California Senate Bill SB271 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 271INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Hernandez FEBRUARY 14, 2013 An act to amend Section 128401 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 271, as introduced, Hernandez. Associate Degree Nursing Scholarship Program. Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2014, the statewide Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N.) Scholarship Pilot Program in the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to provide scholarships to students, in accordance with prescribed requirements, in counties determined to have the most need. Existing law provides that the program be funded from the Registered Nurse Education Fund, administered by the Health Professions Education Foundation within the office. This bill would extend the operation of this program indefinitely and would make related changes. 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 128401 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 128401. (a) The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development shall adopt regulations establishing the statewide Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N.) Scholarship  Pilot  Program. (b) Scholarships under the  pilot  program shall be available only to students in counties determined to have the most need. Need in a county shall be established based on consideration of all the following factors: (1) Counties with a registered nurse-to-population ratio equal or less than 500 registered nurses per 100,000 individuals. (2) County unemployment rate. (3) County level of poverty. (c) A scholarship recipient shall be required to complete, at a minimum, an associate degree in nursing and work in a medically underserved area in California upon obtaining his or her license from the Board of Registered Nursing. (d) The Health Professions Education Foundation shall consider the following factors when selecting recipients for the A.D.N. Scholarship  Pilot  Program: (1) An applicant's economic need, as established by the federal poverty index. (2) Applicants who demonstrate cultural and linguistic skills and abilities. (e) The  pilot  program shall be funded from the Registered Nurse Education Fund established pursuant to Section 128400 and administered by the Health Professions Education Foundation within the office. The Health Professions Education Foundation shall allocate a portion of the moneys in the fund for the  pilot  program established pursuant to this section, in addition to moneys otherwise allocated pursuant to this article for scholarships and loans for associate degree nursing students. (f) No additional staff or General Fund operating costs shall be expended for the  pilot  program. (g) The Health Professions Education Foundation may accept private or federal funds for purposes of the A.D.N. Scholarship  Pilot  Program.  (h) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2014, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2014, deletes or extends that date.