Amended in Assembly April 7, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2183

Introduced by Assembly Member Bocanegra

February 20, 2014

An act to amend Section begin delete 2842 end delete begin insert 2736 end insert of the Business and Professions Code, relating to begin delete vocational end delete nursing.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2183, as amended, Bocanegra. begin delete Vocational nursing. end delete begin insert Nursing. end insert

begin insert

Under the Nursing Practice Act, the Board of Registered Nursing licenses and regulates registered nurses. Existing law requires an applicant for licensure as a registered nurse to comply with certain requirements, including successful completion of the courses of instruction prescribed by the board in a program in this state accredited by the board for training registered nurses, or successful completion of courses of instruction in a school of nursing outside of this state, if, in the opinion of the board, the courses of instruction are equivalent to the minimum requirements of the board for licensure in this state. Existing law authorizes the board to issue a license without examination by endorsement to any applicant who is licensed or registered as a nurse in any other state, district, or territory of the United States or Canada, if specified requirements are met, including the requirement that the applicant have successfully completed an equivalent course of instruction as an applicant in this state.

end insert begin insert

This bill would require the Board of Registered Nursing to adopt specific criteria for determining the equivalency of course of instruction when assessing the qualifications of an out-of-state applicant who is filing for licensure by endorsement. In adopting that criteria, the bill would require the board to place an emphasis on licensed clinical experience.

end insert begin delete

Under the Vocational Nursing Practice Act, the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians licenses and regulates vocational nurses and psychiatric technicians. The act requires the board to prepare and maintain a list of approved schools of vocational nursing in this state. The act specifies requirements for board members, including that one member be a licensed vocational nurse or registered nurse having at least 5 years’ experience as a teacher or administrator in an accredited school of vocational nursing.

end delete begin delete

This bill would, instead, require that one member have that teaching experience at a board-approved school.

end delete

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 2736 of the end insert begin insert Business and Professions
Code end insert begin insert is amended to read: end insert

2736.  

(a) An applicant for licensure as a registered nurse shall
comply with each of the following:

(1) Have completed such general preliminary education
requirements as shall be determined by the board.

(2) Have successfully completed the courses of instruction
prescribed by the board for licensure, in a program in this state
accredited by the board for training registered nurses, or have
successfully completed courses of instruction in a school of nursing
outside of this state which, in the opinion of the board at the time
the application is filed with the begin delete Board of Registered Nursing end delete begin insert board end insert ,
are equivalent to the minimum requirements of the board for
licensure established for an accredited program in this state. begin insert The
board shall adopt specific criteria for determining the equivalency
of course instruction when assessing the qualifications of an
applicant who is already licensed or registered as a nurse outside
of this state and who is filing for licensure by endorsement pursuant
to subdivision (b) of Section 2732.1. In adopting that criteria, the
board shall place primary emphasis on applicants who possess
licensed clinical experience. end insert

(3) Not be subject to denial of licensure under Section 480.

(b) An applicant who has received his or her training from a
school of nursing in a country outside the United States and who
has complied with the provisions of subdivision (a), or has
completed training equivalent to that required by subdivision (a),
shall qualify for licensure by successfully passing the examination
prescribed by the board.

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

Section 2842 of the Business and Professions
Code is amended to read:

2842.  

(a) Each member of the board shall be a citizen of the
United States and a resident of the State of California. The board
shall have the following composition:

(1) Two members shall be duly licensed vocational nurses who
have been licensed for a period of not less than three years prior
to appointment.

(2) Two members shall be licensed psychiatric technicians, each
of whom shall have had not less than five years’ experience in a
psychiatric hospital, or in a psychiatric unit of a hospital licensed
by the State Department of Health Services, or a private institution
licensed by the State Department of Health Services.

(3) One member shall be a licensed vocational nurse or
registered nurse who shall have had not less than five years’
experience as a teacher or administrator in a board-approved school
of vocational nursing.

(4) Six members shall be public members who are not licentiates
of the board or any other board under this division or of any board
referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600.

(b) No person may serve as a member of the board for more
than two consecutive terms.

(c) Per diem and expenses of members of the board who are
licensed psychiatric technicians shall be paid solely from revenues
received pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 4500)
of Division 2.

end delete