The Jones bill, which is supported by the California Hospital Assn., would hold individual employees accountable for rogue behavior in cases in which hospitals have done everything possible to keep records private.
"Those breaches should never have happened," said Jan Emerson, a spokeswoman for the hospital association.
Alquist's measure, SB 541, would increase fines against individuals and health facilities for serious medical errors from the current maximum of $50,000 to a limit of $125,000. The Assembly has already approved it.
In the Senate on Tuesday, lawmakers also approved AB 2 by Sen. Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton), which would extend healthcare coverage to those considered medically uninsurable because of preexisting medical conditions.
The bill would require insurance companies to either insure those people or pay into a state account that would subsidize insurance for them.
Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) said there are more than 1,000 Californians on a waiting list to get such coverage.
Aanestad said the current health insurance system needs fixing, but the legislation could increase costs for patients.
"The cost is going to be passed on to consumers," he said.
The Senate rejected a bill that would have required a review of fire retardants used in automobiles, cribs, toys and other products to determine whether they are toxic and should be banned or restricted.
The bill, SB 706 by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), received 18 votes, three shy of the number needed for passage, after it was strongly opposed by chemical companies and other businesses.
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patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com
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