BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2317
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB
2317 (Mullin)
As Amended June 29, 2016
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |78-0 |(May 12, 2016) |SENATE: | 38-0 |(August 15, |
| | | | | |2016) |
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Original Committee Reference: HIGHER ED.
SUMMARY: Authorizes the California State University (CSU) to
award the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree and establishes
constraints on the funding and fees for these degrees.
The Senate amendments remove references to obsolete funding
mechanisms and make other technical changes.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Provides that the primary mission of the CSU is undergraduate
and graduate instruction through the master's degree, but
authorizes the CSU to offer joint doctoral degrees with the
University of California (UC), or with one or more independent
institutions of higher education, only as specified.
Specifies that, in setting forth the missions and functions of
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California's public and independent institutions of higher
education that, among other things, the UC has the sole
authority in public higher education to award the doctoral
degree in all fields of learning, except that it may agree
with the CSU to award joint doctoral degrees in selected
fields (Education Code (EC) 66010.4).
2)Authorizes the CSU to independently award the Doctor of
Education (Ed.D.) degree focused solely on preparing
administrative leaders for California public K-14 schools (EC
Section 66040, et seq.).
3)Authorizes the CSU, until January 1, 2019, to offer the Doctor
of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degree; and, specifies that the
D.P.T. degree programs at the CSU shall be focused on
preparing physical therapists to provide health care services,
and shall be consistent with meeting the requirements of the
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
(CAPTE) (EC Section 66042, et seq.).
4)Authorizes the CSU, until January 1, 2019, to offer the Doctor
of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree programs at up to three
campuses chosen by the CSU Trustees; specifies that the CSU
shall not enroll any new students in the DNP degree programs
on or after July 1, 2018; and, requires the CSU to provide
data, as specified, by July 1, 2016, to the Legislative
Analyst's Office (LAO), in order for the LAO to prepare a
report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2017 (EC
Section 89281, et seq.).
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, no significant fiscal impact to the state. As with
any new degree program proposed by a campus, it is a local
campus decision to seek approval from CSU Chancellor's Office to
offer new programs. Legislation is needed in this instance
because the new program is a doctorate degree. If a campus
chooses to provide an Au.D. degree program, funding would
largely come from a new tuition fee for the program as well as
funding from within existing campus resource allocations,
including state General Fund.
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COMMENTS: Role of audiologists and shortfall. Audiologists are
health care professionals who provide diagnostic and
rehabilitation care for individuals of all ages who have hearing
and balance disorders.
According to the California Academy of Audiology (CAA), the
Newborn Screening Program typically identifies 1,200 infants per
year with severe hearing disabilities in need of treatment.
Additionally, a rapidly growing aging population with identified
hearing challenges, requiring the treatment of audiologists
exists. However, there is a significant shortage of licensed
audiologists in the state. According to CAA, approximately
1,600 licensed audiologists reside in California; it appears
there is an inadequate in-state pipeline. According to the
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid
Dispensers Board (SLPAHADB) of California, by 2030, it is
estimated that California will need approximately 750 more
audiologists in order to keep up with the need of the state's
hearing impaired.
Changing standards for audiologists. For many years, the entry
level degree audiologists needed in order to practice, was a
Master of Science degree. However, in 1991, experts and
academicians nationally called for a change in the entry level
degree in audiology to be that of a clinical doctorate or the
Au.D. The California licensing requirements for audiologists
changed in 2008 to mandate that audiology applicants who
graduated from an audiology training program after January 1,
2008, must hold an Au.D. degree from an approved institution.
The new national accreditation standards for audiology caused
the CSU, with many campuses offering Master of Science degree
programs in audiology, to close their programs.
Au.D. degree programs. San Diego State University (SDSU) and UC
San Diego are the only public universities to offer a joint
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Au.D. degree program. According to SLPAHADB, from 2007-08 and
2013-14 academic years, the joint program awarded a total of 61
audiology degrees.
The University of the Pacific (UOP), a non-profit private
postsecondary institution of higher learning, launched the first
private Au.D. degree program in the state, in Fall 2015. To
note, UOP expects to admit approximately 20 - 22 students per
year.
Purpose for this measure. According to the author, in order to
keep pace with the increasing demand and need for audiologists,
this measure allows the CSU to award the Au.D. independently
from doctoral degree programs offered at the UC. The author
contends that, "Au.D. programs provided by CSU will likely
provide more affordable programs that will draw the much-needed
student diversity required of today's hearing health care
providers."
Scope of the CSU. While it is not the norm for the CSU to be
authorized to offer doctoral degrees, as outlined in the
"Existing Law" section of this analysis, the Legislature has
allowed the CSU to offer professional doctoral degrees that have
sought to fulfill a specific needed role for the state, and not
typically offered by the UC.
Analysis Prepared by:
Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960
FN: 0003613
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