BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AJR 24
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          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
          AJR 24 (Bonilla)
          As Amended  April 10, 2012
          Majority vote 

           EDUCATION           7-3                                         
           
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          |Ayes:|Brownley, Ammiano,        |     |                          |
          |     |Buchanan, Butler, Carter, |     |                          |
          |     |Eng, Williams             |     |                          |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |Nays:|Norby, Grove, Halderman   |     |                          |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
           SUMMARY  :  Urges the members of California's congressional 
          delegation to sign on as cosponsors of, and requests the 
          Congress and the President of the United States enact, the 
          proposed federal Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Acts 
          of 2011 and 2012.  Specifically,  this bill  :  

          1)Makes findings and declarations relative to the crucial role 
            the school nurse has as the leader and coordinator of the 
            school health services team in providing health services to 
            children and youth. 

          2)Makes findings and declarations relative to the lack of school 
            nurses in 15 California counties and the 2,172:1 
            student-to-school nurse ratio statewide. 

          3)Makes findings and declarations relative to the increasingly 
            severe and chronic health conditions, such as autism, asthma 
            and diabetes that children across the nation and in California 
            are experiencing. 

          4)Makes findings and declarations relative to the fact that 
            schools are the only source of health care for many children 
            and adolescents in the United States and that the presence of 
            a school nurse leads to an increase in student attendance at 
            school. 

          5)Resolves that the Legislature urges the members of 
            California's congressional delegation to sign on as cosponsors 








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            of the proposed federal Student-to-School Nurse Ratio 
            Improvement Acts of 2011 and 2012. 

          6)Resolves that the Legislature requests that the Congress and 
            the President of the United States enact the federal 
            Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Acts of 2011 and 
            2012. 

          7)Resolves that the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies 
            of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
            United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
            to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and 
            Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
            States, and to the author for appropriate distribution. 
           
          FISCAL EFFECT  :   This bill has been keyed non-fiscal by the 
          Legislative Counsel. 

           COMMENTS :  This resolution resolves that California's State 
          Legislature urges the congressional delegation from California 
          to sign on as cosponsors of the federal Student-to-School Nurse 
          Ratio Improvement Acts of 2011 and 2012.  Further, this 
          resolution resolves that California's State Legislature requests 
          the Congress and President of the United States to enact the 
          Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Acts of 2011 and 2012. 
            

          The federal Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Acts of 
          2011 and 2012:  Introduced on June 16, 2011, in the United 
          States Congress as H.R. 2229 and on January 31, 2012, as S. 
          2047, this federal legislation would authorize the Secretary of 
          Education to provide demonstration grants to local educational 
          agencies (LEAs) in order to reduce the ratio of students to 
          school nurses in public elementary and secondary schools.  It 
          would provide priority for grants to LEAs that serve a high 
          number or percentage of impoverished students and demonstrate 
          the greatest need for new or additional nursing services for 
          their students.  Currently, H.R. 2229 has been referred to the 
          Committee on Education and the Workforce as well as the 
          Committee on Energy and Commerce within the United States House 
          of Representatives; and, S. 2047 has been officially introduced. 
           Among the co-sponsors of H.R. 2229, four representatives are 
          from California's congressional delegation.  S. 2047 was not 
          introduced by and has not been cosponsored by any California 








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          senators.  

          School nurses in California:  According to Children Now, only 
          17% of California's schools have a school nurse or school health 
          center.  Statistics from 2010 indicate that California's 
          student-to-school nurse ratio is 2,172:1.  This ratio is far 
          higher than the recommended ratio by the National Association of 
          School Nurses (NASN).  The NASN recommends guidelines of 750:1 
          for students in general population; 225:1 in the student 
          population that may require daily professional school nursing 
          services or intervention; and, 125:1 in the student population 
          with complex health care needs.  In addition, the NASN 
          recommends there be a school nurse in each school all day, every 
          day.  
           
           In 2009, according to the author, 15 entire counties within 
          California did not have a single public school with a school 
          nurse.  In comparison to other states across the nation, 
          California ranks 45th in student-to-school nurse ratio.  
          California, therefore, stands to benefit tremendously from the 
          proposed federal Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Acts 
          of 2011 and 2012. 

          Districts with high numbers of impoverished students and low 
          numbers of school nurses:  The federal legislation provides 
          districts with high student-to-school nurse ratios and high 
          numbers of or a high percentage of impoverished students to 
          receive preference for demonstration grants.  California is home 
          to many districts that would fit these priority characteristics. 

           
           Lack of trained and certified individuals:  It is unclear if 
          enough credentialed school nurses would be available to take on 
          these new positions or if the augmentation of recruiting efforts 
          for school nurse credentialing would be required.  According to 
          the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, between 2002 and 2009, 
          the average number of credentials issued was 247 credentials per 
          year.  It appears possible that in order to take full advantage 
          of the federal Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Acts of 
          2011 and 2012, California may need to increase recruitment 
          efforts and program offerings for such credentials. 


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mark Murphy and Chelsea Kelley / ED. / 








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          (916) 319-2087


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