BILL ANALYSIS �
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AJR 24
Author: Bonilla (D)
Amended: 4/10/12 in Assembly
Vote: 21
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 51-23, 4/12/12 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Proposed federal Student-to-School Nurse Ratio
Improvement Acts of 2011 and 2012
SOURCE : California School Nurses Association
DIGEST : This resolution urges the members of Californias
congressional delegation to sign on as cosponsors of, and
requests the Congress and the President of the United
States enact, the proposed federal Student-to-School Nurse
Ratio Improvement Acts of 2011 and 2012.
ANALYSIS : This resolution makes the following
legislative findings:
1. The crucial role the school nurse has as the leader and
coordinator of the school health services team in
providing health services to children and youth.
2. The lack of school nurses in 15 California counties and
the 2,172:1 student-to-school nurse ratio statewide.
3. The increasingly severe and chronic health conditions,
such as autism, asthma and diabetes that children across
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the nation and in California are experiencing.
4. The fact that schools are the only source of health care
for many children and adolescents in the United States
and that the presence of a school nurse leads to an
increase in student attendance at school.
This resolution resolves that California's State
Legislature urges the congressional delegation from
California to sign on as cosponsors of the federal
Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Acts of 2011 and
2012. Further, this resolution resolves that California's
State Legislature requests the Congress and President of
the United States to enact the Student-to-School Nurse
Ratio Improvement Acts of 2011 and 2012.
Comments
Federal Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Acts of
2011 and 2012 . The federal legislation (introduced on June
16, 2011, in the United States Congress as H.R. 2229 and on
January 31, 2012, as S. 2047) authorizes the Secretary of
Education to provide demonstration grants to local
educational agencies (LEAs) in order to reduce the ratio of
students to school nurses in public elementary and
secondary schools. It provides priority for grants to LEAs
that serve a high number or percentage of impoverished
students and demonstrate the greatest need for new or
additional nursing services for their students. Currently,
H.R. 2229 has been referred to the Committee on Education
and the Workforce as well as the Committee on Energy and
Commerce within the United States House of Representatives;
and S. 2047 has been officially introduced. Among the
co-sponsors of H.R. 2229 are four representatives from
California's congressional delegation. S. 2047 was not
introduced by, and has not been co-sponsored by, any
California senators.
School nurses in California . According to Children Now,
only 17% of California's schools have a school nurse or
school health center. Statistics from 2010 indicate that
California's student-to-school nurse ratio is 2,172:1. This
ratio is far higher than the recommended ratio by the
National Association of School Nurses (NASN). The NASN
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recommends guidelines of 750:1 for students in general
population; 225:1 in the student population that may
require daily professional school nursing services or
intervention; and 125:1 in the student population with
complex health care needs. In addition, the NASN
recommends there be a school nurse in each school all day,
every day.
In 2009, according to the author's office, 15 entire
counties within California did not have a single public
school with a school nurse. In comparison to other states
across the nation, California ranks 45th in
student-to-school nurse ratio. California, therefore,
stands to benefit tremendously from the proposed federal
Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Acts of 2011 and
2012.
Districts with high numbers of impoverished students and
low numbers of school nurses . The federal legislation
provides districts with high student-to-school nurse ratios
and high numbers of or a high percentage of impoverished
students to receive preference for demonstration grants.
California is home to many districts that would fit these
priority characteristics.
Lack of trained and certified individuals . It is unclear
if enough credentialed school nurses would be available to
take on these new positions or if the augmentation of
recruiting efforts for school nurse credentialing would be
required. According to the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing, between 2002 and 2009, the average number of
credentials issued was 247 credentials per year. It
appears possible that in order to take full advantage of
the federal Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Acts
of 2011 and 2012, California may need to increase
recruitment efforts and program offerings for such
credentials.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/17/12)
California School Nurses Association (source)
California Parent Teacher Association
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Union of Healthcare Professionals
United Nurses Association of California
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 51-23, 4/12/12
AYES: Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Block,
Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan,
Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter, Chesbro, Davis,
Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani,
Gatto, Gordon, Hall, Hayashi, Roger Hern�ndez, Hill,
Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma,
Mendoza, Mitchell, Monning, Nielsen, Pan, Perea, V.
Manuel P�rez, Portantino, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson,
Torres, Williams, Yamada, John A. P�rez
NOES: Achadjian, Bill Berryhill, Conway, Donnelly, Beth
Gaines, Grove, Hagman, Halderman, Harkey, Jeffries,
Jones, Knight, Logue, Mansoor, Miller, Morrell, Nestande,
Norby, Olsen, Silva, Smyth, Valadao, Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Cedillo, Cook, Fletcher, Garrick,
Gorell, Wieckowski
PQ:mw 5/22/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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