AB 1577 (Low, D-Cupertino)
Concerns
In Senate Health Committee
AB 1577 would require health care facilities, including hospitals, to annually submit to the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) the number of clinical placement slots available for community college nursing students. Community colleges with nursing programs would be required to annually notify HCAI and the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) of the number of clinical placement slots required for the next academic year and the number of slots that they have been unable to fill. HCAI would be required to post the information reported by the hospitals and nursing schools/programs on its website. If no hospitals are able to meet community colleges’ needs, the bill would authorize the BRN to meet with general acute care hospitals in an attempt to match available clinical placement slots with needed slots. The bill would also establish a process for departmental review and a plan of correction or a potential fine if the hospital is not able to offer any additional slots. CHA is continuing to work with the author and sponsor, the United Nurses Associations of California, to address remaining concerns.
AB 1695 (Gipson, D-Gardena)
Support
Pending referral to a Senate policy committee
AB 1695 would create the Nursing Pathway Pilot Program, which would reduce the barriers to enrolling in community college nursing programs, thereby increasing the training and retention of more nurses at all levels.
AB 2015 (Schiavo, D-Santa Clarita)
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Passed the Assembly Business and Professions Committee on April 23. To be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 2015, sponsored by the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), would require all faculty members, assistant directors, and directors of approved schools of nursing or nursing programs to hold an active California license as a registered nurse and be approved by the BRN. The BRN would be required to display an individual’s faculty approval status through an online search tool. The bill would require an approved school of nursing or nursing program, before extending an offer of employment to a faculty member, assistant director, or director, to use the online search tool to verify that the applicant has an active license, is in good standing, and is approved to teach in the level and content areas relevant to the open position or assignment. The bill would also require the executive officer of the BRN to develop a uniform method for evaluating requests and granting approvals and would authorize the executive officer to revise the uniform methods developed, as necessary.
AB 2104 (Soria, D-Merced)
Support
Passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee on April 16. To be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 2104, similar to Sen. Roth’s SB 895, would require the chancellor of the California Community Colleges to develop a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing Pilot Program at 15 community college districts in order to offer a bachelor of science in nursing degree. In identifying eligible community college districts, the chancellor’s office would be required to prioritize community college districts in broadly recognized underserved nursing areas, as well as community college districts with persistent poverty. The pilot program would end Jan. 1, 2031. The bill would also require the Legislative Analyst’s Office to evaluate the program’s effectiveness and whether it should be continued or expanded.
SB 895 (Roth, D-Riverside)
Co-sponsor
April 24 hearing in the Senate Education Committee
SB 895 would require the California Community Colleges to develop a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing Pilot Program at 15 community college districts in order to offer a bachelor of science in nursing degree. In identifying eligible community college districts, the chancellor’s office would be required to prioritize community college districts in underserved nursing areas. It would also require the Legislative Analyst’s Office to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot. The pilot would end on Jan. 1, 2031.
SB 1015 (Cortese, D-Campbell)
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Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 22
SB 1015, sponsored by the California Nurses Association, would require the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) to annually report information related to the management of clinical placements and coordination with clinical facilities by approved nursing programs. The report would be required to include information related to how approved nursing programs collaborate and coordinate with other approved schools of nursing or regional planning consortiums that utilize the same clinical facility. The report would be required to be posted on the BRN’s website and be submitted to the Legislature. Additionally, SB 1015 would require the BRN’s Nursing Education and Workforce Advisory Committee to study and recommend standards for how approved nursing programs should manage and coordinate clinical placements. The study must include various topics such as the necessity and feasibility of a statewide consortium to manage and coordinate clinical placements, as well as identifying and reporting violations of Business and Professions Code section 2786.4, related to the prohibition of payment to any clinical facility in exchange for clinical placement slots. The report detailing the committee’s findings would be submitted to the Legislature.
SB 1042 (Roth, D-Riverside)
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Passed the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee on April 22. To be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB 1042 would require health facilities, as defined in Health and Safety Code section 1250, and clinics, as defined in Health and Safety Code sections 1200 and 1204, to report to the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) information on the number of clinical placements available. All approved nursing programs, public and private, would be required to report their clinical placement needs. Upon request of an approved nursing program, health facilities and clinics would be required to meet with representatives from the nursing program to work in good faith to meet the program’s demands related to educating and training nurses. The bill also allows the BRN, upon request by an approved nursing program, to assist in finding and securing clinical placement slots to meet the program’s clinical placements needs. The BRN would also be granted authority to encourage the creation of new clinical placement slots at additional clinical training sites to meet school or program needs. CHA continues to work with the author’s office to address concerns.