waste Management Act, administered by DHS,
regulates the management and handling of medical waste.
Existing law establishes requirements for containing or
storing medical waste, such as biohazardous waste
(including chemotherapy waste and pathology waste) and
sharps waste (e.g., syringes). Medical waste must be
contained separately from other waste at the point of
origin in the producing facility. For example,
biohazardous waste must be placed in a red biohazard bag
labeled with the words "Biohazardous Waste" or with the
international biohazard symbol and the word "BIOHAZARD."
Sharps waste must be contained in a sharps container, and
biohazardous waste that is contaminated through contact
with chemotherapeutic agents must be segregated for storage
and placed in a secondary labeled container.
This bill authorizes hospitals to consolidate these wastes
into a common container, provided the consolidated waste is
treated by an extremely high heat technology and the
container is labeled with the biohazardous waste symbol and
the words "HIGH HEAT ONLY" or other label approved by DHS.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, minor
costs, if any, state fiscal effect.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/13/04)
California Healthcare Association (source)
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
SB 419
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3
AYES: Aghazarian, Bates, Benoit, Berg, Bermudez, Bogh,
Campbell, Canciamilla, Chan, Chavez, Chu, Cogdill, Cohn,
Corbett, Correa, Cox, Daucher, Diaz, Dutra, Dutton,
Dymally, Firebaugh, Frommer, Garcia, Goldberg, Hancock,
Harman, Haynes, Jerome Horton, Shirley Horton, Houston,
Jackson, Keene, Kehoe, Koretz, La Malfa, La Suer, Laird,
Leno, Leslie, Levine, Lieber, Liu, Longville, Lowenthal,
Maddox, Maldonado, Matthews, Maze, McCarthy, Montanez,
Mountjoy, Mullin, Nakanishi, Nakano, Nation, Negrete
McLeod, Parra, Pavley, Plescia, Reyes, Richman,
Ridley-Thomas, Runner, Salinas, Samuelian, Simitian,
Spitzer, Steinberg, Strickland, Vargas, Wesson, Wiggins,
Wolk, Wyland, Yee, Nunez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Calderon, Oropeza, Pacheco
CP:nl 8/16/04 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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