BILL NUMBER: AB 1927 CHAPTERED 09/25/08 CHAPTER 299 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 25, 2008 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 25, 2008 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 7, 2008 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 12, 2008 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 11, 2008 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 2008 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 10, 2008 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 1, 2008 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Galgiani (Coauthors: Assembly Members Benoit, Horton, and Portantino) (Coauthor: Senator Denham) FEBRUARY 12, 2008 An act to amend Section 2881.1 of, and to repeal and add Section 4511.2 of, the Business and Professions Code, relating to nursing. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1927, Galgiani. Vocational nursing and psychiatric technicians. Existing law, until July 1, 2008, establishes the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Existing law requires the board to prepare and maintain a list of accredited schools of vocational nursing and to make certain determinations regarding courses of instruction of accredited schools of vocational nursing. Existing law requires the board to deny or revoke accreditation for any school of vocational nursing that does not give student applicants credit in the field of nursing for previous education, and requires the board to prescribe the education for which credit is to be given, including the amount of credit to be given to a certified nurse assistant and to a nurse assistant who has provided direct nursing services in health facilities. Existing law requires schools accredited for the training of psychiatric technicians to meet certain requirements related to assessment, credit, and course availability. The bill would delete the requirements on schools accredited for the training of psychiatric technicians related to assessment, credit, and course availability, and would instead require the board to deny or revoke accreditation for any psychiatric technician school that does not give student applicants credit in the fields of nursing and psychiatric technician practice for previous education and the opportunity to obtain credit for other acquired knowledge, as specified. The bill would also require the board to prescribe the education for which credit is to be given and the amount of credit that is to be given for each type of education for a psychiatric technician assistant and an applicant for licensure as a vocational nurse or psychiatric technician who has successfully completed specified courses that are assessed for equivalency by a vocational nursing school or psychiatric technician school. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 2881.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 2881.1. The board shall deny the application for accreditation made by, and shall revoke the accreditation given to, any school of vocational nursing that does not give to student applicants credit, in the field of nursing, for previous education and the opportunity to obtain credit for other acquired knowledge by the use of challenge examinations or other methods of evaluation. The board shall prescribe, by regulation, the education for which credit is to be given and the amount of credit that is to be given for each type of education, including the amount of credit to be given to a certified nurse assistant, a nurse assistant who has provided direct nursing services in health facilities, and an applicant who has successfully completed equivalent courses offered by a secondary school that is accredited by the Department of Education in any state or by a nationally recognized regional accrediting body. These courses shall be assessed for equivalency by the vocational nursing school. SEC. 2. Section 4511.2 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed. SEC. 3. Section 4511.2 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read: 4511.2. The board shall deny the application for accreditation made by, and shall revoke the accreditation given to, any psychiatric technician school that does not give to student applicants credit, in the fields of nursing and psychiatric technician practice, for previous education and the opportunity to obtain credit for other acquired knowledge by the use of challenge examinations or other methods of evaluation. The board shall prescribe, by regulation, the education for which credit is to be given and the amount of credit that is to be given for each type of education, including the amount of credit to be given to a psychiatric technician assistant, a certified nurse assistant, a nurse assistant who has provided direct nursing services in health facilities, and an applicant who has successfully completed equivalent courses offered by a secondary school that is accredited by the Department of Education in any state or by a nationally recognized, regional accrediting body. These courses shall be assessed for equivalency by the psychiatric technician school.