BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 705
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Date of Hearing: May 1, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 705 (Blumenfield) - As Amended: April 23, 2013
Policy Committee: Business,
Professions and Consumer Protection Vote: 13-0
Veterans Affairs 9-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), in
conjunction with the California Military Department, to
promulgate regulations that identify the military education,
training, and experience equivalent or transferable to
coursework required for licensure as a registered nurse (RN).
Upon receipt of an applicant's record of education, training,
and experience completed in the Armed Forces, the BRN shall
provide the applicant with a list of coursework, if any, that
the applicant must complete for license eligibility.
FISCAL EFFECT
Initial costs of approximately $300,000 to $400,000 for BRN to
develop regulations and evaluate applications from military
veterans. Ongoing costs to BRN of approximately $200,000. It
is not known how many applications BRN will receive and whether
a fee increase will be necessary.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . The author proposes the Combat to Care Act to
remove obstacles facing combat medics returning to civilian
life who seek licensure as registered nurses. Current law
already requires BRN to recognize certain military coursework,
training, and experience; this bill directs BRN to work with
the Military Department to determine transferability of
military education and experience, and to evaluate
applications from veterans accordingly.
AB 705
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California's unemployment rate in 2011 was 11.7%, but for
veterans who served after 9/11, the rate in California was
20%. Recognizing the experience and training of veterans with
medical training would help veterans and help implement health
reform. Veterans' organizations support this bill;
organizations representing nurses are opposed.
2)Related Legislation . AB 704 (Blumenfield) directs the
Emergency Medical Services authority to adopt regulations to
accept military education, training and experience toward
Paramedic licensure and Emergency Medical Technician
certification. AB 704 is pending in this committee.
3)Previous Legislation . AB 1976 (Logue) of 2012 would have
required healing arts boards within the Department of Consumer
Affairs (DCA), as well as professional licensure programs
within the Department of Public Health (DPH), to accept
military training towards licensure requirements, as
applicable, and would have required boards that accredit
schools to ensure schools have procedures in place to accept
military training. AB 1976 was held in this committee
4)AB 1932 (Cook) of 2012 would have required DCA healing arts
boards to issue a written report to the California Department
of Veterans Affairs by Jan. 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 was held in the Senate
Rules Committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Debra Roth / APPR. / (916) 319-2081