BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1976
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Date of Hearing: May 16, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1976 (Logue) - As Amended: April 11, 2012
Policy Committee: Business and
Professions Vote: 8-0
Veteran's Affairs Vote: 8-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires healing arts boards within the Department of
Consumer Affairs (DCA), as well as professional licensure
programs within the Department of Public Health (DPH), to accept
military training towards licensure requirements, as applicable,
and requires boards that accredit schools to ensure schools have
procedures in place to accept military training. Specifically,
this bill:
1)Requires healing arts boards within DCA and licensure programs
within DPH to accept military education, training, and
practical experience, toward the qualifications to receive a
license unless the board determines that the education,
training, or practical experience is not substantially
equivalent to relevant standards.
2)Requires, by July 1, 2014, any healing arts boards within DCA
or licensure programs within DPH that accredit or otherwise
approve schools offering educational course credit for meeting
licensing qualifications and requirements, to require those
schools to have procedures in place to fully accept an
applicant's military education, training, and practical
experience toward the completion of an educational program
that would qualify a person to apply for licensure.
3)Requires each DCA healing arts board and DPH to determine
whether it is necessary to adopt regulations to implement the
above provisions, and adopt regulations by January 1, 2014, or
report to the governor and the Legislature why regulations are
not necessary.
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4)Requires the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CDVA)
to provide technical assistance to DCA boards and DPH with
respect to complying with this measure.
5)Requires DCA and DPH to submit a written report to the
governor and the Legislature by January 1, 2016, on the
progress toward compliance with this measure.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)One-time costs to CDPH of $600,000 special fund to promulgate
regulations and review training programs for compliance with
this bill. Ongoing costs are unknown but could be
significant.
2)One-time, likely minor and absorbable, costs to healing arts
boards to promulgate regulations or to report to the
Legislature why regulations are not necessary.
3)Annual costs to healing arts boards that approve schools,
likely exceeding $100,000, combined, to review and ensure each
school complies with this measure.
4)One-time cost pressure to the community college system,
potentially in the low millions of dollars, to set up
processes that ensure full acceptance of military training
towards a degree program as a condition of maintaining
accreditation or approval by healing arts boards or programs.
Ongoing cost pressure is unknown but could also be significant
system-wide, as curriculum standards, courses, and military
training change and equivalency would need to be reassessed
regularly.
These costs are not likely to be reimbursable, as the
processes would only be mandated as a requirement of voluntary
licensure. Costs could be lower if community colleges
developed a centralized process for determining equivalency
rather than program-by-program determinations.
5)One-time costs to the California State University system could
be in the range of $300,000 or more, depending on the
assessment of healing arts boards as to whether the current
CSU campus processes for accepting military training are
adequate. Ongoing costs could be significant as well. Costs
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are not likely to be reimbursable.
6)Minor, absorbable costs to CDVA to provide technical
assistance to DPH and DCA.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . According to the author, this bill would break down
barriers facing returning veterans by requiring state entities
that license healthcare professionals to accept military
training towards licensure requirements. It would also require
schools accredited by these boards to have procedures in place
so that veteran applicants are not forced to retake classes
they have already completed at a military institute, and so
that veterans are able to quickly complete the additional
coursework necessary for licensure.
2)Background . Current law requires healing arts boards to
provide for methods of evaluating education, training, and
experience obtained in military service if such training is
applicable to the requirements of that profession. This bill
goes a step further and requires the boards to accept
education, training, and experience gained in the armed
services towards qualification for licensure. It also requires
boards that accredit or approve schools to require that each
school has procedures in place to fully accept this training,
education, or experience toward the completion of an
educational program that would qualify for licensure.
3)Impact on Schools . As noted in the fiscal estimate, this bill
would have a significant impact on colleges and state
universities. Given the range of training, experience, and
education an individual may obtain in the armed services, and
the number of courses and other requirements related to
numerous degree programs, ensuring military training can be
applied towards a degree is a significant workload.
Acceptance of military training for credit has been uneven. It
appears certain schools are more proficient than others based
on prioritization of veterans' issues and/or enrollment of a
larger proportion of veterans. In recent years, schools have
recognized acceptance of military training as a priority, as
evidenced by recent executive orders, resolutions, and
increased interest and activity around the issue.
There are some national efforts in place to help streamline
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acceptance of military training. The military issues academic
transcripts for active-duty service members and veterans. The
national American Council on Education (ACE) makes
recommendations about credit transfers based on reviews of
military coursework by a panel of university faculty members.
Many schools use ACE recommendation as starting points for
possible credit transfers, but they cannot be applied without
a review of equivalency by qualified faculty who must compare
whether military courses meet standards for credit towards a
specific degree.
4)Related Legislation . AB 1932 (Gorell) requires the 19 healing
arts boards to report to the Legislature annually, beginning
January 1, 2014 and until January 1, 2018, on how they are
implementing a current law that requires each board to provide
for methods of evaluating education, training, and experience
obtained in military service. AB 1932 is pending on this
committee's Suspense File.
AB 2462 (Block) requires the Chancellor of the California
Community Colleges to implement a process for awarding credit
for prior military academic experience, to be completed no
later than July 1, 2013, that meets ACE recommendations. AB
2462 is pending in this committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081