Ascp Northern California Chapter

Hello,

I'm Ann Ho, Treasurer of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Northern California Chapter.

Stop the Tripling of Licensing Fees for California’s Lab Professionals

Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS) and phlebotomists (CPT-1) are essential to patient care. Every diagnosis, treatment decision, and lifesaving intervention depends on laboratory testing. Yet California is placing an unprecedented financial burden on the very lab professionals who make modern healthcare possible.

Due to recent legislative changes, including California Legislation BPC 1300 Chapter 3 Article 6 and Assembly Bill No 144, licensing fees for California laboratory professionals are set to skyrocket starting January 1, 2026.

A Three-Fold Increase in CLS Licensing Fees

Current CLS renewal fee: $179 every two years

New CLS renewal fee: $300 every year (or $600 every two years)

Moving forward, this means $600 every two years just to remain licensed—a three-fold increase that triples the cost required to work as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist in California.

To put this in perspective:

New York State CLS license: $170 every THREE years

By comparison, California State CLS license: $900 every three years

California’s fees are now outrageously higher than comparable states, creating a massive and unnecessary financial burden—especially in a state already facing an extreme cost-of-living crisis.

Phlebotomists and Lab Assistants Are Also Affected

Phlebotomy professionals are not exempt from these increases:

CPT-1 license renewal fees will rise from $100 to $150

While this may seem smaller in comparison, for many entry-level and lower-wage healthcare workers, this increase is significant and punitive.

Why This Matters

These excessive licensing fees:

* Push skilled professionals out of California

* Discourage students from entering laboratory careers

* Exacerbate staffing shortages in hospitals and labs

* Delay diagnostic testing and patient care

* Disproportionately harm lower-income and underrepresented communities

Higher fees do not improve patient safety. They only reduce access to care by shrinking the workforce.

How Your Donation Helps

ASCP Northern California is raising funds to lobby and fight back against these extreme fee increases and the legislation that enabled them—including action towards Governor Gavin Newsom, who signed the bill into law.

Donations will support:

* Legislative lobbying and advocacy

* Policy analysis and regulatory challenges

* Direct engagement with lawmakers

* Coalition-building with healthcare workers and community partners

* Public education on the real-world impact of these fee increases

This Is a Workforce Crisis

California cannot claim to support healthcare workers, specifically those in the lab, while tripling the cost required to remain licensed. These policies threaten the stability of our healthcare system and place an unjust financial burden on lab professionals who already face high stress, burnout, and living costs.

We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fair, reasonable, and comparable licensing fees that allow laboratory professionals to continue serving patients without being financially penalized for doing so.

Stand With Us

If you or a loved one has ever relied on lab results for medical care, this issue affects you.

Please donate and share this campaign. Together, we can push back against these harmful policies and protect the future of California’s clinical laboratory workforce.

Your generosity can make a significant impact in our mission to empower laboratory professionals and improve healthcare outcomes.

Your support helps ASCP Northern California Chapter make a difference by contributing towards efforts like:

With your help, we can continue to uplift our community and ensure that quality laboratory services are accessible to everyone. Please consider donating to our 501(c)(3) nonprofit today to support our ongoing work. Together, we can make a lasting difference for lab professionals and patients in Northern California!