Bill Text: CA AB705 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Combat to Care Act.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-03 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB705 Detail]

Download: California-2013-AB705-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 705	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 19, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Blumenfield

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2013

   An act  to amend Section 2736.5 of the Business and
Professions Code,  relating to healing arts.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 705, as amended, Blumenfield. Combat to Care Act.
   Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various
healing arts professions and vocations by boards within the
Department of Consumer Affairs.  Existing law requires boards
within the department to adopt rules and regulations to provide for
methods of evaluating education, training, and experience obtained in
the armed services, if applicable to the requirements of the
business, occupation, or profession regulated, and to specify how
this education, training, and experience may be used to meet the
licensure requirements for the particular business, occupation, or
profession regulated. Existing law, the Nursing Practice Act,
provides for the licensure and regulation of registered nurses by the
Board of Registered Nursing.  
   Existing law requires applicants for licensure as a registered
nurse to meet certain educational requirements, to have completed
specified courses of instruction, and to not be subject to denial of
licensure under specified circumstances. Existing law authorizes
applicants who have served on active duty in the medical corps in the
United States Armed Forces to submit a record of specified training
to the board for evaluation in order to satisfy the courses of
instruction requirement. Under existing law, if the applicant
satisfies the other general licensure requirements and if the board
determines that his or her education establishes competency to
practice registered nursing, the applicant shall be granted a license
upon passing a certain examination. 
   This bill would provide that this act shall be known, and may be
cited  ,  as  ,  the Combat to Care Act and
would make various legislative findings and declarations, including
that California recognizes that military service members gain skill
and experience while serving the country that, upon discharge, can be
translated to the civilian world.  Th   e bill would
require the Board of Registered Nursing to adopt regulations that
identify the Armed Forces coursework, training, and experience that
is equivalent or transferable to coursework required for licensure by
the board. This bill would require the board, after evaluating a
military applicant's education and training, to provide the applicant
with a list of the coursework he or she must still complete to be
eligible for licensure. 
   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.  This act shall be known, and may be cited  , 
as  ,  the Combat to Care Act.
  SEC. 2.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (a) President Barack Obama signed the Veteran Skills to Jobs Act,
authored by former California State Senator Jeff Denham, which
directs federal licensing authorities to consider and accept military
experience and training for the purposes of satisfying the
requirements for licensure.
   (b) In signing the Veterans Skills to Jobs Act, President Obama
declared that "No veteran who fought for our nation overseas should
have to fight for a job when they return home."
   (c) The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse
University found that, since 2001, more than 2.8 million military
personnel have made the transition from military to civilian life and
another one million service members will make this transition over
the next five years.
   (d) California is home to the largest veteran population in the
country, with approximately 2 million veterans, and is expected to
welcome home 30,000 more annually.
   (e) California recognizes that military service members gain
skills and experience while serving our country that, upon discharge,
can be translated to the civilian world. 
   (f) Last year the Governor signed into law Assembly Bill 2659 (Ch.
406, Stats. 2012) to help veterans with military commercial motor
vehicle driving experience transfer those skills into civilian life.
This act is part of California's ongoing effort to streamline
veterans into viable careers after military service. 
   SEC. 3.    Section 2736.5 of the   Business
and Professions Code   is amended to read: 
   2736.5.  (a) Any person who has served on active duty in the
medical corps of any of the Armed Forces of the United States and who
has successfully completed the course of instruction required to
qualify him or her for rating as a medical service
technician--independent duty, or other equivalent rating in his 
or her  particular branch of the Armed Forces, and whose service
in the Armed Forces has been under honorable conditions, may submit
the record of  such   that  training to the
board for evaluation. 
   (b) After making an evaluation pursuant to subdivisions (a) and
(d), the board shall provide an applicant with a list of coursework,
if any, that the applicant must complete to be eligible for
licensure.  
   (b) 
    (c)  If  such person   an applicant
 meets the qualifications of  subdivision (a) and 
paragraphs (1) and (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 2736, and if the
board determines that his or her education would give reasonable
assurance of competence to practice as a registered nurse in this
state, he or she shall be granted a license upon passing the standard
examination for  such  licensure. 
   (c) 
    (d)  The board shall, by regulation, establish criteria
for evaluating the education of applicants under this section. 
   (e) On or before January 1, 2015, the board shall, by regulation,
identify the Armed Forces coursework, training, and experience that
is equivalent or transferable to coursework required for licensure by
the board.  
   (d) 
    (f)  The board shall maintain records of the following
categories of applicants under this section:
   (1) Applicants who are rejected for examination  ,
 and the areas of  such   those 
applicants' preparation  which   that  are
the causes of rejection.
   (2) Applicants who are qualified by their military education alone
to take the examination, and the results of their examinations.
   (3) Applicants who are qualified to take the examination by their
military education plus supplementary education, and the results of
their examinations. 
   (e) 
    (g)  The board shall attempt to contact by mail or other
means individuals meeting the requirements of subdivision (a) who
have been or will be discharged or separated from the Armed Forces of
the United States, in order to inform them of the application
procedure provided by this section. The board may enter into an
agreement with the federal government in order to secure the names
and addresses of  such   those 
individuals.