BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 139|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 139
Author: Scott (D), et al
Amended: 5/2/07
Vote: 21
SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE : 10-0, 4/18/07
AYES: Kuehl, Aanestad, Alquist, Cedillo, Cox, Maldonado,
Ridley-Thomas, Steinberg, Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Negrete McLeod
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 6-1, 4/26/07
AYES: Scott, Wyland, Alquist, Padilla, Simitian, Torlakson
NOES: Denham
NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado, Romero
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 16-0, 5/31/07
AYES: Torlakson, Cox, Aanestad, Ashburn, Cedillo, Corbett,
Dutton, Florez, Kuehl, Oropeza, Ridley-Thomas, Runner,
Simitian, Steinberg, Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Battin
SUBJECT : Nursing education
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill makes various clarifications and
adjustments concerning eligibility to the terms of the
State Nursing Assumption Program of Loans for Education and
the Nurses in State Facilities Assumption Program Loans for
Education.
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ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1.Establishes the State Nursing Assumption Program of Loans
for Education (SNAPLE) program administered by the
Student Aid Commission, under which any person enrolled
in an institution of postsecondary education and
participating in the program is eligible to receive a
conditional warrant for loan assumption, to be redeemed
upon becoming employed as a full-time nursing faculty
member at a California college or university.
2.Establishes a loan assumption program for employees of
specified state facilities within the State Nursing
Assumption Program of Loans for Education, State
Facilities (SNAPLE-SF) program. This program provides
loan assumption benefits to persons who fulfill
agreements to work full-time for four consecutive years
as clinical registered nurses (RNs) in state-operated
24-hour facilities, as specified, that employ RNs and
that have a vacancy rate of greater than ten percent in
clinical RN positions at the time the person commences
employment at the facility. The program provides for a
progressive assumption of the amount of a qualifying loan
over four consecutive years of qualifying clinical RN
service, up to a total loan assumption of $20,000. Under
existing law, this program becomes inoperative on July 1,
2012, and is repealed on January 1, 2013.
3.Establishes the Office of Statewide Health Planning and
Development (OSHPD), which is charged with the
administration of health policy and planning.
4.Establishes the California Health Data and Planning Fund,
and authorizes monies from that fund to be appropriated
for expenditure for health-related programs of OSHPD.
This bill:
1.Provides that the statutory expansion of enrollment for
specified nursing programs administered by California
State University and the University of California be
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funded within the general enrollment growth funding
provided for in the annual budget process.
2.Makes various clarifications and adjustments concerning
eligibility to the terms of the SNAPLE and the SNAPLE-SF.
3.Requires campuses of the California State University and
the California Community Colleges that offer registered
nursing programs from authorizing students in those
programs to complete general education coursework if they
have already earned a baccalaureate degree.
4.Requires the Office of Statewide Health Planning and
Development to establish a health care workforce data
clearinghouse to be funded through the California Health
Data and Planning Fund.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2007-08 2008-09
2009-10 Fund
Health workforce $2,200
startup and $1,500 ongoing cost Special
database
SNAPLE increased Minor, unknown cost
pressure General
eligibility
SNAPLE-SF reduced Minor, unknown
savingsGeneral
eligibility
UC/CSU reduced Minor, unknown
savings General
general education
coursework
CSU absorbed $4,300 annuallyGeneral
nursing FTE growth
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/1/07)
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American Nurses Association of California
California Hospital Association
California Nurses Association
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The California Hospital
Association (CHA) writes that, while there has been
increasing attention and funds devoted to enhancing the
nurse workforce, California continues to rank last in the
nation in the number of RNs per capita. CHA contends that
this bill addresses enrollment expansion at CSUs for
nursing degrees and the funding for these programs. CHA
also writes that this bill creates a much needed
clearinghouse that would establish a central source of
health care workforce and educational pipeline data on
which to base future funding for nursing and health care
occupations. The Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
writes that California is at a crossroad where demographic
shifts are already causing gaps between workforce supply
and demand and states that this bill will provide a fuller
picture of the state's health profession capacity so that
policymakers will have the data needed to make informed
decisions.
CTW:nl 6/2/07 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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