BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1028
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1028 (Patterson)
As Amended June 10, 2013
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |75-0 |(May 9, 2013) |SENATE: |37-0 |(August 19, |
| | | | | |2013) |
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Original Committee Reference: B.,P. & C.P.
SUMMARY : Authorizes an applicant for licensure as a vocational
nurse (VN) to submit an application for an interim permit (IP)
at the same time as the applicant submits his or her application
for licensure by examination, and requires the Board of
Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT) to issue
the IP, if it chooses to do so, within 60 days of receiving the
completed application.
The Senate amendments give BVNPT discretion whether to issue the
IP, and if BVNPT chooses to issue the IP, it must be issued to
the applicant within 60 days of BVNPT receiving the completed
application.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee:
1)Potential one-time costs up to $75,000 for the amendment of
existing regulations by the Board of Vocational Nursing and
Psychiatric Technicians (Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric
Technicians Fund); and,
2)Potential ongoing costs in the tens of thousands, up to about
$150,000 for additional interim permit application review,
offset by fee revenues (Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric
Technicians Fund).
COMMENTS : According to the author, "Vocational nursing
applicants are currently experiencing extraordinary delays with
application processing times. AB 1028 aims to ensure that these
critical health care providers can begin working in a timely
manner once they have finished schooling and have entered the
licensing process with BVNPT by speeding up the process by which
they can apply for and receive an IP while they complete all
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board exams.
"This bill would not be altering the process already in code
regarding the interim permits that can be issued to these
nursing graduates, but it would be allowing the application
process for the interim permits to begin simultaneously with the
general application process, so that once all the currently
required information has been processed-including fingerprinting
and background check-the interim permit can be issued
immediately."
Interim permits . To obtain an IP, a VN candidate must be
approved to take the VN licensure exam. An IP allows a VN
candidate to practice vocational nursing under the supervision
of a licensed VN or registered nurse while the candidate waits
for his or her first examination results (up to nine months).
If the candidate passes the exam, the IP continues to be valid
until BVNPT issues the VN license (up to six months). An IP is
terminated upon notice that the candidate has failed the exam.
BVNPT last received a request for an IP in 2010; this may be due
in part to the fact that BVNPT does not promote IPs -- there is
no mention of the availability of an IP on BVNPT's Web site
under "licensing," nor does BVNPT offer an IP application online
as it does for its application for licensure by examination.
Processing delays . Although BVNPT's Web site states that
applications for licensure by examination take four to five
weeks to process, BVNPT acknowledges that it currently takes
8-12 weeks. This is due primarily to staffing shortages; there
are presently eight vacancies in their licensing division.
BVNPT reports that an IP generally takes three to four weeks to
process, but this is not a current figure because they have not
received a request for an IP in over two years.
Analysis Prepared by : Sarah Huchel / B.,P. & C.P. / (916)
319-3301
FN: 0001666
AB 1028
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