BILL ANALYSIS
AB 867
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 13, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Kevin De Leon, Chair
AB 867 (Nava) - As Amended: April 14, 2009
Policy Committee: Higher
EducationVote:8-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the California State University (CSU) to
award the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in order to
train nurses for advanced nursing practice and to prepare
clinical faculty to teach postsecondary nursing education.
Specifically, this bill:
1.Specifies that the DNP is limited to the discipline of nursing
practice and shall be distinguished from the doctor of
philosophy (Ph.D) degree offered at, or in conjunction with,
the University of California.
2.Stipulates that state funding for students in the program
shall come within amounts allocated in the annual Budget Act
to the CSU for enrollment growth, shall be at the
marginal-cost CSU receives for graduate enrollment, shall not
alter CSU's ratio of graduate instruction to total enrollment,
and shall not diminish undergraduate enrollment growth.
3.Stipulates that CSU shall provide initial start-up funding
from within existing budgets for academic program support and
that funding shall not reduce undergraduate enrollments.
4.Requires CSU, if it establishes the DNP program, to report the
status to the California Postsecondary Education Commission
(CPEC), the Legislative Analyst's Office, and the appropriate
budget subcommittees.
FISCAL EFFECT
CSU staff indicate that two to three campuses would be selected
AB 867
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to implement DNP programs, with initial enrollments not expected
for around three years. Assuming 10 students in each entering
class, first-year GF costs for three programs would be $246,000
and second-year costs would be $492,000. The bill specifies
that these costs will come from CSU 's budget allocation for
enrollment growth.
COMMENTS
1.Purpose . This bill resulted from a study by the CSU Nursing
Doctorate Advisory Committee, comprised of CSU representatives
and a research consultant, to determine how best to address
California's nursing faculty shortage. CSU asserts this bill
is necessary for training future CSU and CCC nursing faculty.
CSU's 18 pre-licensure nursing programs are full and unable to
expand, in part because there are not enough faculty available
to meet the low student-to-faculty ratios required by
accreditors and licensing boards for these programs. In
addition, CSU points out the new program will allow it to
train more advance practice nurses, which may be the
educational level necessary for certification in the future.
According to a June 2008 study by the California Institute for
Nursing & Health Care (CINHC), more baccalaureate- and
graduate-prepared nurses will be needed as California strives
to fill a forecasted shortage of 116,000 nurses by 2020.
Currently, 70% of graduating nurses have two-year Associate of
Arts degrees, and only 26% of these go on to secure a Bachelor
of Science in Nursing or graduate-level degree.
2.CSU Budget Constraints . CSU has sustained significant budget
cuts in recent years, including $97.6 million in 2008-09 and
$66.3 million in 2009-10. CSU is reducing enrollments by
10,000 undergraduate students for the 2009-10 academic year
because of the lack of adequate funding for current enrollment
levels. Given these constraints, should a portion of future
enrollment growth funds be allocated for new DNP programs, or
for other system needs, such as increased baccalaureate degree
production, increased financial aid, decreased time-to-degree,
and more slots for undergraduate students?
3.CPEC Concerns . The commission is concerned with CSU's
approach of seeking a new degree program in statute prior to
CPEC, pursuant to its statutory charge, reviewing the need for
such a program. CPEC indicates that it is currently examining
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the need for nursing faculty and how the state public and
private colleges can meet these needs.
4.Prior Legislation . SB 1288 (Scott) of 2008, which was
substantially similar to this bill, was held on Suspense in
Senate Appropriations.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081