Bill Text: CA AB705 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended
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
BILL NUMBER: AB 705 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 23, 2013
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 3, 2013
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 19, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Blumenfield
( Coauthors: Assembly Members
Eggman, Fox, and Logue )
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. The bill would require the Board of Registered Nursing
to adopt regulations that , by regulation and
in conjunction with the Military Department, to identify the
Armed Forces education, training, and or
experience that is equivalent or transferable to
coursework the curriculum required for licensure
by the board. This The bill would
require the board, after evaluating a military applicant's education,
training, and or experience, to
provide the applicant with a list of the coursework , if any,
he or she must still complete to be eligible for licensure
and to grant the applicant, if he or she meets specified criteria, a
license upon passing the standard examination. The bill would
require the board to attempt to contact military service members who
may meet the bill's criteria and would authorize the board to enter
into an agreement with the federal government in that regard. The
bill would require the board to maintain records of applicants, as
specified .
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. 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 education, training,
and or experience 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 that education,
training, and or experience to the
board for evaluation towards toward
licensure.
(b) After making an evaluation pursuant to subdivision (a), the
board shall provide an applicant with a list of coursework, if any,
that the applicant must complete to be eligible for licensure.
(c) If 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, training,
and or experience 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 licensure.
(d) The board shall, by regulation, establish criteria for
evaluating the education, training, and or
experience of applicants under this section.
(e) On or before January 1, 2015, the board shall, by regulation
and in conjunction with the Military Department , identify
the Armed Forces education, training, and or
experience that is equivalent or transferable to
coursework the curriculum required for licensure
by the board.
(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
those applicants' preparation that are the causes of rejection.
(2) Applicants who are qualified by their military education,
training, and or experience alone to
take the examination, and the results of their examinations.
(3) Applicants who are qualified to take the examination by their
military education, training, and or
experience plus supplementary education, and the results of their
examinations.
(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
those individuals.
