BILL ANALYSIS ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 867| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ THIRD READING Bill No: AB 867 Author: Nava (D) and Arambula (I), et al Amended: 8/20/10 in Senate Vote: 21 SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-0, 7/15/09 AYES: Romero, Huff, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Padilla, Simitian, Wyland NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 11-0, 8/12/10 AYES: Kehoe, Ashburn, Alquist, Corbett, Emmerson, Leno, Price, Walters, Wolk, Wyland, Yee ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 71-7, 6/3/09 - See last page for vote SUBJECT : California State University: Doctor of Nursing Practice degree: pilot program SOURCE : California State University DIGEST : This bill, until July 1, 2018, authorizes the California State University (CSU) to establish a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree pilot program at three campuses chosen by the Board of Trustees to award the DNP degree. This bill distinguishes the DNP degree from the doctor of philosophy degree offered at the University of California. This bill requires the DNP degree pilot program to be designed to enable professionals to earn the CONTINUED AB 867 Page 2 degree while working full time, train nurses for advanced practice, and prepare clinical faculty to teach in postsecondary nursing programs. This bill requires CSU to enroll and maintain no more than 90 full-time equivalent students in the degree pilot program at all three campuses combined. This bill requires initial funding to come from existing budgets, without diminishing the quality of undergraduate programs or reducing enrollment therein. This bill requires CSU, the Legislative Analyst's Office, and the Department of Finance to jointly conduct a statewide evaluation of the degree pilot program and report the results to the Legislature and the Governor on or before January 1, 2017. Senate Floor Amendments of 8/20/10 delete non-nursing related language and insert clarifying language to ensure that the required evaluation reviews elements of CSU nursing program. ANALYSIS : Current law provides that the primary mission of CSU is undergraduate and graduate instruction through the master's degree. It specifies that CSU (1) shall offer undergraduate and graduate instruction through the master's degree, and (2) may offer doctoral degrees jointly with the University of California (UC) or other independent institutions of higher education provided they are approved by the California Postsecondary Education Commission. Current law also authorizes CSU to independently award the Doctor of Education (Ed.D) degree focused solely on preparing administrative leaders for California public K-14 schools. In setting forth the missions and functions of California public and independent institutions of higher education, current law provides, among other things, that UC "has the sole authority in public higher education to award the doctoral degree in all fields of learning, except that it may agree with the CSU to award joint doctoral degrees in selected fields." This bill, until July 1, 2018, authorizes CSU to establish a DNP degree pilot program at three campuses chosen by the Board of Trustees to award the DNP degree. This bill distinguishes the DNP degree from the doctor of philosophy AB 867 Page 3 degree offered at the University of California. This bill requires the DNP degree pilot 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. This bill requires CSU to enroll and maintain no more than 90 full-time equivalent students in the degree pilot program at all three campuses combined. This bill requires initial funding to come from existing budgets, without diminishing the quality of undergraduate programs or reducing enrollment therein. This bill requires CSU, the Legislative Analyst's Office, and the Department of Finance to jointly conduct a statewide evaluation of the degree pilot program and report the results to the Legislature and the Governor on or before January 1, 2017. Comments 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 California Community College 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, 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 percent of graduating nurses have two-year Associate of Arts degrees, and only 26 percent of these go on to secure a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or graduate-level degree. Prior legislation . On April 17, 2008, the Senate Education Committee passed (9-0) SB 1288 (Scott), 2007-08 Session, AB 867 Page 4 which would have authorized CSU to offer DNP degree programs. The bill was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee. FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No It is the intent of the legislature that CSU seek private donations or other nonstate funds to fund startup costs for the degree pilot program. SUPPORT : (Verified 8/20/10) California State University (source) American Nurses Association/California American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Asian Americans for Community Involvement California Hospital Association California State Student Association Coast Community College District Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce Joint Venture Silicon Valley Oxnard Chamber of Commerce San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce Silicon Valley Leadership Group Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce ASSEMBLY FLOOR : AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Arambula, Beall, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blumenfield, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Monning, Nava, Nestande, Niello, John A. Perez, V. Manuel Perez, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Bass NOES: Anderson, Blakeslee, Duvall, Garrick, Miller, Nielsen, Portantino AB 867 Page 5 NO VOTE RECORDED: Block, Yamada PQ:mw 8/23/10 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END ****