CURRENT LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY
Current STATE Legislation Addressing the Nurse Shortage
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This section provides the summaries and status of six state bills introduced in the 2001- 2002 California Legislature, followed by the legislative language of those bills.
CHA-sponsored SB 317 (Ortiz, D-Sacramento) would have created the Expansion of Nursing Education Program modeled after the state's Song-Brown Act. The bill would have ultimately provided an annual $120 million funding allocation to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to expand existing nursing education programs' capacity. Status: SB 317 was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
CHA-sponsored SB 457 (Scott, D-Altadena) attempted to standardize nursing program prerequisites and streamline other issues related specifically to nursing education within and between both the California Community College and California State University systems. Status: Based on activity now occurring to address these issues, SB 457 was held and is now a two-year bill.
AB 338 (Correa, D-Santa Ana) would create a demonstration project to address the nurse shortage. The bill appropriated $1,700,000 to the chancellor of the community colleges for this purpose. Status: AB 338 is now a two-year bill.
California Nurses Association-sponsored AB 87 (Jackson, D-Santa Barbara) would provide grants to community colleges for nurse training in specified, specialty areas. Status: $1 million was allocated in the state budget to fund this bill. An additional $4 million was allocated to increase the number of enrollees at community colleges. This bill is on the governor's desk awaiting action.
CHA-opposed AB 1075 (Shelley, D-San Francisco) would enact new staffing ratios for skilled-nursing facilities. Status: AB 1075 is on the governor's desk awaiting action.
SB 664 (Poochigian, R-Fresno) will require the California Post-Secondary Education Commission to conduct a review and analysis of California community college districts' admission procedures and attrition rates for associate degree nursing programs. The bill appropriates $150,000 for this purpose. Status: SB 664 has been signed by the governor (Chapter 443).
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