Bill Text: CA AB2551 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Health workforce planning.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-08-30 - Read third time. Urgency clause refused adoption. (Ayes 23. Noes 14. Page 5028.) [AB2551 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB2551-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 2551	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 2, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 26, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hernandez
    (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member  
Monning   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2010

    An act to amend Section 128345 of, and to add Article 6
(commencing with Section 128560) to Chapter 5 of Part 3 of Division
107 of, the Health and Safety Code, relating to pharmacy technicians.
  An act to add Article 3 (commencing with Section
128198.6) to Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 107 of the Health and
Safety Code, relating to health workers, and declaring the urgency
thereof, to take effect immediately. 


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2551, as amended, Hernandez.  Pharmacy technicians:
scholarship and loan repayment program.   Health
workforce planning.  
   Existing law establishes the California Workforce Investment Board
(CWIB) to assist the Governor in the development, oversight, and
continuous improvement of California's workforce investment system.
 
   Existing law establishes the Office of Statewide Health Planning
and Development (OSHPD) that is vested with duties, powers, purposes,
responsibilities, and jurisdiction relating to health planning and
research development.  
   Existing law provides for various programs to research the need
for, and develop programs to improve, the quality and availability of
health workers in the state.  
   This bill would require the CWIB and the OSHPD to jointly
establish a special committee known as the Health Workforce
Development Council, as specified. The bill would require the council
to take specified actions relating to the health workforce and would
require the CWIB and the OSHPD to report specified information to
the Legislature annually from April 1, 2012, to April 1, 2016,
inclusive.  
   This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute.  
   Existing law establishes the California Pharmacist Scholarship and
Loan Repayment Program, administered by the Office of Statewide
Health Planning and Development, to provide for the educational
expenses of pharmacy students and to repay qualifying educational
loans of pharmacists who agree to serve in areas of the state where
unmet priority needs exist, as specified. Existing law establishes
the California Pharmacist Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program Fund
in the State Treasury, which is funded by voluntary contributions
made by pharmacies or pharmacists upon renewal of their license, and
requires that the moneys in the fund be available for the purpose of
implementing the above program, upon appropriation by the
Legislature.  
   Existing law also authorizes the Health Professions Education
Foundation to implement various loan repayment programs for nurses,
mental health service providers, and physicians.  
   This bill would establish the California Pharmacy Technician
Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program, to be administered by the
Health Professions Education Foundation, to pay for educational
expenses of pharmacy technician students and to repay qualifying
educational loans of pharmacy technicians who agree to serve in areas
of the state where unmet priority needs exist, as specified. This
bill would authorize the foundation to solicit and receive funds from
specified sources for the purpose of providing financial assistance
through the California Pharmacy Technician Scholarship and Loan
Repayment Program. This bill would require that private or public
funds made available for purposes of the program to be deposited in
the California Pharmacy Technician Scholarship and Loan Repayment
Fund established by the bill.  
   The bill would require, upon accumulation of sufficient moneys in
the fund to implement the program, as determined by the foundation,
and upon appropriation by the Legislature, that the moneys in the
fund be available for the purpose of implementing the program.

   Vote:  majority   2/3  . Appropriation:
no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated 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) The passage of the federal health care reform bill has
resulted in billions of dollars of investment capital flowing into
the State of California for research, development, and the expansion
of access to health care. This investment of capital is indicative of
the rapidly growing need to address health workforce shortages.
 
   (b) California faces a dramatic and pressing challenge related to
the supply and distribution of health care professionals. In addition
to the challenges present in urban areas, rural areas face ongoing
challenges to recruitment and retention.  
   (c) California's population is aging, growing, and becoming
increasingly more diverse. California's workforce of health
professionals has not reflected these changes and is ill equipped to
reduce new pressures on the health care system.  
   (d) Developing California's health workforce so that it better
represents and serves its consumer population will help to contain
health care costs.  
   (e) There exist separate private and public statewide efforts to
address health workforce shortage issues. However, there is no
coordinated plan of action to develop the state's health workforce.
 
   (f) In order to prepare the highly skilled health workforce
necessary, to keep California's economy competitive, to maintain the
income and quality of life for California residents, and ensure
access to high-quality and affordable health care in California, both
of the following issues must be addressed:  
   (1) A comprehensive network and strategy must be established to
develop California's health workforce.  
   (2) The comprehensive strategy must involve a state-level effort
involving multiple health professions, business and labor,
educational institutions, including primary, secondary, and
postsecondary institutions, state government workforce boards,
regional leadership, consumers, and other stakeholders. These groups
should work together to forecast health workforce demand and plan
comprehensive pathways to support multiple target groups. 
   SEC. 2.    Article 3 (commencing with Section
128198.6) is added to Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 107 of the
  Health and Safety Code   , to read:  

      Article 3.  The California Health Workforce Development Act of
2010


   128198.6.  This article shall be known and may be cited as the
California Health Workforce Development Act of 2010.
   128198.7.  (a) The California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB),
as established by Section 14010 of the Unemployment Insurance Code,
and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD)
shall jointly establish a special committee known as the Health
Workforce Development Council comprised of the appropriate
representatives from the CWIB existing membership, including the K-12
representative, the Employment Development Department
representative, the California Community Colleges representative, and
representatives from the OSHPD, the State Department of Public
Health, and other appropriate members.
   (b) The CWIB or OSHPD may call on other state agencies, other
higher education representatives, and industry representatives as
well as philanthropic, nongovernmental, and environmental groups as
appropriate and necessary to serve as consultants to the council in
the development of this strategic initiative.
   (c) The council shall do all of the following:
   (1) As part of the strategic initiative, identify and develop the
framework, funding, strategies, programs, policies, partnerships, and
opportunities necessary to address the growing need for a highly
skilled and well-trained health workforce to meet the needs of
California's health care infrastructure.
   (2) Assist in identifying and linking health care job
opportunities with health workforce development training
opportunities in local workforce investment areas (LWIAs) and
encourage regional collaboration among LWIAs to meet regional
economic demands.
   (3) Develop public, private, philanthropic, and nongovernmental
partnerships to build and expand the state's health workforce
development programs, network, and infrastructure.
   (4) Provide policy guidance for job training programs in the
health care sector to assist and prepare specific populations, such
as at-risk youth, displaced workers, veterans, formerly incarcerated
individuals, and others facing barriers to employment.
   (5) Develop, collect, interpret, and distribute statewide and
regional labor market data on California's health workforce needs,
trends, and job growth.
   (6) Identify funding resources and make recommendations on how to
expand and leverage these funds.
   (7) Foster regional collaboration in the health sector.
   (d) By April 1, 2012, and each April 1 thereafter, the CWIB and
OSHPD shall report to the Legislature on the status of the council's
activities and its development of a health workforce strategic
initiative.
   (1) The requirement for submitting a report pursuant to this
subdivision is inoperative on April 1, 2016, pursuant to Section
10231.5 of the Government Code.
   (2) The report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall
be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

   SEC. 3.    This act is an urgency statute necessary
for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety
within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go
into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
 
   In order to resolve problems related to health workforce shortages
as soon as possible, it is necessary that this act take effect
immediately.  
  SECTION 1.    Section 128345 of the Health and
Safety Code is amended to read:
   128345.  The Health Professions Education Foundation may do any of
the following:
   (a) Solicit and receive funds from business, industry,
foundations, and other private or public sources for the purpose of
providing financial assistance in the form of scholarships or loans
to African American students, Native American students, Hispanic
American students, and other students from underrepresented groups.
These funds shall be expended by the office after transfer to the
Health Professions Education Fund, created pursuant to Section
128355.
   (b) Recommend to the director the disbursement of private sector
moneys deposited in the Health Professions Education Fund to students
from underrepresented groups accepted to or enrolled in schools of
medicine, dentistry, nursing, or other health professions in the form
of loans or scholarships.
   (c) Recommend to the director a standard contractual agreement to
be signed by the director and any participating student, that would
require a period of obligated professional service in the areas in
California designated by the commission as deficient in primary care
services. The agreement shall include a clause entitling the state to
recover the funds awarded plus the maximum allowable interest for
failure to begin or complete the service obligation.
   (d) Develop criteria for evaluating the likelihood that applicants
for scholarships or loans would remain to practice their profession
in designated areas deficient in primary care services.
   (e) Develop application forms, which shall be disseminated to
students from underrepresented groups interested in applying for
scholarships or loans.
   (f) Encourage private sector institutions, including hospitals,
community clinics, and other health agencies to identify and provide
educational experiences to students from underrepresented groups who
are potential applicants to schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing,
or other health professions.
   (g) Prepare and submit an annual report to the office documenting
the amount of money solicited from the private sector, the number of
scholarships and loans awarded, the enrollment levels of students
from underrepresented groups in schools of medicine, dentistry,
nursing, and other health professions, and the projected need for
scholarships and loans in the future.
   (h) Recommend to the director that a portion of the funds
solicited from the private sector be used for the administrative
requirements of the foundation.
   (i) Implement the Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan
Repayment Program and the Volunteer Physician Program, as provided
under Article 5 (commencing with Section 128550).
   (j) Solicit and receive funds from business, industry,
foundations, and other private and public sources for the purpose of
providing financial assistance in the form of scholarships and loans
through the California Pharmacy Technician Scholarship and Loan
Repayment Program, pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section
128560).
   (k) Administer the California Pharmacy Technician Scholarship and
Loan Repayment Program, pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with
Section 128560).  
  SEC. 2.    Article 6 (commencing with Section
128560) is added to Chapter 5 of Part 3 of Division 107 of the Health
and Safety Code, to read:

      Article 6.  California Pharmacy Technician Scholarship and Loan
Repayment Program


   128560.  (a) (1) There is hereby established within the Health
Professions Education Foundation the California Pharmacy Technician
Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program.
   (2) The program shall provide scholarships to pay for the
educational expenses of pharmacy technician school students and to
repay qualifying educational loans of pharmacy technicians who agree
to participate in designated medically underserved areas as provided
in this section.
   (b) The Health Professions Education Foundation shall administer
the California Pharmacy Technician Scholarship and Loan Repayment
Program utilizing the same general guidelines applicable to the
federal National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program established
pursuant to Section 254  l  of Title 42 of the
United States Code and the National Health Service Corps Loan
Repayment Program established pursuant to Section 254  l  -1
of Title 42 of the United States Code, except as follows:
   (1) A pharmacy technician or pharmacy technician student shall be
eligible to participate in the program if he or she agrees to provide
pharmacy technician services in a practice site located in an area
of the state where unmet priority needs for primary care family
physicians exist as determined by the Health Workforce Policy
Commission.
   (2) No matching funds shall be required from any entity in the
practice site area.
   (c) This section shall be implemented only to the extent that
sufficient moneys are available in the California Pharmacy Technician
Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program Fund to administer the
program.
   128561.  The California Pharmacy Technician Scholarship and Loan
Repayment Program Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury.
Any private or public funds made available for purposes of the
California Pharmacy Technician Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program
shall be deposited into the fund. Upon accumulation of sufficient
moneys in the fund to implement the program, as determined by the
foundation, and upon appropriation by the Legislature, moneys in the
fund shall be available for expenditure by the Health Professions
Education Foundation for purposes of implementing the California
Pharmacy Technician Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program pursuant
to this article. The Health Professions Education Foundation shall be
under no obligation to administer a program under this article until
sufficient moneys have been accumulated in the fund and appropriated
to the foundation by the Legislature.