BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 213
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 15, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 213 (Logue) - As Amended: April 18, 2013
Policy Committee: Business,
Professions and Consumer Affairs Vote: 13-0
Veterans Affairs 8-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires, by January 1, 2015, the Department of Public
Health (DPH) and healing arts boards within the Department of
Consumer Affairs (DCA boards) to undertake activities intended
to facilitate the transition of military veterans to civilian
careers as health care professionals. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires DPH to accept education, training, and practical
experience completed in the military, as specified, toward
licensure or certification, if DPH determines the education,
training, or experience is equivalent to DPH's standards.
2)Applies to the following professions regulated by DPH: a)
medical laboratory technicians; b) clinical laboratory
scientists; c) radiologic technologists; d) nuclear medicine
technologists;
e) certified nurse assistants; f) certified home health aides;
g) certified hemodialysis technicians; and h) nursing home
administrators.
3)Requires DPH and DCA boards, that accredit or approve schools
offering course credit for licensure requirements, to require
schools seeking accreditation or approval to submit proof of
the school's procedures to evaluate an applicant's military
education, training, and experience toward completion of an
education program that would qualify the applicant for
licensure if the school determines that the education,
training or practice experience is equivalent to the DPH or
DCA board's standard, as specified.
AB 213
Page 2
4)Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), California
State University (CSU) and California Community Colleges (CCC)
to provide technical assistance to DPH and DCA for determining
equivalency between education, training, and experience of an
applicant and DPH or DCS board standards, and for obtaining
state, federal, or private funds for implementation.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)One-time and ongoing costs, to DPH and DCA boards, to review
existing military and school programs for equivalency, develop
a process to ensure compliance by schools, and review
compliance. Initial costs are in the range of $500,000 to DPH
and $100,000 to DCA boards, with ongoing costs decreasing but
remaining significant.
2)Minor, absorbable costs to DVA, CSU and CCC, to provide
technical assistance to DPH and DCA.
3)State costs could be offset if private or federal funds are
available for implementation.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . According to the author, this bill facilitate the
transition of veterans with healthcare education, training,
and practical experience into civilian employment as
healthcare professionals.
2)Background . Because of similarities in training and experience
compared to their civilian counterparts, individuals with
military training and experience in health care may be
well-positioned to meet the state's health care needs upon
their separation from service. Both DCA and DPH were required
to submit a report to the Legislature in October 2012
detailing how professional licensure programs under their
respective jurisdictions address military experience. The
results suggest that while DCA boards generally have
sufficient authority to accept military service towards
licensure, DPH may not.
3)Related Legislation . AB 704 (Blumenfield) requires the
Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) to develop and
adopt regulations to accept education, training, and practical
experience completed by an applicant with military experience
AB 213
Page 3
toward the qualifications and requirements for EMT-I
certification, EMT-II certification, or EMT-P licensure, as
specified. AB 704 passed out of the Assembly and is pending
in the Senate.
AB 705 (Blumenfield) requires the Board of Registered Nursing
to adopt regulations that identify military coursework,
training, and experience equivalent or transferable to
coursework required for licensure by the board. AB 705 is
pending on this committee's Suspense File.
AB 1057 (Medina) requires all DCA boards (not just the healing
arts boards) to ask each applicant for licensure about
military experience. AB 1057 passed out of the Assembly and
is pending in the Senate.
4)Previous Legislation . AB 1976 (Logue) of 2012 was
substantially similar to this bill. AB 1976 was held in this
committee.
AB 1932 (Cook) of 2012 would have required DCA boards to issue
a written report to DVA by January 1, 2014 detailing the
methods for evaluating the education, training, and experience
obtained by applicants in military service and whether that
education, training, and experience is applicable to the
boards' requirements for licensure. AB 1932 passed out of the
Assembly but was never referred out of Senate Rules Committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Debra Roth / APPR. / (916) 319-2081