Bill Text: CA AB2080 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: University of California: schools of medicine: report.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-05-29 - Referred to Com. on ED. [AB2080 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB2080-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  April 09, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2080

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Introduced by Assembly Members Arambula and Garcia

February 05, 2024

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An act to add Section 66207.5 to the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2080, as amended, Arambula. Postsecondary education: University of California and independent institutions of higher education: admissions. University of California: medical school admissions: preference.

Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, and independent institutions of higher education, as defined, as 2 as one of the segments of postsecondary education in the state.

This bill would request at least 3 University of California and independent institution of higher education medical schools to give schools, commencing with students starting medical school in the 2027–28 academic year, to give, as specified, admission preference to eligible applicants who speak one or more languages other than English. English that are underrepresented in the physician workforce and commonly spoken in California, as provided. The bill would request the Regents of the University of California and the governing boards of independent institutions of higher education to develop and implement procedures for purposes of the bill’s provisions.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) According to the United States Census Bureau, nearly 44 percent of California’s households speak a language other than English.

(b) Nearly seven million Californians report speaking English “less than very well.”

(c) In an analysis using the most commonly spoken languages in California, researchers determined that the most underrepresented language groups in the physician workforce were Vietnamese, Thai/Lao, Filipino/Tagalog, and Spanish. Spanish-speaking physicians were the most underrepresented language group in the physician workforce.

(c)

(d) Data shows that a medical provider’s ability to speak the same language as the patient increases trust and patient satisfaction while decreasing poor clinical outcomes due to miscommunication.

(d)

(e) It is critical to increase the number of physicians in California who can deliver health care services in a language other than English.

SEC. 2.

 Section 66207.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:

66207.5.

 (a) To increase the number of physicians in California who can deliver health care services in a language other than English, in order to better serve the needs of California’s patient population, each University of California and independent institution of higher education medical school is requested to give Commencing with students starting medical school in the 2027–28 academic year, the University of California, for at least three campuses, is requested to give, among the other factors that the medical school considers when giving preference to applicants for admission, admission preference to eligible applicants who speak one or more languages languages, other than English. English, that are underrepresented in the physician workforce and commonly spoken in California, including, but not limited to, any of the following languages:

(1) Spanish.

(2) Filipino/Tagalog.

(3) Thai/Lao.

(4) Vietnamese.

(5) Indigenous languages, including, but not limited to, languages associated with either of the following:

(A) A California Indian tribe on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission pursuant to Section 8013 of the Health and Safety Code.

(B) Mesoamerica.

(b) The Regents of the University of California and the governing board of each independent institution of higher education are requested to is requested to develop and implement procedures for purposes of this section.