New Law Makes Doctors On Probation For Misconduct Tell Patients

California will soon become the first state to require doctors placed on probation by state regulators for serious misconduct to notify their patients.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Wednesday that passed the Legislature during its final hours of session last month after stalling in previous years. This year’s effort was backed by Olympians who were abused by former Michigan State and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

The categories of misconduct subject to the new law include sexual misconduct with a patient, a criminal conviction involving harm to a patient, and drug abuse that could affect a patient.

The law takes effect next July and applies only to physicians placed on probation on or after that date. The measure also only requires that patients be notified before their first visit to that doctor.

The governor also signed a bill that eases California’s restrictions on motorized scooters — such as the electric standup scooters used by companies like Bird.

The measure allows the scooters on more roads and loosens the requirement that riders wear helmets.

Right now, everyone who rides an electric scooter must wear a helmet. Under the new law, only children under 18 will need to wear one.

The measure also lets the scooters be operated on roads with speed limits of up to 35 miles an hour. That’s an increase from the current 25 miles an hour.

But the state’s 15 mile-an-hour speed limit for electric scooters remains unchanged.

The new law takes effect in January.