BILL NUMBER: AB 1559	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 25, 2007
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 10, 2007

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Berryhill
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Adams, Anderson, Benoit, DeVore,
Gaines, Houston, Maze, Nakanishi, Silva, Smyth, Strickland, Tran, and
Villines)

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2007

   An act to add Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 78255) to
Chapter 2 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code,
relating to public postsecondary education.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1559, as amended, Berryhill. Public postsecondary education:
 community college   associate degree 
nursing  education  programs.
   (1)  Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges
under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges. Existing law establishes community college
districts throughout the state, under the administration of community
college district governing boards, and authorizes these districts to
provide instruction at the community college campuses they operate.
   This bill would require a community college district governing
board to adopt and implement a merit-based admissions policy for
 a nursing education   an associate degree
nursing  program if, for any academic term, there are more
applicants seeking enrollment in that  associate degree 
nursing program than may reasonably be accommodated. Because the bill
would impose new duties on community college districts, it would
constitute a state-mandated local program.
   (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse
local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 78255) is added to
Chapter 2 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code,
to read:

      Article 3.5.   Nursing Education  
Associate Degree Nursing  Programs


   78255.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if, for any
academic term, at any community college offering  a nursing
education   an associate degree nursing  program,
there are more applicants seeking enrollment in that program than may
reasonably be accommodated, the governing board of that community
college district shall adopt and implement a merit-based admissions
policy for the determination of which applicants may be admitted to
that program.
  SEC. 2.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.