ARTICLE 10. Federal Personnel and Tribal Health Programs [710. - 719.]

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC 10.

in effect

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 710. Section 710.

It is the policy of the State of California that, consistent with high quality health care services, persons with skills, knowledge and experience obtained in the armed services of the United States should be permitted to apply such learning and contribute to the health manpower needs of the state at the maximum level of responsibility and skill for which they are qualified. To this end, the rules and regulations of boards under this division shall provide for methods of evaluating education, training, and experience obtained in military service if such training is applicable to the requirements of that profession.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 715. Section 715.

Unless otherwise required by federal law or regulation, no board under this division which licenses dentists, physicians and surgeons, podiatrists, or nurses may require a person to obtain or maintain any license to practice a profession or render services in the State of California if one of the following applies: (a) The person practicing a profession or rendering services does so exclusively as an employee of a department, bureau, office, division, or similarly constituted agency of the federal government, and provides medical services exclusively on a federal reservation or at any facility wholly supported by and maintained by the United States government. (b) The person practicing a profession or rendering services does so solely pursuant to a contract with the federal government on a federal reservation or at any facility wholly supported and maintained by the United States government. (c) The person practicing a profession or rendering services does so pursuant to, or as a part of a program or project conducted or administered by a department, bureau, office, division, or similarly constituted agency of the federal government which by federal statute expressly exempts persons practicing a profession or rendering services as part of the program or project from state laws requiring licensure.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 716. Section 716.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a board under this division may deny issuance of a license to an applicant or take disciplinary action against the holder of a California license for acts or omissions committed by the applicant or licensee in the course of professional practice or rendering services described in Section 715 if both of the following apply: (a) The acts or omissions committed by the applicant or licensee constituted grounds for denial or discipline pursuant to the laws of this state governing licensees or applicants for licensure for the profession or vocation in question. (b) The acts or omissions constituting the basis for denial or discipline by the agency were not authorized, exempted or rendered inconsistent by federal statute.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 717. Section 717.

This article is not intended to address the scope of practice of a dentist, physician and surgeon, or nurse licensed under this division, and nothing in this article shall be construed to restrict, expand, alter, or modify the existing scope of practice established by federal statute or regulation.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 718. Section 718.

A physician and surgeon who is not licensed in this state but who is a commissioned officer on active duty in the medical corps of any branch of the armed forces of the United States may engage in the practice of medicine as part of a residency, fellowship, or clinical training program if all the following conditions are met: (a) The residency, fellowship, or clinical training program is conducted by a branch of the armed forces of the United States at a health facility on a federal reservation and limited in enrollment to military physicians on active duty in the medical corps of a branch of the armed forces of the United States. (b) The residency, fellowship, or clinical training program, as part of its program, contracts with or affiliates with a similar program in or at a health facility not on a federal reservation to offer specific courses or training not available at the facility located on the federal reservation. (c) The officers enrolled in the residency, fellowship, or clinical training program restrict their practice only to patients who are seen as part of their duties in the program. (d) The compensation received by the officers enrolled in the residency, fellowship, or clinical training program is limited to their regular pay and allowances as commissioned officers. (e) The officers enrolled in the training programs or portions of training programs not conducted on a federal reservation shall register with the Division of Licensing of the Medical Board of California on a form provided by the division.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 719. Section 719.

(a) A person who is licensed as a health care practitioner in any other state and is employed by a tribal health program, as defined in Section 1603 of Title 25 of the United States Code, shall be exempt from any licensing requirement described in this division with respect to acts authorized under the person’s license where the tribal health program performs the services described in the contract or compact of the tribal health program under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 450 et seq.). (b) For purposes of this section, “health care practitioner” means any person who engages in acts that are the subject of licensure or regulation under the law of any other state.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026