California Assembly Bill AB2183 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2183AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 29, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 7, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bocanegra FEBRUARY 20, 2014 An act to amend  Section   Sections  2736  and 2786.6  of the Business and Professions Code, relating to nursing. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2183, as amended, Bocanegra. 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.  Existing law requires the Board of Registered Nursing to approve or disapprove schools of nursing, as prescribed. Existing law requires the board to determine the required subjects of instruction to be completed in an approved school of nursing. Existing law requires the board to prescribe, by regulation, the education for which credit is to be given to an applicant for licensure and the amount of credit to be given to each type of education.   This bill would require the Board of Registered Nursing to include in those regulations clinical or theoretical knowledge acquired through any prior professional experience, such as through the military or while licensed in any other health care field. The bill would make other conforming changes to related provisions.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: 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, 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.  SEC.   2.   Section 2786.6 of the   Business and Professions Code   is amended to read:  2786.6.  (a)    The board shall deny the application for approval made by, and shall revoke the approval given to, any school of nursing  which:   that does either of the following:   (a)   (1)    Does not give to student applicants credit, in the field of nursing, for previous education and the opportunity to obtain credit for  other acquired   any clinical or theoretical  knowledge  acquired through any prior professional experience  by the use of challenge examinations or other methods of  evaluation; or,   evaluation.   (b)   (2)    Is operated by a community college and discriminates against an applicant for admission to a school solely on the grounds that the applicant is seeking to fulfill the units of nursing required by Section 2736.6.  The   (b)     (1)     The  board shall prescribe, by regulation, the education for which credit is to be given and the amount of credit  which   that  is to be given for each type of education  , including   clinical or theoretical knowledge acquired through any prior professional experience. In developing those regulations, the board shall also consider any   relevant military education or experience, as well as any education or experience obtained while licensed in any other health care field. The board shall not delegate the authority to prescribe those regulations to any approved school of nursing  .  The   (2)     The  word "credit," as used in  the preceding sentence   paragraph (1)  , is limited to credit for licensure only. The board is not authorized to prescribe the credit  which   that  an approved school of nursing shall give toward an academic certificate or degree.