LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeBusiness and Professions CodeDiv. 2Ch. 1Art. 13§ 852 Health Care Activity Protection

§ 852 Health Care Activity Protection

Business and Professions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 852 Health Care Activity Protection

Key Takeaways

  • •Doctors in California won't get in trouble just because they help a patient from another state with a treatment that's legal in California but illegal where the patient lives.
  • •This law protects doctors' licenses as long as they follow California rules and the treatment is legal here.
  • •The doctor must be doing their normal job and not breaking any California laws.

Example

A woman from Texas, where abortion is banned, travels to California for an abortion. She sees a California doctor who performs the procedure.

The doctor won't lose their license or get punished just because abortion is illegal in Texas. As long as abortion is legal in California and the doctor follows the rules here, they are protected by this law.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 852 Health Care Activity Protection

The performance, recommendation, or provision of any legally protected health care activity, as defined in Section 1798.300 of the Civil Code, by a licensee or a health care practitioner subject to this division acting within their scope of practice, for a patient who resides in a state in which the performance, recommendation, or provision of that legally protected health care activity is illegal, shall not, by itself, constitute professional misconduct under this division or any regulation governing the licensure, certification, or authorization of that licensee or practitioner, nor shall any license, certification, or authorization of a licensee or health care practitioner subject to this division be revoked, suspended, or annulled or otherwise subject to any other penalty or discipline provided in this division solely on the basis that the licensee or health care practitioner performed, recommended, or provided any legally protected health care activity for a patient who resides in a state in which the performance, recommendation, or provision of that legally protected health service is illegal. (Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 260, Sec. 3. (SB 345) Effective January 1, 2024.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

performanceregulationpatienthealthpenaltylicensefinerecommendation

Related Statutes

  • § 850.1 Out-Of-State Abortion License Protection
  • § 5116.2 Licensee Violation Penalties
  • § 584 Exam Security And Impersonation
  • § 731 Professional Misconduct Penalties
  • § 851 Licensure Standards Adoption

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Business and Professions Code. Section 852.
View Official Source