BILL NUMBER: AB 1295 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 283
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 11, 2009
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 11, 2009
PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 4, 2009
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 9, 2009
AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 23, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 16, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Fuller
FEBRUARY 27, 2009
An act to add Section 89267.5 to the Education Code, relating to
nursing degree programs.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1295, Fuller. Postsecondary education: nursing degree programs.
Existing law establishes the University of California, the
California State University (CSU), and the California Community
Colleges as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this
state. Under existing law, the Chancellor of the California Community
Colleges is required to encourage community college districts to,
and the Chancellor of the California State University is required to,
standardize all nursing education program prerequisites on a
statewide basis and negotiate and implement articulation agreements
among the campuses and districts of these 2 segments.
Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature to encourage
CSU to establish partnerships or collaborations with community
colleges to facilitate the education of students in bachelor of
science in nursing (BSN) or entry-level master's nursing programs.
This bill would require the Chancellor of the California State
University to implement articulated nursing degree transfer pathways
between the California Community Colleges and CSU prior to the
commencement of the 2012-13 academic year. The bill would require the
articulated nursing degree transfer pathways to meet prescribed
requirements.
The bill would authorize the Chancellor of the California State
University and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to
appoint representatives from their respective institutions to work
collaboratively to provide advice and assistance relating to
prescribed topics concerning the articulated nursing degree transfer
pathways.
The bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office, by March
15, 2011, to prepare and submit to the Legislature and Governor a
report on the status of plans to implement the articulated nursing
degree transfer pathways.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) Access to a quality nursing education through California's
public postsecondary institutions is provided through 74 California
Community Colleges and 22 California State University (CSU) campuses.
(b) The California Board of Registered Nursing is responsible for
approving the comprehensive and quality nursing curriculum provided
through the California Community Colleges and CSU and for licensing
registered nurses who pass a standardized licensing exam.
(c) In order for California to meet the demand for an increasingly
skilled and educated nursing workforce and to address the critical
shortage of nurses throughout the state, it is an economic benefit to
the state and students to streamline the community college and the
CSU transfer pathway for nursing.
(d) It is estimated that only 20 percent of community college
associate degree nurses continue on to obtain a bachelor's degree.
(e) The lack of a common nursing transfer pathway may result in
students being required to take duplicative and unnecessary
coursework that prolongs the time required to obtain a degree and
increases the cost of education to both the student and state. These
unnecessary barriers act as a disincentive for students who wish to
continue their postsecondary education to earn the bachelor of
science in nursing.
(f) California's workforce needs increasingly educated nurses to
fill public health nursing positions, to proceed toward completion of
a master's degree in nursing, and to fill nursing faculty positions
at both the California Community College and CSU level.
(g) A streamlined nursing degree transfer pathway between
California Community Colleges and CSU will result in a cost savings
to both the student and California, make it less burdensome for
community college nursing students to further their education, and
reduce the time to degree.
SEC. 2. Section 89267.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:
89267.5. (a) As used in this section, "ADN-to-BSN student" means
a person who meets all of the following qualifications:
(1) The person has earned an associate degree in nursing from a
California Community College from a program approved by the Board of
Registered Nursing.
(2) The person is licensed to work in California as a registered
nurse.
(3) The person is applying to the California State University to
earn a bachelor of science in nursing.
(b) Prior to the commencement of the 2012-13 academic year, the
Chancellor of the California State University shall implement
articulated nursing degree transfer pathways between the California
Community Colleges and the California State University. The
articulated nursing degree transfer pathways shall, at a minimum,
comply with both of the following requirements:
(1) A campus of the California State University shall not require
an ADN-to-BSN student to complete any duplicative courses for which
the content is already required by the Board of Registered Nursing
for licensure or that the student has already satisfied by earning
the associate degree in nursing and becoming licensed as a registered
nurse.
(2) A campus of the California State University shall not require
an ADN-to-BSN student, who has taken a prerequisite course at a
California community college to earn the associate degree in nursing,
to take the same prerequisite course or same content from that
prerequisite course at the university for the bachelor of science in
nursing degree.
(c) The Chancellor of the California State University and the
Chancellor of the California Community Colleges may appoint
representatives from their respective institutions to work
collaboratively to provide advice and assistance on either or both of
the following:
(1) Implementation of the articulated nursing pathways.
(2) Identification of additional components to be included that
are consistent with providing ADN-to-BSN students with a streamlined
nursing degree transfer pathway consistent with the finding in
subdivision (g) of Section 1 of the act that adds this section.
(d) By March 15, 2011, the Legislative Analyst's Office shall
prepare and submit to the Legislature and the Governor a report on
the status of plans to implement articulated nursing degree transfer
pathways between the California Community Colleges and the California
State University. This report may be part of its annual budget
report to the Legislature.