BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
1295 (Fuller)
Hearing Date: 08/17/2009 Amended: 07/23/2009
Consultant: Dan Troy Policy Vote: ED 8-0
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 1295 would require the Chancellor of the
California State University to implement articulated nursing
degree transfer pathways between the California Community
Colleges and the California State University prior to the
commencement of the 2012-13 academic year. The bill would also
require the Legislative Analyst's Office to report on the status
of the plans to implement articulated pathways by March of 2011.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
CCC Administration Minor General
CSU Administration $200 General
CSU BSN programs There may also be long-term
savings General
due to a decrease in course
duplication
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STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Both the California Community Colleges (CCC) and the California
State University (CSU) offer programs that prepare students to
become registered nurses (RNs). CCC coursework leads to an
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), while a 4-year program at CSU
leads to a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (BSN). In addition to
the coursework, passage of an exam is required to become an RN.
Most of the state's RNs are trained at the CCCs, and only 20
percent go on to obtain BSNs. Currently, with a few exceptions,
there is little standardization in place for recognizing ADN
coursework at CSU programs, creating situations where ADNs that
transfer to CSU programs must often duplicate study previously
completed at the CCC. This may discourage some from receiving
the advanced training provided through 4-year study, and lead to
unnecessary and duplicative costs for the students and the
state. By creating better articulated transfer pathways between
the CCC and CSU, it is hoped that more ADNs will be able to
successfully pursue 4-year study, and, perhaps, graduate-level
work that would lead to teaching positions.
In addition to requiring the development and implementation of
transfer pathways, this bill would restrict the CSU from
requiring ADN-to-BSN students to complete duplicative coursework
that was already satisfied at the CCC level.
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AB 1295 (Fuller)
CSU anticipates costs of approximately $200,000 to develop the
pathway, while the CCC anticipates minor and absorbable costs.
Ultimately, better articulated transfer pathways should lead to
state savings due to less duplication in nursing coursework.