Senate BillNo. 271


Introduced by Senator Hernandez

February 14, 2013


An act to amend Section 128401 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 271, as introduced, Hernandez. Associate Degree Nursing Scholarship Program.

Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2014, the statewide Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N.) Scholarship Pilot Program in the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to provide scholarships to students, in accordance with prescribed requirements, in counties determined to have the most need. Existing law provides that the program be funded from the Registered Nurse Education Fund, administered by the Health Professions Education Foundation within the office.

This bill would extend the operation of this program indefinitely and would make related changes.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P1    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 128401 of the Health and Safety Code
2 is amended to read:

3

128401.  

(a) The Office of Statewide Health Planning and
4Development shall adopt regulations establishing the statewide
5Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N.) Scholarshipbegin delete Pilotend delete Program.

P2    1(b) Scholarships under thebegin delete pilotend delete program shall be available only
2to students in counties determined to have the most need. Need in
3a county shall be established based on consideration of all the
4following factors:

5(1) Counties with a registered nurse-to-population ratio equal
6or less than 500 registered nurses per 100,000 individuals.

7(2) County unemployment rate.

8(3) County level of poverty.

9(c) A scholarship recipient shall be required to complete, at a
10minimum, an associate degree in nursing and work in a medically
11underserved area in California upon obtaining his or her license
12from the Board of Registered Nursing.

13(d) The Health Professions Education Foundation shall consider
14the following factors when selecting recipients for the A.D.N.
15Scholarshipbegin delete Pilotend delete Program:

16(1) An applicant’s economic need, as established by the federal
17poverty index.

18(2) Applicants who demonstrate cultural and linguistic skills
19and abilities.

20(e) Thebegin delete pilotend delete program shall be funded from the Registered Nurse
21Education Fund established pursuant to Section 128400 and
22administered by the Health Professions Education Foundation
23within the office. The Health Professions Education Foundation
24shall allocate a portion of the moneys in the fund for thebegin delete pilotend delete
25 program established pursuant to this section, in addition to moneys
26otherwise allocated pursuant to this article for scholarships and
27loans for associate degree nursing students.

28(f) No additional staff or General Fund operating costs shall be
29expended for thebegin delete pilotend delete program.

30(g) The Health Professions Education Foundation may accept
31private or federal funds for purposes of the A.D.N. Scholarship
32begin delete Pilotend delete Program.

begin delete

33(h) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2014,
34and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
35is enacted before January 1, 2014, deletes or extends that date.

end delete


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