BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                           1295 (Fuller)
          
          Hearing Date:  08/27/2009           Amended: 07/23/2009
          Consultant:  Dan Troy           Policy Vote: ED 8-0
          _________________________________________________________________ 
          ____
          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.  
           
          _________________________________________________________________ 
          ____
                            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
          _________________________________________________________________ 
          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: 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.   
          Given the costs to the state of nursing courses, better  
          articulated transfer pathways should ultimately lead to  
          significant state savings due to less duplication in nursing  
          coursework.