California Assembly Bill AB2183 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2183AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 7, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bocanegra FEBRUARY 20, 2014 An act to amend Section  2842   2736  of the Business and Professions Code, relating to  vocational  nursing. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2183, as amended, Bocanegra.  Vocational nursing.   Nursing.   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.   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.   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.   This bill would, instead, require that one member have that teaching experience at a board-approved school.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 2736 of the   Business and Professions Code  is amended to read:  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  Board of Registered Nursing   board  , are equivalent to the minimum requirements of the board for licensure established for an accredited program in this state.  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.  (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.  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.