Licensed professions

The law eases access to required infection-control training for dental assistants and updates licensing and oversight rules across several professions. It takes effect immediately.

What the law does ​

• Lets unlicensed dental assistants meet infection-control requirements by passing the Dental Assisting National Board’s Infection Control examination or completing specified approved courses, including qualifying online video-based instruction.
• Requires dental-assistant employers to verify completion of an approved infection-control course or examination before assistants perform procedures involving infectious materials.
• Opens a 2025–26 application window for the Licensed Physicians from Mexico Program and permits up to 15 additional applications through 2027.
• Requires the Governor to appoint both registered veterinary technician members of the California Veterinary Medical Board.
• Allows registered veterinary technician applicants to use qualifying education provided by a California public school.
• Allows recurring-service master agreements for private investigators to list overall beginning and termination dates instead of approximate dates for each assignment.

Who it affects ​

• Unlicensed dental assistants and dental employers.
• Physicians from Mexico seeking a limited California license through the state program and federally qualified health centers that employ them.
• Registered veterinary technician applicants and California Veterinary Medical Board members.
• Licensed private investigators and their clients.

Context ​

The urgency measure took effect immediately to address training availability, program applications, and licensing-board operations.

Breakdown ​

Dental Assistant Infection Control Training ​

The bill gives unlicensed dental assistants another way to meet infection control requirements: passing the Dental Assisting National Board’s Infection Control examination. It also updates the course options, including allowing certain video-based laboratory training. Employers must confirm that an assistant completed an approved course or examination before doing procedures that could expose them to infectious materials.

Key takeaways

• Unlicensed dental assistants may meet the infection control requirement by passing the Dental Assisting National Board’s Infection Control examination instead of taking a course.
• The bill permits board-approved infection control courses or courses with at least four hours of classroom instruction and at least two hours of laboratory instruction using video training tools.
• The revised course requirements reduce the minimum classroom instruction time from six hours to four hours while retaining at least two hours of laboratory instruction.
• Employers must ensure that dental assistants complete an authorized infection control course or examination before performing basic procedures involving possible exposure to blood, saliva, or other infectious material.

Physicians From Mexico Program ​

SB 1311 changes the application timeline for California’s Licensed Physicians from Mexico Program. It requires applications to be submitted between October 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026. It also allows the Medical Board of California to accept up to 15 additional applications from after July 1, 2026, through before January 1, 2028.

Key takeaways

• The bill sets October 1, 2025, through July 1, 2026, as the main application period for the program.
• The Medical Board of California may accept up to 15 applications after July 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2028.
• The bill changes application deadlines and limits for the existing program for licensed physicians from Mexico.

Veterinary Board Appointments and Technician Education ​

This part requires the Governor to appoint the second registered veterinary technician member of the California Veterinary Medical Board. It also expands the qualifying education for registered veterinary technicians to include specified programs accredited by a California public school.

Key takeaways

• The Governor must appoint both registered veterinary technician members of the California Veterinary Medical Board.
• Previously, the law specified that the Governor appointed only one of the board's two registered veterinary technician members.
• The bill adds specified education accredited by a California public school as a qualifying educational path for registered veterinary technicians.
• The bill also makes nonsubstantive updates to provisions governing the board.

Private Investigator Master Agreements ​

The bill creates an exception for certain written master agreements used for private-investigator services that are hired frequently over a set period. These agreements do not have to list approximate start and completion dates for each piece of work if they state when the agreement begins and ends.

Key takeaways

• The exception applies to master agreements covering services that are frequently contracted over a specified period of time.
• A qualifying master agreement is not required to include approximate start and completion dates for the work.
• The agreement must include its beginning date and termination date.
• Other written-agreement requirements for private-investigator services are not changed by this provision.