AB 867 Assembly Bill

BILL NUMBER: AB 867	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 14, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Nava and Arambula
   (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Galgiani)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Beall, Block, Carter,  Conway,
 Coto, Davis, De Leon, DeVore,  Fong,   Gilmore,
 Hagman, Huber, Bonnie Lowenthal,  Ma,  Mendoza,
Monning, John A. Perez, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana,  Swanson,
 and Villines)
   (Coauthors: Senators Alquist, Ashburn, Benoit,  Cogdill, 
Correa, Cox, DeSaulnier, Ducheny, Florez, Lowenthal, Maldonado, 
Negrete McLeod,  Romero,  and Runner  
Runner,   and Walters  )

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2009

   An act to add Article 9 (commencing with Section 89280) to Chapter
2 of Part 55 of Division 8 of Title 3 of the Education Code,
relating to nursing degrees.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 867, as amended, Nava. California State University: Doctor of
Nursing Practice degree.
   Existing law establishes the California State University and its
various campuses under the administration of the Trustees of the
California State University. Existing law requires the California
State University to offer undergraduate and graduate instruction
through the master's degree in the liberal arts and sciences and
professional education, including teacher education.
   This bill would authorize the California State University to award
the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. The bill would distinguish
the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from  research-based
doctoral degrees   the doctor of philosophy degree 
offered at the University of California. The bill would require the
 programs   Doctor of Nursing Practice degree
program  to be designed to enable professionals to earn the
degree while working full time, train nurses for advanced practice,
and prepare  clinical  faculty to teach in postsecondary
nursing programs.
   The bill would require initial funding to come from existing
budgets, without diminishing the quality of undergraduate programs or
reducing enrollment therein. 
   The bill would require the California State University to annually
report on the status of the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree
program, as specified. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
   
  SECTION 1.    The Legislature finds and declares
all of the following:
   (a) The State of California faces an ever-increasing nursing
shortage that jeopardizes the health and well-being of the state's
citizens.
   (b) Colleges and universities need to expand nursing education
programs to prepare more nurses to meet the state's growing demand
for nurses. An estimated state shortage of 47,600 registered nurses
is expected by 2010, and by 2020 the shortage is projected to reach
116,600 according to the Governor's California Nurse Education
Initiative Annual Report, September 2006.
   (c) Well-trained nursing faculty are critical to the ability to
expand nursing programs. 
   SEC. 2.   SECTION 1.   Article 9
(commencing with Section 89280) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 55 of
Division 8 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:

      Article 9.  Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree


   89280.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (a) The State of California faces an ever-increasing nursing
shortage that jeopardizes the health and well-being of the state's
citizens.
   (b) Colleges and universities need to expand nursing education
programs to prepare more nurses to meet the state's growing demand
for nurses. An estimated state shortage of 47,600 registered nurses
is expected by 2010, and by 2020 the shortage is projected to reach
116,600 according to the Governor's California Nurse Education
Initiative Annual Report, September 2006.
   (c) Well-trained nursing faculty and practitioners are critical to
the ability to expand nursing programs.
   (d) Because of the urgent need to prepare and graduate increased
numbers of nurses, it is the intent of the Legislature to grant the
California State University authority to offer the Doctor of Nursing
Practice degree, as an exception to the Master Plan for Higher
Education. 
    89280.   89281.   (a) Notwithstanding
Section 66010.4, in order to meet specific nursing education needs in
California, the California State University may award the Doctor of
Nursing Practice degree, as described in this section.
   (b) The authority to award the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree
is limited to the discipline of nursing practice. The Doctor of
Nursing Practice degree offered by the California State University
shall be distinguished from  research-based doctoral degrees
  the doctor of philosophy degree  offered at 
, or in conjunction with,  the University of California.
   (c) The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program offered by the
California State University shall train nurses for advanced nursing
practice and prepare  clinical  faculty to teach in
postsecondary nursing education programs. The degree 
programs   program  shall be designed to enable
professionals to earn the degree while working full time.
   (d)  The   In   implementing
subdivision (a), the  California State University shall 
follow all of   comply with  the following
requirements:
   (1) Funding on a per full-time equivalent student (FTES) basis for
each new student in  these degree programs  
the degree prog   ram  shall be within the California
State University's enrollment growth levels as agreed to in the
annual Budget Act. Enrollments in  these programs 
 the degree program  shall not alter the California State
University's ratio of graduate instruction to total enrollment, and
shall not diminish enrollment growth in university undergraduate
programs. Funding provided from the state for each FTES shall be at
the agreed-upon marginal costs calculation that the California State
University receives for graduate enrollment. 
   (2) Each student in the programs authorized by this article shall
be charged fees in an amount that is no higher than the rate charged
for students in state-supported doctoral degree programs at the
University of California, including joint programs of the California
State University and the University of California.  

   (3) 
    (2)  The California State University shall provide any
initial funding needed for the  programs  
degree program  authorized by this article from within existing
budgets for academic programs support, without diminishing the
quality of program support offered to California State University
undergraduate programs. Funding  of these programs 
 for the degree program  shall not reduce undergraduate
enrollments at the California State University. 
   89282.  If the California State University establishes a Doctor of
Nursing Practice degree program pursuant to Section 89281, the
university shall report on the status of the degree program to the
California Postsecondary Education Commission, the Legislative
Analyst's Office, and the appropriate budget subcommittees in each
house of the Legislature. The report shall be submitted annually,
prior to any legislative budget subcommittee hearing related to the
degree program.