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AB-1295 Postsecondary education: nursing degree programs.(2009-2010)

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AB1295:v94#DOCUMENT

Assembly Bill No. 1295
CHAPTER 283

An act to add Section 89267.5 to the Education Code, relating to nursing degree programs.

[ Approved by Governor  October 11, 2009. Filed with Secretary of State  October 11, 2009. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1295, Fuller. Postsecondary education: nursing degree programs.
Existing law establishes the University of California, the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Under existing law, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges is required to encourage community college districts to, and the Chancellor of the California State University is required to, standardize all nursing education program prerequisites on a statewide basis and negotiate and implement articulation agreements among the campuses and districts of these 2 segments.
Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature to encourage CSU to establish partnerships or collaborations with community colleges to facilitate the education of students in bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) or entry-level master’s nursing programs.
This bill would require the Chancellor of the California State University to implement articulated nursing degree transfer pathways between the California Community Colleges and CSU prior to the commencement of the 2012–13 academic year. The bill would require the articulated nursing degree transfer pathways to meet prescribed requirements.
The bill would authorize the Chancellor of the California State University and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to appoint representatives from their respective institutions to work collaboratively to provide advice and assistance relating to prescribed topics concerning the articulated nursing degree transfer pathways.
The bill would require the Legislative Analyst’s Office, by March 15, 2011, to prepare and submit to the Legislature and Governor a report on the status of plans to implement the articulated nursing degree transfer pathways.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Access to a quality nursing education through California’s public postsecondary institutions is provided through 74 California Community Colleges and 22 California State University (CSU) campuses.
(b) The California Board of Registered Nursing is responsible for approving the comprehensive and quality nursing curriculum provided through the California Community Colleges and CSU and for licensing registered nurses who pass a standardized licensing exam.
(c) In order for California to meet the demand for an increasingly skilled and educated nursing workforce and to address the critical shortage of nurses throughout the state, it is an economic benefit to the state and students to streamline the community college and the CSU transfer pathway for nursing.
(d) It is estimated that only 20 percent of community college associate degree nurses continue on to obtain a bachelor’s degree.
(e) The lack of a common nursing transfer pathway may result in students being required to take duplicative and unnecessary coursework that prolongs the time required to obtain a degree and increases the cost of education to both the student and state. These unnecessary barriers act as a disincentive for students who wish to continue their postsecondary education to earn the bachelor of science in nursing.
(f) California’s workforce needs increasingly educated nurses to fill public health nursing positions, to proceed toward completion of a master’s degree in nursing, and to fill nursing faculty positions at both the California Community College and CSU level.
(g) A streamlined nursing degree transfer pathway between California Community Colleges and CSU will result in a cost savings to both the student and California, make it less burdensome for community college nursing students to further their education, and reduce the time to degree.

SEC. 2.

 Section 89267.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:

89267.5.
 (a) As used in this section, “ADN-to-BSN student” means a person who meets all of the following qualifications:
(1) The person has earned an associate degree in nursing from a California Community College from a program approved by the Board of Registered Nursing.
(2) The person is licensed to work in California as a registered nurse.
(3) The person is applying to the California State University to earn a bachelor of science in nursing.
(b) Prior to the commencement of the 2012–13 academic year, the Chancellor of the California State University shall implement articulated nursing degree transfer pathways between the California Community Colleges and the California State University. The articulated nursing degree transfer pathways shall, at a minimum, comply with both of the following requirements:
(1) A campus of the California State University shall not require an ADN-to-BSN student to complete any duplicative courses for which the content is already required by the Board of Registered Nursing for licensure or that the student has already satisfied by earning the associate degree in nursing and becoming licensed as a registered nurse.
(2) A campus of the California State University shall not require an ADN-to-BSN student, who has taken a prerequisite course at a California community college to earn the associate degree in nursing, to take the same prerequisite course or same content from that prerequisite course at the university for the bachelor of science in nursing degree.
(c) The Chancellor of the California State University and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges may appoint representatives from their respective institutions to work collaboratively to provide advice and assistance on either or both of the following:
(1) Implementation of the articulated nursing pathways.
(2) Identification of additional components to be included that are consistent with providing ADN-to-BSN students with a streamlined nursing degree transfer pathway consistent with the finding in subdivision (g) of Section 1 of the act that adds this section.
(d) By March 15, 2011, the Legislative Analyst’s Office shall prepare and submit to the Legislature and the Governor a report on the status of plans to implement articulated nursing degree transfer pathways between the California Community Colleges and the California State University. This report may be part of its annual budget report to the Legislature.