(a) On and after January 1, 1991, no person may perform examinations of cytological slides without first obtaining a license as a cytotechnologist from the department, except that those persons employed by licensed clinical laboratories as cytotechnologists and certified as cytotechnologists by the department on or before January 1, 1991, shall be licensed by the department on or before January 1, 1993. Cytotechnologist licenses shall be issued and renewed by the department for periods of two years. This subdivision shall not apply to persons holding a valid, unrevoked, unsuspended physician’s and surgeon’s certificate issued pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000).

(b) The issuance of a cytotechnologist license shall be contingent upon the applicant’s satisfactory performance, as defined in regulation, in a competency testing program for cytotechnologists which may be administered by the department or by a competency testing service or program approved by the department. The competency testing program established pursuant to this section shall be periodically reviewed and revised by the department, if necessary, to ensure that the program is consistent with federal competency testing requirements issued under the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (Public Law 100-578; 42 U.S.C. Sec. 263a, Section 353 of the Public Health Service Act).

(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the department may issue a temporary cytotechnologist license to a person who satisfies the requirements for admission to the examination unless the person has failed a previous examination for a cytotechnologist license. A temporary license issued by the department pursuant to this subdivision shall be valid for a period of time not exceeding 90 days after the date the department has adopted a competency testing program pursuant to subdivision (b).

(d) The department may issue a cytotechnologist license without examination to an applicant who satisfies one of the following:

(1) Passage of an examination of a national accrediting board whose requirements are equal to or greater than those required by this chapter or by regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter, as determined by the department.

(2) Passage of an examination of another state in which the requirements imposed by laws and regulations regarding the examination are equal to or greater than those required by this chapter or by regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter, as determined by the department.

This subdivision shall not apply to a person who has passed an examination of a national accrediting board or another state prior to that board’s or state’s establishment of requirements which are equal to or greater than those required by this chapter or by regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter, as determined by the department. The department may, however, make exceptions to the requirements of this subdivision in cases where the department determines that the applicant is otherwise qualified for licensure.

(e) The department shall not issue any temporary cytotechnologist license pursuant to subdivision (c) or any cytotechnologist license without examination pursuant to subdivision (d) after the department adopts a competency testing program pursuant to subdivision (b).

(f) (1) A licensed cytotechnologist may perform all tests and procedures pertaining to cytology, including, but not limited to, microscopic and nonmicroscopic methodologies and tests and procedures that utilize molecular or genetic methodologies, that are performed on cytologic specimens related to infectious disease or cancer diagnosis, under the overall operation and administration of a laboratory director, who shall be a qualified pathologist. As used in this paragraph, a “qualified pathologist” means a physician and surgeon who is certified or eligible for certification in clinical or anatomical pathology by the American Board of Pathology or the American Osteopathic Board of Pathology.

(2) Any tests or procedures performed by a licensed cytotechnologist pursuant to this subdivision shall be performed in a licensed clinical laboratory certified in the subspecialty of diagnostic cytology.

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 300, Sec. 1. (AB 599) Effective January 1, 2016.)