CA AB 375: new version, 09/27/26 - Chaptered

California AB 375, chaptered September 27, 2026 as Chapter 501, Statutes of 2026, amends the Medical Practice Act to expand the statutory definition of "health care provider" to include qualified autism service paraprofessionals. Prior to this amendment, the definition encompassed qualified autism service providers certified by a national entity and qualified autism service professionals, but not paraprofessionals in that service category. The expansion of the "health care provider" definition carries criminal-law significance under the Medical Practice Act: violations of the act constitute a crime, and by bringing qualified autism service paraprofessionals within the act's scope, the bill subjects that class of providers to the act's administrative, enforcement, and criminal-penalty framework administered by the Medical Board of California. The bill includes a state-mandated local program finding, because extending criminal liability to a new class of persons triggers California Constitution reimbursement analysis for local agencies and school districts. The bill expressly provides that no state reimbursement to local agencies is required under this act for a specified reason, as authorized by existing statutory reimbursement procedures.