BILL NUMBER: ACR 99	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Swanson

                        FEBRUARY 14, 2008

   Relative to school nurses.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 99, as introduced, Swanson. School nurses: salaries.
   This measure would urge school districts to take the necessary
steps to increase school nurse salaries to a level comparable to the
salaries received by nurses employed by hospitals and clinics.
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, California's credentialed school nurses are pivotal
members of a coordinated public school health system, delivering
services to children and thereby eliminating health disparities and
barriers and supporting academic success for all children; and
   WHEREAS, School nurses provide vital links between public and
private resources and programs; collaboration between schools and
health and human services agencies to bring school and community
services to schools; and support efforts to connect families to
insurance programs to meet the needs of children and families; and
   WHEREAS, In addition to providing valuable health care services to
pupils, school nurses perform duties as health managers, managing
treatment and medication for pupils with a variety of ailments,
including, but not limited to, attention deficit disorder, diabetes,
and asthma; and
   WHEREAS, When children dealing with serious medical conditions
such as cancers, transplants, seizures, and cardiac conditions are
released from the hospital, school nurses provide vital services by
reintegrating the sick children back into the general population of
the school; and
   WHEREAS, There is a severe shortage of California school nurses,
with only one school nurse per 4,000 pupils, a ratio that fails to
meet federal standards of one school nurse per 750 pupils; and
   WHEREAS, School nurses are paid a salary of approximately $20,000
less than nurses employed by hospitals or clinics; and
   WHEREAS, In order to encourage nurses to seek employment by public
schools, as well as to retain nurses already employed by public
schools, it is vital that salaries are increased for school nurses;
now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby urges school
districts to take the steps necessary to increase school nurse
salaries to a level comparable to salaries of nurses employed by
hospitals and clinics; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.