text:
(a) CHHSA shall enter into partnerships resulting in the production, procurement, or distribution of generic prescription drugs, with the intent that these drugs be made widely available to public and private purchasers, providers and suppliers as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1367.50, and pharmacies as defined in Section 4037 of the Business and Professions Code, as appropriate. The generic prescription drugs shall be produced or distributed by a drug company or generic drug manufacturer that is registered with the United States Food and Drug Administration.

(b) (1) CHHSA shall only enter into partnerships pursuant to subdivision (a) to produce a generic prescription drug at a price that results in savings, targets failures in the market for generic drugs, or improves patient access to affordable medications.

(2) For top drugs identified pursuant to the criteria listed in paragraph (5), CHHSA shall determine if viable pathways exist for partnerships to manufacture, procure, or distribute generic prescription drugs by examining the relevant legal, market, policy, and regulatory factors.

(3) CHHSA shall consider the following, if applicable, when setting the price of a generic prescription drug:

(A) United States Food and Drug Administration user fees.

(B) Abbreviated new drug application acquisition costs amortized over a five-year period.

(C) Mandatory rebates.

(D) Total contracting and production costs for the drug, including a reasonable amount for administrative, operating, and rate-of-return expenses of the drug company or generic drug manufacturer.

(E) Research and development costs attributed to the drug over a five-year period.

(F) Other initial start-up costs amortized over a five-year period.

(4) Each drug shall be made available to providers, patients, and purchasers, as appropriate, at a transparent price and without rebates, other than federally required rebates.

(5) CHHSA shall prioritize the selection of generic prescription drugs that have the greatest impact on lowering drug costs to patients, increasing competition and addressing shortages in the prescription drug market, improving public health, or reducing the cost of prescription drugs to public and private purchasers.

(c) (1) In identifying generic prescription drugs to be produced, CHHSA shall consider the report produced by the Department of Managed Health Care pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1367.243, the report produced by the Department of Insurance pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 10123.205 of the Insurance Code, and pharmacy spending data from Medi-Cal and other entities for which the state pays the cost of generic prescription drugs.

(2) The partnerships entered into pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include the production of at least one form of insulin made available at production and dispensing costs, if one does not already exist in the market. Dispensing costs may include related expenses such as transportation, distribution, and market operations. Any partnership shall also consider:

(A) Guaranteeing priority access to insulin supply for the state.

(B) Guaranteeing the manufacture of at least four high-priority drugs for California, as identified pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (b).

(C) Creating a state brand identifying biosimilar insulin and generic prescription drugs sold in California under this section.

(3) CHHSA shall prioritize drugs for chronic and high-cost conditions, and shall consider prioritizing those that can be delivered through mail order.

(d) CHHSA shall consult with all of the following public and private purchasers, as appropriate, to develop a list of generic prescription drugs to be manufactured or distributed through partnerships:

(1) The Public Employees’ Retirement System, the State Department of Health Care Services, the California Health Benefit Exchange (Covered California), the State Department of Public Health, the Department of General Services, and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or the entities acting on behalf of each of those state purchasers.

(2) Licensed health care service plans.

(3) Health insurers holding a valid outstanding certificate of authority from the Insurance Commissioner.

(4) Hospitals.

(e) Before effectuating a partnership pursuant to this section, CHHSA shall consider the volume of each generic prescription drug over a multiyear period to support a market for a lower cost generic prescription drug, if volume is an important factor in driving down the cost of the drug. For partnerships involving procurement, CHHSA shall determine minimum thresholds for procurement of an entity’s expected volume of a targeted drug from the company or manufacturer over a defined target period. In making advance commitments, CHHSA may consult with the Statewide Pharmaceutical Program and the California Pharmaceutical Collaborative.

(f) The listed entities in paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (d) shall not be required to purchase prescription drugs from CHHSA or entities that contract or partner with CHHSA pursuant to this chapter.

(g) CHHSA shall not be required to consult with every entity listed in paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (d), so long as purchaser engagement includes a reasonable representation from these groups.

(h) Any partnership entered into pursuant to this section may include representation and involvement with the governance of the contractor entity.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 42, Sec. 52. (AB 118) Effective July 10, 2023.)


kind: section

code: HSC

text:
(a) On or before December 31, 2023, CHHSA shall submit a report to the Legislature that assesses the feasibility of directly manufacturing generic prescription drugs and selling generic prescription drugs at a fair price. The report shall include an analysis of governance structure options for manufacturing functions, including chartering a private organization, a public-private partnership, or a public board of directors.

(b) This section shall only go into effect if the Legislature appropriates funds for this purpose in the annual budget.

(c) The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2028, and as of that date is repealed.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 47, Sec. 22. (SB 184) Effective June 30, 2022. Repealed as of January 1, 2028, by its own provisions.)

division: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION

part: 2. HEALTH POLICY AND PLANNING

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 2. HEALTH POLICY AND PLANNING > 10. California Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act of 2020


text: Upon appropriation by the Legislature, CHHSA shall develop a California-based manufacturing facility for insulin, with the intent of creating high-skill, high-paying jobs with the state. The facility shall be at a location jointly determined between the state and the partner pursuant to Section 127692.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 603, Sec. 3. (SB 838) Effective January 1, 2023.)

chapter: 10. California Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act of 2020


text:
(a) On or before December 31, 2022, CHHSA shall report to the Legislature on both of the following:

(1) A description of the status of all drugs targeted under this chapter.

(2) An analysis of how the activities of CHHSA may impact competition, access to targeted drugs, the costs of those drugs, and the costs of generic prescription drugs to public and private purchasers.

(b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2028, and as of that date is repealed.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 47, Sec. 23. (SB 184) Effective June 30, 2022. Repealed as of January 1, 2028, by its own provisions.)


text: Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all nonpublic information and documents obtained or prepared under this chapter shall not be required to be disclosed pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code), or any similar local law requiring the disclosure of public records.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 42, Sec. 53. (AB 118) Effective July 10, 2023.)


text:
In addition to partnerships authorized pursuant to Sections 127692 and 127693, the California Health and Human Services Agency may, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, enter into partnerships to increase competition, lower prices, and address supply shortages under any of the following circumstances:

(a) For over-the-counter naloxone products. Partnerships entered into pursuant to this section may allow the development, manufacturing, or distribution of over-the-counter naloxone products by an entity that is authorized to do so under federal or state law.

(b) For generic or brand name drugs to address emerging health concerns, including in reproductive health care or gender affirming health care.

(c) For the development, production, procurement, or distribution of vaccines, by an entity that is authorized to do so under federal or state law, with the intent that these vaccines be made widely available to public and private purchasers, providers, suppliers, and pharmacies.

(d) For the manufacture, purchase, or distribution of medical supplies or medical devices.

history: (History: Repealed and added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 21, Sec. 43. (AB 116) Effective June 30, 2025.)


text:
For purposes of this chapter:

(a) “Department” means the Department of Health Care Access and Information.

(b) “State entities” means all state departments, agencies, boards, commissions, programs, and other organizational units of the executive branch of state government.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2026, Ch. 27, Sec. 49. (SB 164) Effective June 29, 2026.)

chapter: 11. Health Care Data

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 2. HEALTH POLICY AND PLANNING > 11. Health Care Data


text: It is the intent of the Legislature that the department collect data and publish reports on quality of care and patient experience.


text:
(a) (1) Beginning July 1, 2026, the department shall compile annual publications, to be made publicly available on the department’s internet website, including a quality of care report card that reflects health care service plans, health insurers, preferred provider organizations, and medical groups.

(2) The Department of Managed Health Care, the State Department of Health Care Services, the Department of Insurance, the Exchange, the State Department of Social Services, and any other state health coverage program or state entity shall provide to the department data concerning the quality of care report card in the time, manner, and format requested by the department. The department may also request data related to the cost of care, quality of care, patient experience, socioeconomic status impact on health, access to care, and access to social services programs. The data described in this section may be linked with other department data and used for other department data reports, to the extent allowed by state and federal law.

(3) The department may request data from, and contract with, academic or nonprofit organizations related to quality of health care and patient experience to develop the quality of care report card.

(b) The department shall produce a biennial report in even-numbered calendar years, to be made publicly available on the department’s internet website, of health care consumer or patient assistance help centers, call centers, ombudsperson, or other assistance centers operated by the Department of Managed Health Care, the State Department of Health Care Services, the Department of Insurance, and the Exchange that includes, at a minimum, all of the following:

(1) The types and volume of inquiries received.

(2) The call center’s role with regard to each type of call, question, complaint, or grievance.

(3) The call center’s protocol for responding to requests for assistance from health care consumers, including any performance standards.

(4) The protocol for referring or transferring calls outside the jurisdiction of the call center.

(5) The call center’s methodology of tracking calls, complaints, grievances, or inquiries.

(c) (1) In odd-numbered calendar years, the department shall produce an analysis of the data collected on problems and complaints by, and questions from, consumers about health care coverage for the purpose of providing public information about problems faced and information needed by consumers in obtaining coverage and care. The data collected shall include demographic data, insurer or plan data, appeals, source of coverage, regulator, type of problem or issue, and resolution of complaints, including timeliness of resolution, to the extent that data is readily available. The analysis shall be made public on the department’s internet website. In analyzing the data collected, the department may also identify examples of best practices when responding to consumer inquiries. The analysis may also include identification of practices that could be revised to improve responses to inquiries.

(2) The Department of Managed Health Care, the State Department of Health Care Services, the Department of Insurance, the Exchange, and any other state public health coverage programs shall provide to the department data concerning consumer complaints and issues to meet the reporting requirements in this section in the time, data elements, manner, and format requested by the department.

(3) For the purpose of publicly reporting information as required in paragraph (1) and this paragraph about the challenges in obtaining care and coverage, the department shall analyze data on consumer complaints, appeals, and grievances resolved by the agencies listed in subdivision (b), including demographic data, source of coverage, insurer or plan, resolution of complaints, and other information intended to improve health care and coverage for consumers, to the extent that data is readily available.

(4) The data described in this section may be linked with other department data and used for other department data reports, to the extent allowed by state and federal law.

(d) The department may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of a departmental letter or other similar instruction, as necessary, notwithstanding the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).

(e) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Data” means information that is not individually identifiable health information, as defined in Section 160.103 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(2) “Exchange” means the California Health Benefit Exchange, established pursuant to Title 22 (commencing with Section 100500) of the Government Code.

(3) “Health care” includes services provided by any health care coverage program.

(4) “Health care service plan” has the same meaning as that set forth in subdivision (f) of Section 1345. “Health care service plan” includes specialized health care service plans, including behavioral health plans.

(5) “Health coverage program” includes the Medi-Cal program, tax subsidies and premium credits under the Exchange, and county health care programs.

(6) “Health insurer” means an insurer that offers health insurance, as defined in Section 106 of the Insurance Code.


text:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that the department performs public health activities described in Section 164.512(b) of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations when carrying out activities pursuant to this chapter. Personal information collected in accordance with this chapter is necessary to carry out projects with public health purposes.

(b) All personal information obtained or maintained by the department shall be confidential and shall be subject to the following requirements:

(1) Only deidentified and aggregated information shall be included in a publicly available analysis, data product, or research.

(2) All policies and procedures developed in implementing this chapter shall provide that the privacy, security, and confidentiality of consumers’ personal information is protected, as required by the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code), and consistent with state and federal health privacy laws, including the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (Public Law 104-191) and the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (Part 2.6 (commencing with Section 56) of Division 1 of the Civil Code). Data shall not be disclosed until the department has developed a policy regarding the release of data.

(c) Unless otherwise specified in this chapter, personal information collected by the department from other state entities shall be exempt from the disclosure requirements of the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code), and shall not be made available except pursuant to this chapter.

(d) Any information collected or obtained pursuant to this chapter shall not be used for determinations regarding individual patient care or treatment and shall not be used for any individual eligibility or coverage decisions or similar purposes.


text:
(a) This section governs the use of the Health Plan Improvement Trust Fund, previously renamed in former Section 130208.

(b) The moneys in the Health Plan Improvement Trust Fund shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be made available for the purposes in Sections 127771 and 127772 and Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 127671).

(c) Notwithstanding Section 16305.7 of the Government Code, all interest earned on moneys that have been deposited in the Health Plan Improvement Trust Fund shall be retained in the fund and used for purposes consistent with Sections 127771 and 127772 and Chapter 8.5 (commencing with Section 127671).


text:
(a) Moneys transferred from the Managed Care Fund and the Insurance Fund for use by the department for purposes described in Section 127773 shall be deposited into the Health Plan Improvement Trust Fund.

(b) The share of funding to be provided from the Managed Care Fund shall be based on the number of covered lives in the state that are covered under plans regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care, including covered lives under Medi-Cal managed care, as determined by the Department of Managed Health Care, in proportion to the total number of all covered lives in the state.

(c) The share of funding to be provided from the Insurance Fund shall be based on the number of covered lives in the state that are covered under health insurance policies and benefit plans regulated by the Department of Insurance, including covered lives under Medicare supplement plans, as determined by the Department of Insurance, in proportion to the total number of all covered lives in the state.


text:
As used in this article, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Approved school of nursing or approved nursing program” has the same meaning as defined in Section 2786 of the Business and Professions Code.

(b) “Clinic” has the same meaning as defined in Section 1200, and includes a primary care clinic and a specialty clinic, as described in Section 1204.

(c) “Department” means the Department of Health Care Access and Information.

(d) “Health facility” has the same meaning as defined in Section 1250.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 680, Sec. 1. (AB 1577) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2032, pursuant to Section 127778.)

part: 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT

chapter: 1. Health Professions Planning

article: 2. Nursing Clinical Placements

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 1. Health Professions Planning > 2. Nursing Clinical Placements


text:
(a) A health facility or clinic, upon the written request of a California community college or California State University with an approved school of nursing or approved nursing program, shall meet with the California community college or California State University and work in good faith to meet the prelicensure nursing clinical placement needs of the California community college or California State University program, including adding additional clinical placement slots to accommodate the nursing program, to the extent the health facility or clinic has the capacity and capability to provide additional clinical placements. This meeting can take place during any other meeting the health facility or clinic may have with the California community college or California State University.

(b) A written request sent pursuant to subdivision (a) shall also be provided to the department in a manner determined by the department.

(c) (1) If a health facility or clinic, after meeting as required by subdivision (a), cannot provide additional clinical placement slots to fully meet the needs of the California State University or California community college, the health facility or clinic shall inform the department of its lack of capability or capacity to meet the needs of the California community college or California State University approved school of nursing or approved nursing program using a form developed by the department on or before the following January 30 and annually on or before each January 30 thereafter. A health facility or clinic is not required to inform the department pursuant to this subdivision more than once in a calendar year.

(2) The form created by the department shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following information:

(A) The dates and names of the schools with which the health facility or clinic has met.

(B) The reason or reasons the health facility or clinic is unable to meet the needs of the meeting participant for each type of clinical rotation requested, including, but not limited to, medical, surgical, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatric, mental health, and geriatrics. The form shall provide all of the following options for a health facility or clinic to choose from in addition to a space for the health facility or clinic to write in a rationale:

(i) The health facility or clinic does not provide the service.

(ii) The health facility or clinic does not have sufficient patient census to provide a satisfactory clinical experience.

(iii) The health facility or clinic does not have sufficient nursing personnel available, willing, and trained to provide a satisfactory clinical experience.

(iv) The health facility or clinic and nursing school or program has not reached an agreement on the terms of an affiliation agreement or contract.

(v) The nursing school or program has declined placements offered by the health facility or clinic due to evening, night, or weekend shifts.

(vi) Other, which the health facility or clinic shall specify.

(d) The department shall assess an administrative penalty in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) for failure to provide the informational notice pursuant to this section. This subdivision does not apply to a federally qualified health center, as defined in Section 1396d(l)(2)(B) of Title 42 of the United States Code.

(e) The information provided by a health facility or clinic for failure to provide additional clinical placement slots shall be posted on the department’s internet website for five years, after which period it shall be removed.

(f) Any attempt to identify additional clinical placements by the Board of Registered Nursing, a health facility, or a clinic pursuant to this section shall not supplant or disrupt the clinical placement of any nursing student for whom a clinical placement is already in progress, has already been scheduled, or is under agreement for future use by an approved school of nursing or approved nursing program.

article: 2. Nursing Clinical Placements


text: This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2032, and as of that date is repealed.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 680, Sec. 1. (AB 1577) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2032, by its own provisions. Note: Repeal affects Article 2, commencing with Sec. 127775.)

article: 2. Nursing Clinical Placements


text:
(a) As a component of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, established pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 5961) of Part 7 of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the office may award competitive grants to the entities and individuals it deems qualified to expand the supply of behavioral health counselors, coaches, peer supports, and other allied health care providers serving children and youth, including individuals at schoolsites.

(b) For the purposes of this chapter, “certified wellness coach” means a new category of behavioral health provider trained specifically to help address the unmet mental health and substance use needs of children and youth. Recognizing that unmet mental health and substance use needs create learning barriers, certified wellness coaches shall engage and support children and youth in cultural, linguistic, and age-appropriate services with the ability to refer and link to higher levels of care, as needed. As a member of a care team, a behavioral health professional serving as a certified wellness coach receives appropriate supervision and coordination from staff who are licensed or who hold a pupil personnel services credential pursuant to Section 44266 of the Education Code, or school nurse services credential pursuant to Section 44267.5 of the Education Code. Training and qualifications include, but are not limited to, psychoeducation, system navigation, crisis referral, coping skills, and motivational interviewing.

(c) This chapter shall be implemented in a manner that is consistent with Section 44270.2 of the Education Code and Section 80049.1 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 21, Sec. 44. (AB 116) Effective June 30, 2025.)

chapter: 1.5. Behavioral Health Grants

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 1.5. Behavioral Health Grants


text: The Legislature finds and declares that California has an insufficient number of minority health professionals to meet the health care needs in the state. Greater numbers of minority health professionals are required to meet the special needs of population groups who face cultural and linguistic barriers to adequate health care, and to meet the state’s needs for a more equitable geographic distribution of professional health personnel resources.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 1996.)

chapter: 2. Personnel Recruitment and Education

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 2. Personnel Recruitment and Education > 1. Health Professions Careers Opportunity Program


text:
It is the intent of the Legislature to maintain a Health Professions Career Opportunity Program designed to:

(a) Increase the number of ethnic minorities in health professional training.

(b) Increase the number of minority health professionals practicing in health manpower shortage areas in this area.

article: 1. Health Professions Careers Opportunity Program


text:
(a) The department shall maintain a Health Professions Career Opportunity Program that shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) Implementing programs at colleges and universities selected by the department, which may include public and private institutions.

(A) In selecting campuses for the programs, the department shall give priority to campuses in medically underserved areas or with students from groups underrepresented in medicine, demonstrated commitment to diversity and associated institutional change, a track record of providing tailored student support, and strong health professions school partnerships.

(B) The department may enter into contracts, to meet the requirements of this article, with nonprofit entities headquartered in California that have previous experience with administering statewide workforce programs aimed at building a diverse provider workforce.

(C) The programs shall include one or both of the following:

(i) Pipeline programs that provide comprehensive academic enrichment, career development, mentorship, and advising in order to support students from underrepresented regions and backgrounds to pursue health careers. This may include internships and fellowships to enable students to compete for admission to graduate health professions schools or employment in the health field, including, but not limited to, both of the following:

(I) Paid summer internships for students interning in community health centers, public health departments, public behavioral health settings, and with geriatric providers, as well as community-based initiatives that promote health equity.

(II) One-year postundergraduate fellowships for in-depth, pregraduate school experience in primary care and prevention, behavioral health, and geriatric health.

(ii) Annual postbaccalaureate reapplicant slots and the provision of student scholarships for reapplicant postbaccalaureate students to cover program tuition.

(2) Producing and disseminating a series of publications aimed at informing and motivating minority and disadvantaged students to pursue health professional careers.

(3) Conducting a conference series aimed at informing students of opportunities in health professional training and mechanisms of successfully preparing to enter the training.

(4) Providing support and technical assistance to health professional schools and colleges as well as to student and community organizations active in health professional development of underrepresented groups in medicine.

(5) Conducting relevant health workforce information and data analysis regarding underrepresented groups in medicine.

(6) Providing necessary consultation, recruitment, and counseling through other means.

(7) Supporting and encouraging health professionals in training who are from underrepresented groups to practice in health professional shortage areas of California.

(b) This section shall be implemented only to the extent that funds are appropriated for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or other statute.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 489, Sec. 1. (SB 395) Effective January 1, 2022.)


text:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that evidence exists to support the development of health promotion and health-risk reduction programs as an effective method of constraining the annual inflation rate for expenditures in the health industry. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature that a health manpower education program be developed to demonstrate the health promotion and health-risk reduction concept at educational institutions, with special emphasis on health manpower development in urban areas having a disproportionate share of disadvantaged and indigent persons.

(b) The department shall establish a contract program for funding allied health manpower training projects related to health promotion and health-risk reduction. The contract program shall provide funds to eligible institutions, as determined by the department, for all of the following purposes:

(1) Teaching existing and future primary care providers about health-risk reduction through the institutions’ basic curricula.

(2) Recruiting, remediating, and retaining minority allied health professionals, including, but not limited to, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, public health nurses, health educators, dieticians, and nutritionists, especially those who provide in-home patient care.

(3) Increasing the supply of medical care in underserved urban areas and demonstrating methods which reduce cost through the use of allied health personnel.

(c) (1) These funds shall be available to institutions which currently operate programs for training family physicians, other primary care physicians, and those health professionals identified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b).

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “family physician” means a primary care physician and surgeon who renders continued comprehensive and preventative health care services to individuals and families, and who has received specialized training in an approved family medicine residency for three years after graduation from an accredited medical school.

(d) The recipients of the funds shall provide, but shall not be limited to providing, orientation and training of primary care providers in teaching methods related to patient health education and health promotion, such as educating allied health professionals in the principles of self-care management as it relates to specific health problems in medically underserved communities.

(e) The department shall consult with organizations and experts in the field regarding the establishment of this program, and beginning with the 1986–87 fiscal year, this program shall be implemented to the extent funds are provided in the Budget Act. This program shall be designed to accommodate an appropriation request in the range of forty thousand dollars ($40,000) to eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) per year.

(f) The director of the department may waive any of the requirements of subdivisions (b) and (c) if a potential contractor demonstrates an ability to meet the goals and objectives of the program.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 118. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 2. Personnel Recruitment and Education > 2. Health Promotion Education Programs for Allied Health Professionals


text:
(a) In administering the National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program in accordance with Section 254q-1 of Title 42 of the United States Code and related federal regulations, the Department of Health Care Access and Information shall strive, whenever feasible, to equitably distribute loan repayment awards between eligible urban and rural program sites, after taking into account the availability of health care services in the communities to be served and the number of individuals to be served in each program site.

(b) The department shall set a reasonable deadline for when all applications are required to be received.

(c) All eligible applications shall be given consideration before any award is granted.

(d) The department shall include all federally qualified health centers located in California in the program’s certified eligible site list.

(e) As part of a program applicant’s initial application, program sites shall agree to provide matching funds.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 120. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 2. Personnel Recruitment and Education > 2.75. National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program


text: Recognizing that there is a shortage in supply of registered nurses, and that if the number of nursing students is to be materially increased to meet the demand there must first be an increase in the number of persons qualified for teaching or supervising in clinical areas, and further recognizing that the cost of education deters nurses from obtaining the education necessary to qualify them for teaching or supervision in clinical areas, there are hereby created state scholarships that shall be maintained by the state and awarded and administered pursuant to this article.

article: 3. Nursing Education Scholarships

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 2. Personnel Recruitment and Education > 3. Nursing Education Scholarships


text:
There shall be available at least 10 scholarships per year. The scholarships shall be available to any registered nurse who is enrolled in one of the following accredited nursing programs in a college or university in California that is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges:

(a) The junior or senior year in a bachelor’s degree program in nursing.

(b) A program supplementary to a bachelor’s degree program in nursing required for admission to master’s level studies, in nursing.

(c) A master’s degree or a post-master’s program in teaching or supervision in a clinical nursing area.

article: 3. Nursing Education Scholarships


text:
A person shall not be awarded a scholarship under subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 127980 unless:

(a) They are a resident of California.

(b) They are licensed as a registered nurse by this state.

(c) They have complied with all the regulations adopted pursuant to this article.

(d) They have agreed that they will continue their education to completion of the bachelor’s degree or a program supplemental to a bachelor’s degree required for admission to master level studies in nursing, and that after completion of the requirements of subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 127980 and within a period of time to be determined by the department, will enroll in an accredited master’s degree program in teaching or supervision in a clinical nursing area.

(e) They agree that immediately upon completion of their graduate study, either master’s degree or post-master’s program, they will assume an employment obligation in California in teaching or supervision in a clinical nursing area, for not less than one year.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 121. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 3. Nursing Education Scholarships


text: No person shall be awarded a scholarship under subdivision (c) of Section 127980 unless he or she satisfies the requirements prescribed by subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (e) of Section 127985.

article: 3. Nursing Education Scholarships


text: The department shall administer the program of nursing education scholarships and shall for this purpose, adopt regulations as it determines are necessary to carry out this article.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 122. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 3. Nursing Education Scholarships


text: Applications for scholarships shall be made to the department, upon forms provided by it, at the times and in the manner prescribed by the regulations adopted by the office.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 123. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 3. Nursing Education Scholarships


text: The department shall award the scholarships to the applicants that it determines are best fitted to undertake the educational program for which the scholarships are awarded and will be the best qualified to teach or supervise. In awarding the scholarships the department may give a preference to applicants who are willing to be available, upon the completion of their educational program, for a position in any part of the state. The department shall not, however, award any scholarship to an applicant if it determines that the applicant has adequate financial resources to pay the cost of the education necessary to qualify them for teaching or supervision in a clinical area.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 124. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 3. Nursing Education Scholarships


text: Scholarships shall be awarded without regard to race, religion, creed, or sex.

article: 3. Nursing Education Scholarships


text:
Each scholarship under this article is for the period of no more than one academic year, and the award shall be:

(a) For a person qualifying under subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 127980, the sum of two hundred dollars ($200) per month for 12 months, plus school fees.

(b) For a person qualifying under subdivision (c) of Section 127980, the sum of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per month for 12 months, plus school fees.

article: 3. Nursing Education Scholarships


text: A scholarship shall remain in effect only during the period, as determined by the department, that the person receiving the award achieves satisfactory progress and is regularly enrolled, within the terms of this article, as a full-time student.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 125. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 3. Nursing Education Scholarships


text:
For the purpose of this article, “innovative programs of education in the health professions” means programs for the development of physicians and surgeons, podiatrists, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, optometrists, and occupations in the allied health professions, that emphasize all of the following:

(a) The practice in the community on the part of graduates of the program.

(b) The utilization of existing teaching resources and clinical care facilities within the community where the program is located.

(c) The development of curricular mechanisms that allow for movement from one occupational category to the next, up to and including the doctor of medicine level.

(d) The training of persons possessing previously acquired health care skills, for positions of greater responsibility, with an emphasis upon corpsmen honorably discharged from the military.

(e) The training of persons with little or no formal education but with a willingness and aptitude to acquire health care skills.

(f) The development of coordination with community health care facilities to insure quality education and satisfactory employment opportunities for graduates of the program.

article: 4. Health Professions Planning Grants

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 2. Personnel Recruitment and Education > 4. Health Professions Planning Grants


text: The department, in cooperation with the California Postsecondary Education Commission, shall administer the program established pursuant to this article and shall for this purpose, adopt regulations as it determines are reasonably necessary to carry out this article.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 126. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 4. Health Professions Planning Grants


text:
The department is authorized to make grants, from funds appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose, to assist organizations in meeting the cost of special projects to plan, develop, or establish innovative programs of education in the health professions, or for research in the various fields related to education in the health professions, or to develop training for new types of health professions personnel, or to meet the costs of planning experimental teaching facilities.

In determining priority of project applications, the department shall give the highest priority to:

(1) Applicants able to obtain commitments for matching planning funds from other governmental and private sources.

(2) Applicants who develop a preliminary plan that conforms to the criteria stated hereinabove for innovative programs of education in the health sciences.

(3) Applicants that in its judgment are most able to translate a plan into a feasible program.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 127. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 4. Health Professions Planning Grants


text:
(a) The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall report to the Legislature on or before June 30, 2002, on the feasibility of establishing a California dental loan forgiveness program utilizing the same general guidelines applicable to the federal National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program (42 U.S.C.A. Sec. 254q-1; 42 C.F.R., Part 62, Subpart C (commencing with Section 62.51)), except as follows:

(1) A dentist shall be eligible to participate in the loan forgiveness program if they provide full-time or half-time dental services in either of the following:

(A) A dental health professional shortage area (DHPSA), established pursuant to Section 254e(a) of Title 42 of the United States Code.

(B) An area of the state where unmet priority needs for dentists exist as determined by the department.

(2) Matching funds to repay a portion of the dentist’s outstanding loan amount shall be required from the practice site areas or from other private nonprofit sources.

(3) A qualifying practice site shall include a private dental practice.

(b) (1) The report required under subdivision (a) shall include all of the following:

(A) A projection of the dentist-to-population ratio for California in the next decade.

(B) A determination of the future need for dentists and dental care in underserved communities. The department shall work collaboratively with organizations that represent providers of dental services to underserved communities in making this determination.

(C) A report on the utilization by dentists of tuition loan repayment programs at the federal and state level and identify the barriers to full utilization of these loan repayment programs.

(D) A report on the projected cost increase of dental school education at public and private postsecondary educational institutions.

(E) A report on the implications of administering an additional program, including a cost analysis.

(2) The report also shall include recommendations on whether a program described in subdivision (a) should be established and, if so, suggested funding sources. In making its recommendations, the department shall consider the impact of the program on access to dental services in areas of the state that currently have a shortage of dentists.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 128. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 4. Health Professions Planning Grants


text: The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall establish a health care workforce research and data center to serve as the central source of health care workforce and educational data in the state. The research and data center will serve as the state’s central source of healthcare workforce and education data. The research and data center shall be responsible for the collection, analysis, and distribution of information on the educational and employment trends for health care occupations and distribution in the state. The activities of the research and data center shall be funded by appropriations made from the California Health Data and Planning Fund in accordance with subdivision (h) of Section 127280.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 130. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 2. Personnel Recruitment and Education > 5. Health Care Workforce Research and Data Center


text:
The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall work with the Employment Development Department’s Labor Market Information Division, state licensing boards, and state higher education entities to collect, to the extent available, all of the following data:

(a) The current supply of health care workers, by specialty.

(b) The geographical distribution of health care workers, by specialty.

(c) The diversity of the health care workforce, by specialty, including, but not necessarily limited to, data on race, ethnicity, and languages spoken.

(d) The current and forecasted demand for health care workers, by specialty.

(e) The educational capacity to produce trained, certified, and licensed health care workers, by specialty and by geographical distribution, including, but not necessarily limited to, the number of educational slots, the number of enrollments, the attrition rate, and wait time to enter the program of study.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 131. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 5. Health Care Workforce Research and Data Center


text:
The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall prepare an annual report to the Legislature that does all of the following:

(a) Identifies education and employment trends in the health care profession.

(b) Reports on the current supply and demand for health care workers in California and gaps in the educational pipeline producing workers in specific occupations and geographic areas.

(c) Recommends state policy needed to address issues of workforce shortage and distribution.

(d) Describes the health care workforce program outcomes and effectiveness.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 132. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)


text:
The Legislature finds that there is a need to improve the effectiveness of health care delivery systems. One way of accomplishing that objective is to utilize health care personnel in new roles and to reallocate health tasks to better meet the health needs of the citizenry.

The Legislature finds that experimentation with new kinds and combinations of health care delivery systems is desirable, and that, for purposes of this experimentation, a select number of publicly evaluated health workforce pilot projects should be exempt from the healing arts practices acts. The Legislature also finds that large sums of public and private funds are being spent to finance health workforce innovation projects, and that the activities of some of these projects exceed the limitations of state law. These projects may jeopardize the public safety and the careers of persons who are trained in them. It is the intent of the Legislature to establish the accountability of health workforce innovation projects to the requirements of the public health, safety, and welfare, and the career viability of persons trained in these programs. Further, it is the intent of this legislation that existing healing arts licensure laws incorporate innovations developed in approved projects that are likely to improve the effectiveness of health care delivery systems.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 259, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007.)

chapter: 3. Professional Practice Development

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 3. Professional Practice Development > 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text:
For the purposes of this article:

(a) “Department” means the Department of Health Care Access and Information.

(b) “Approved project” means an educational or training program approved by the office that does any of the following on a pilot program basis:

(1) Teaches new skills to existing categories of health care personnel.

(2) Develops new categories of health care personnel.

(3) Accelerates the training of existing categories of health care personnel.

(4) Teaches new health care roles to previously untrained persons, and that has been so designated by the department.

(c) “Trainee” means a person to be taught health care skills.

(d) “Supervisor” means a person designated by the project sponsor who already possesses the skills to be taught the trainees and is certified or licensed in California to perform the health care tasks involving the skills.

(e) “Health care services” means the practice of medicine, dentistry, nursing, including, but not limited to, specialty areas of nursing such as midwifery, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, and psychology.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 134. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text: The department may designate experimental health workforce projects as approved projects where the projects are sponsored by community hospitals or clinics, nonprofit educational institutions, or government agencies engaged in health or education activities. Nothing in this section shall preclude approved projects from utilizing the offices of physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and other clinical settings as training sites.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 135. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text: Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a trainee in an approved project may perform health care services under the supervision of a supervisor where the general scope of the services has been approved by the department.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 136. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text: A trainee and his or her supervisor shall be held to the standard of care of, and shall be afforded the same immunities as, an individual otherwise legally qualified to perform the health care service or services performed by the trainee or supervisor.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 1996.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text: Any patient being seen or treated by a trainee shall be apprised of that fact and shall be given the opportunity to refuse treatment. Consent to the treatment shall not constitute assumption of the risk.

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text:
The department, after one or more public hearings thereon, shall establish minimum standards, guidelines, and instructions for pilot projects. Advance notice of the hearing shall be sent to all interested parties and shall include a copy of the proposed minimum standards, guidelines, and instructions.

Organizations requesting designation as approved projects shall complete and submit to the department an application, that shall include a description of the project indicating the category of person to be trained, the tasks to be taught, the numbers of trainees and supervisors, a description of the health care agency to be used for training students, and a description of the types of patients likely to be seen or treated. Additionally, the application shall contain a description of all of the following:

(a) The evaluation process to be used.

(b) The baseline data and information to be collected.

(c) The nature of program data that will be collected and the methods for collecting and analyzing the data.

(d) Provision for protecting the safety of patients seen or treated in the project.

(e) A statement of previous experience in providing related health care services.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 137. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text:
(a) Pilot projects may be approved in the following fields:

(1) Expanded role medical auxiliaries.

(2) Expanded role nursing.

(3) Expanded role dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental hygienists in alternative practice, or dental hygienists in extended functions.

(4) Maternal child care personnel.

(5) Pharmacy personnel.

(6) Mental health personnel.

(7) Other health care personnel including, but not limited to, veterinary personnel, chiropractic personnel, podiatric personnel, geriatric care personnel, therapy personnel, and health care technicians.

(b) Projects that operate in rural and central city areas shall be given priority.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 31, Sec. 52. Effective January 1, 2009. Operative July 1, 2009, by Sec. 55 of Ch. 31.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text:
The department shall carry out periodic onsite visitations of each approved project and shall evaluate each project to determine the following:

(a) The new health skills taught or extent that existing skills have been reallocated.

(b) Implication of the project for existing licensure laws with suggestions for changes in the law where appropriate.

(c) Implications of the project for health services curricula and for the health care delivery systems.

(d) Teaching methods used in the project.

(e) The quality of care and patient acceptance in the project.

(f) The extent that persons with the new skills could find employment in the health care system, assuming laws were changed to incorporate their skill.

(g) The cost of care provided in the project, the likely cost of this care if performed by the trainees subsequent to the project, and the cost for provision of this care by current providers thereof.

All data collected by the department and by projects approved pursuant to this article shall become public information, with due regard for the confidentiality of individual patient information. The raw data on which projects’ reports are based and the data on which the department’s evaluation is based shall be available on request for review by interested parties. The department shall provide a reasonable opportunity for interested parties to submit dissenting views or challenges to reports to the Legislature and professional licensing boards required by this section. The department shall publish those comments, subject only to nonsubstantive editing, as part of its annual, or any special, reports.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 138. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text: The department shall approve a sufficient number of projects to provide a basis for testing the validity of the experiment.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 139. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text:
The department shall seek the advice of appropriate professional societies and appropriate healing arts licensing boards prior to designating approved projects. In the case of projects sponsored by a state agency, the following additional procedures shall apply:

(a) A hearing shall be conducted by a disinterested state government official selected by the director of the department from a state agency other than the department or the proponent of the project. The cost of the services of the disinterested state governmental official shall be paid by the department pursuant to an interagency agreement with the state agency represented by the state governmental official.

(b) A notice of hearing shall be sent by the department to interested parties, as designated by the director of the department, by registered mail no less than 30 days preceding the date of the hearing. The notice shall include, but not be limited to, the date, time, location, and subject matter of the hearing, and shall include a copy of the application for a pilot project that is the subject of the hearing.

(c) A verbatim transcript of the hearing shall be prepared and distributed to interested parties upon request.

(d) Within 60 days of the release of the transcript, the department shall submit a recommendation on the proposal to the director of the department and shall send copies to the interested parties.

(e) The director of the department shall accept comments on the recommendations, and, on or after 30 days after transmittal of the recommendations, the director of the department shall approve or disapprove the proposed project.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 140. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text: The department shall not approve a project for a period lasting more than two training cycles plus a preceptorship of more than 24 months, unless the department determines that the project is likely to contribute substantially to the availability of high-quality health services in the state or a region thereof.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 141. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The Health Manpower Pilot Project No. 152 was approved in 1988 to respond to a shortage of adequately trained personnel to meet the needs of residents in long-term health care facilities.

(b) Long-term health care facilities continue to report difficulties recruiting and retaining adequate nursing staff to meet current needs.

(c) The population most in need of long-term care is growing rapidly. It is estimated by the year 2000, one-third of the entire population in the United States will be composed of persons over 65 years of age. Three-fourths of all residents of long-term health care facilities will be generated by this age group.

(d) A 30-percent decrease in the labor pool of health workers has been projected for the same time period. This decline in resources will exacerbate the problem of acquiring adequate nursing resources.

(e) The establishment of the geriatric technician as a new category of health worker may have the potential to increase the retention of experienced workers in long-term health care by creating health career opportunities and upward mobility for certified nurse assistants.

(f) The use of geriatric technicians is not intended to displace licensed nurses, but rather to augment the level of available trained staff to optimize the quality of long-term health care.

history: (History: Added by renumbering Section 429.82 (as added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 324) by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1023, Sec. 138. Effective September 29, 1996.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text: The department may extend the geriatric technician pilot project, known as the Health Manpower Pilot Project No. 152, for a minimum of four additional years, pursuant to reapplication by the sponsoring agency. The project shall continue to meet the applicable requirements established by the department. The number of sponsors authorized to participate in the pilot project may be expanded to a maximum of five.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 142. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text:
(a) The department shall issue followup reports on geriatric technician pilot projects approved by the department following 24 months of implementation of the employment utilization phase of each project. The reports shall contain all of the following information:

(1) A description of the persons trained, including, but not limited to, the following:

(A) The total number of persons who entered training.

(B) The total number of persons who completed training.

(C) The selection method, including descriptions of any nonquantitative criteria used by employers to refer persons to training.

(D) The education and experience of the trainees prior to training.

(E) Demographic characteristics of the trainees, as available.

(2) An analysis of the training completed, including, but not limited to, the following:

(A) Curriculum and core competencies.

(B) Qualifications of the instructor.

(C) Changes in the curriculum during the pilot project or recommended for the future.

(D) The nature of clinical and didactic training, including the ratio of students to instructors.

(3) A summary of the specific services provided by geriatric technicians.

(4) The new health skills taught or the extent to which existing skills have been reallocated.

(5) Implications of the project for existing licensure laws with suggestions for changes in the law where appropriate.

(6) Implications of the project for health services curricula and for health care delivery systems.

(7) Teaching methods used in the project.

(8) The quality of care, including pertinent medication errors, incident reports, and patient acceptance in the project.

(9) The extent to which persons with new skills could find employment in the health care system, assuming laws were changed to incorporate their skills.

(10) The cost of care provided in the project, the likely cost of this care if performed by the trainees subsequent to the project, and the cost for provision of this care by current providers thereof.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, issuance of the reports described in subdivision (a) shall not require that the department terminate the geriatric technician pilot projects authorized by the department.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 143. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

article: 1. Health Workforce Pilot Projects


text:
(a) This article shall be known and may be cited as the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act.

(b) (1) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that physicians engaged in family medicine are in very short supply in California. The current emphasis placed on specialization in medical education has resulted in a shortage of physicians trained to provide comprehensive primary health care to families. The Legislature hereby declares that it regards the furtherance of a greater supply of competent family physicians to be a public purpose of great importance and further declares the establishment of the program pursuant to this article to be a desirable, necessary, and economical method of increasing the number of family physicians to provide needed medical services to the people of California. The Legislature further declares that it is to the benefit of the state to assist in increasing the number of competent family physicians graduated by colleges and universities of this state to provide primary health care services to families within the state.

(2) The Legislature finds that the shortage of family physicians can be improved by the placing of a higher priority by public and private medical schools, hospitals, and other health care delivery systems in this state, on the recruitment and improved training of medical students and residents to meet the need for family physicians. To help accomplish this goal, each medical school in California is encouraged to organize a strong family medicine program or department. It is the intent of the Legislature that the programs or departments be headed by a physician who possesses specialty certification in the field of family medicine, and has broad clinical experience in the field of family medicine.

(3) The Legislature further finds that encouraging the training of primary care physician’s assistants and primary care nurse practitioners will assist in making primary health care services more accessible to the citizenry, and will, in conjunction with the training of family physicians, lead to an improved health care delivery system in California.

(4) Community hospitals in general and rural community hospitals in particular, as well as other health care delivery systems, are encouraged to develop family medicine residencies in affiliation or association with accredited medical schools, to help meet the need for family physicians in geographical areas of the state with recognized family primary health care needs. Utilization of expanded resources beyond university-based teaching hospitals should be emphasized, including facilities in rural areas wherever possible.

(5) The Legislature also finds and declares that nurses are in very short supply in California. The Legislature hereby declares that it regards the furtherance of a greater supply of nurses to be a public purpose of great importance and further declares the expansion of the program pursuant to this article to include nurses to be a desirable, necessary, and economical method of increasing the number of nurses to provide needed nursing services to the people of California.

(6) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide for a program designed primarily to increase the number of students and residents receiving quality education and training in the primary care specialties of family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics and as primary care physician’s assistants, primary care nurse practitioners, and registered nurses and to maximize the delivery of primary care family physician services to specific areas of California where there is a recognized unmet priority need. This program is intended to be implemented through contracts with accredited medical schools, teaching health centers, programs that train primary care physician’s assistants, programs that train primary care nurse practitioners, programs that train registered nurses, hospitals, and other health care delivery systems based on per-student or per-resident capitation formulas. It is further intended by the Legislature that the programs will be professionally and administratively accountable so that the maximum cost-effectiveness will be achieved in meeting the professional training standards and criteria set forth in this article and Article 2 (commencing with Section 128250).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 31, Sec. 16. (SB 857) Effective June 20, 2014.)

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 4. Health Care Workforce Training Programs > 1. Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act


text:
As used in this article, and Article 2 (commencing with Section 128250), the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Family physician” means a primary care physician and surgeon who is prepared to and renders continued comprehensive and preventative health care services to individuals and families and who has received specialized training in an approved family medicine residency for three years after graduation from an accredited medical school.

(b) “Primary care physician” means a physician who is prepared to and renders continued comprehensive and preventative health care services, and has received specialized training in the areas of internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, or pediatrics.

(c) “Council” means the California Health Workforce Education and Training Council.

(d) “Graduate medical education” means residency programs for education or training in one or more specialties or subspecialties following graduation from medical school.

(e) “Health professions education and training” means any formal organized education or training undertaken for the purpose of gaining knowledge and skills necessary to practice a specific health profession or to provide a role in a health care setting. Health professions education and training includes any type of health professions training program, including shadowing programs, participating in rotations, affiliation agreements, and accredited or accreditation-eligible programs, at any educational level, including certificate, undergraduate, graduate, professional, or postgraduate, and in any clinical discipline, excluding graduate medical education.

(f) “Programs that train postgraduate primary care physician’s assistants” means a program that provides postgraduate fellowships for clinical training in primary care. Programs shall be affiliated with a community-based ambulatory patient care center within underserved communities.

(g) “Programs that train primary care physician’s assistants” means a program that has been approved for the training of primary care physician assistants pursuant to Section 3513 of the Business and Professions Code.

(h) “Programs that train postgraduate primary care nurse practitioners” means a program that provides postgraduate fellowships for clinical training in primary care. Programs shall be affiliated with a community-based ambulatory patient care center within underserved communities.

(i) “Programs that train primary care nurse practitioners” means a program that is operated by a California school of medicine or nursing, or that is authorized by the Regents of the University of California or by the Trustees of the California State University, or that is approved by the Board of Registered Nursing.

(j) “Programs that train registered nurses” means a program that is operated by a California school of nursing and approved by the Board of Registered Nursing, or that is authorized by the Regents of the University of California, the Trustees of the California State University, or the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and that is approved by the Board of Registered Nursing.

(k) “Programs that train midwives” means programs that train certified nurse-midwives and programs that train licensed midwives, as those terms are defined in Section 128297.

(l) “Teaching health center” means a community-based ambulatory patient care center that operates a primary care residency program. Community-based ambulatory patient care settings include, but are not limited to, federally qualified health centers, community mental health centers, rural health clinics, health centers operated by the Indian Health Service, an Indian tribe or tribal organization, or an urban Indian organization, and entities receiving funds under Title X of the federal Public Health Service Act (Public Law 91-572).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 738, Sec. 7. (AB 204) Effective September 29, 2022.)

chapter: 4. Health Care Workforce Training Programs

article: 1. Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act


text: There is hereby created a state medical contract program with accredited medical schools, hospitals and other health care delivery systems, teaching health centers, programs that train postgraduate primary care physician’s assistants, programs that train primary care physician’s assistants, programs that train postgraduate primary care nurse practitioners, programs that train primary care nurse practitioners, programs that train registered nurses, and programs that train midwives to increase the number of students and residents receiving quality education and training in the primary care specialties of family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, midwifery, and pediatrics, or in nursing and to maximize the delivery of primary care and family physician services to specific areas of California where there is a recognized unmet priority need for those services.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 738, Sec. 8. (AB 204) Effective September 29, 2022.)


text:
When funding primary care and family medicine programs or departments, primary care and family medicine residencies, and programs for the training of postgraduate primary care physician’s assistants, primary care physician assistants, postgraduate primary care nurse practitioners, primary care nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, licensed midwives, or registered nurses, the department shall give priority to programs that have demonstrated success in the following areas:

(a) Graduating individuals who practice in medically underserved areas.

(b) Enrolling members of underrepresented groups in medicine to the program.

(c) Locating the program’s main training site in a medically underserved area.

(d) Operating a main training site at which the majority of the patients are Medi-Cal recipients.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 738, Sec. 9. (AB 204) Effective September 29, 2022.)


text:
Pursuant to this article and Article 2 (commencing with Section 128250), the Director of the Department of Health Care Access and Information shall do all of the following:

(a) Develop application and contract criteria based on health care workforce needs and priorities.

(b) Determine whether primary care and family medicine, postgraduate primary care physician’s assistant training proposals, primary care physician’s assistant training program proposals, postgraduate primary care nurse practitioner training program proposals, primary care nurse practitioner training program proposals, registered nurse training program proposals, and proposals from programs that train midwives submitted to the department for participation in the state medical contract program established by this article and Article 2 (commencing with Section 128250) meet established standards.

(c) Select and contract on behalf of the state with accredited medical schools, teaching health centers, hospitals and other health care delivery systems, programs that train postgraduate primary care physician’s assistants, programs that train primary care physician’s assistants, programs that train postgraduate primary care nurse practitioners, programs that train primary care nurse practitioners, and programs that train midwives for the purpose of training undergraduate medical students and residents in the specialties of internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and family medicine. Contracts shall be awarded to those institutions that best demonstrate the ability to provide quality education and training and to retain students and residents in specific areas of California where there is a recognized unmet priority need for primary care family physicians. Contracts shall be in conformity with the contract criteria developed by the Department of Health Care Access and Information.

(d) Select and contract on behalf of the state with programs that train registered nurses. Contracts shall be awarded to those institutions that best demonstrate the ability to provide quality education and training and to retain students and residents in specific areas of California where there is a recognized unmet priority need for registered nurses. Contracts shall be in conformity with the contract criteria developed by the Department of Health Care Access and Information.

(e) Terminate, upon 30 days’ written notice, the contract of any institution whose program does not meet the standards established or that otherwise does not maintain proper compliance with this part, except as otherwise provided in contracts entered into by the director pursuant to this article and Article 2 (commencing with Section 128250).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 738, Sec. 10. (AB 204) Effective September 29, 2022.)


text:
(a) The terms used in this article have the same meaning as in Section 128205.

(b) There is hereby created a California Health Workforce Education and Training Council that shall be responsible for helping coordinate California’s health workforce education and training to develop a health workforce that meets California’s health care needs. The council shall be composed of 18 members who, together, represent various graduate medical education and training programs, health professions, including, but not limited to, specialties for primary care and behavioral health, and consumer representatives who shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authorities, as follows:

(1) Six members appointed by the Governor.

(2) One member who shall be the Director of the State Department of Health Care Services, or the director’s designee.

(3) One member who shall be the Director of the Department of Health Care Access and Information, or the director’s designee.

(4) One member who shall be the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, or the secretary’s designee.

(5) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.

(6) Three members appointed by the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Rules.

(7) One member who shall be the President of the University of California, or the president’s designee.

(8) One member who shall be the Chancellor of the California State University, or the chancellor’s designee.

(9) One member who shall be the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, or the chancellor’s designee.

(c) Members of the council appointed under paragraphs (1), (5), and (6) of subdivision (a) shall be appointed for a term of four years, except that the term of office of the initial members appointed under paragraph (1) shall expire at the end of two years.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 47, Sec. 33. (SB 184) Effective June 30, 2022.)

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 4. Health Care Workforce Training Programs > 2. California Health Workforce Education and Training Council


text: The members of the council, other than state employees, shall receive compensation of twenty-five dollars ($25) for each day’s attendance at a council meeting, in addition to actual and necessary travel expenses incurred in the course of attendance at a council meeting.

article: 2. California Health Workforce Education and Training Council


text:
(a) The council shall have the powers and authority necessary to carry out the duties imposed upon it by this chapter, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Develop graduate medical education and workforce training and development priorities for the state.

(2) Discuss and make recommendations to the Department of Health Care Access and Information regarding the use of health care education and training funds appropriated by the Legislature for programs administered by the department under this part.

(3) Develop standards and guidelines for residency and health professions education and training programs funded under this part.

(4) Review outcomes data from funded programs, as provided to the council by the department, to reprioritize and reassess the graduate medical education and health professions education and training needs of California’s communities.

(5) Explore options for developing a broad graduate medical education and health professions education and training funding strategy.

(6) Advocate for additional funds and additional sources of funds to stimulate expansion of graduate medical education and health professions education and training in California.

(7) Provide technical assistance and support for establishing new graduate medical education and health professions education and training programs in California.

(8) Review and recommend health professions career pathways or ladders.

(b) The council shall carry out the duties imposed upon it by this chapter with primary consideration given to increasing workforce diversity and furthering improved access, quality, and equity of health care for underserved, underrepresented, and Medi-Cal populations. Further, the council shall carry out the duties imposed upon it by this chapter with a primary focus on primary care, behavioral health, oral health, and allied health.


text: This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the Midwifery Workforce Training Act.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 449, Sec. 5. (SB 65) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 4. Midwifery Workforce Training Act

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 4. Health Care Workforce Training Programs > 4. Midwifery Workforce Training Act


text: The Legislature finds and declares that maternity care providers are in short supply and maldistributed around the state, resulting in what the March of Dimes defines as “maternity care deserts” and “limited-access maternity care areas.” Many major counties are on track to have a critical shortage of maternity care providers by 2025. Maternity care is often the very first primary health care interaction, and the most common primary care interaction over the life of a woman and birthing person’s reproductive lifespan. Black and Native American individuals and other people of color in particular have significant difficulty in accessing maternity care and family planning services. Black women die from pregnancy-related causes at a rate of three to four times that of White women. Black infants are more than twice as likely to die in their first year as White infants. Access to quality care and resultant outcomes are intricately linked. Racial disparities in outcomes, especially, are connected in part to quality of and ability to access maternity care, especially by care providers whose care models elevate patient-centered, holistic, and culturally sensitive care. This kind of care is the hallmark of the midwifery model.

article: 4. Midwifery Workforce Training Act


text:
For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Certified nurse-midwife” means an advanced practice nurse with training in midwifery, as specified in, and a certificate issued pursuant to, Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 2746) of Chapter 6 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(b) “Licensed midwife” means an individual who has been issued a license to practice midwifery pursuant to Article 24 (commencing with Section 2505) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(c) “Office” means the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD).

(d) “Programs that train certified nurse-midwives” means a nurse-midwifery education program that is operated by a California school of nursing and approved by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, or that is authorized by the Regents of the University of California or by the Trustees of the California State University, or that is approved by the Board of Registered Nursing.

(e) “Programs that train licensed midwives” means a midwifery education program operated by a California school of midwifery, and accredited by the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC), or approved by the Bureau for Private and Postsecondary Education, or approved by the state licensing and regulatory board for licensed midwives.

article: 4. Midwifery Workforce Training Act


text:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide for a program designed primarily to increase the number of students receiving quality education and training as a certified nurse-midwife or a licensed midwife in accordance with the global standards for midwifery education and the international definition of “midwife” as established by the International Confederation of Midwives, in order to maximize the delivery of reproductive services to specific areas of California where there is a recognized unmet priority need.

(b) (1) The office shall establish a program to contract with programs that train certified nurse-midwives and programs that train licensed midwives in accordance with the global standards for midwifery education and the international definition of “midwife” as established by the International Confederation of Midwives in order to increase the number of students receiving quality education and training as a certified nurse-midwife or as a licensed midwife.

(2) The office shall only contract with programs that train certified nurse-midwives and programs that train licensed midwives that, at minimum, include, or that intend to create, a component of training designed for medically underserved multicultural communities, lower socioeconomic neighborhoods, or rural communities, and that are organized to prepare program graduates for service in those neighborhoods and communities, or that seek to recruit and retain racially and ethnically diverse students, underrepresented groups, or people from underserved or historically marginalized communities.

(3) The office may adopt standards and regulations necessary to carry out this article. In adopting eligibility standards for programs that train certified nurse-midwives and that train licensed midwives in accordance with the standards set forth in subdivisions (a) and (b), the office may accept those educational standards and competencies established by the respective state licensing and regulatory bodies for certified nurse-midwives and for licensed midwives. The office shall take care not to implement education or competency standards beyond what is required for the training programs by their respective state licensing and regulatory bodies that could inadvertently create an unnecessary barrier for training programs to obtain funding for the training of midwives in California.

(4) The office shall develop alternative strategies to provide long-term stability for, or expansion of, this act, such as through funding provided by private foundations and administered by the office for the purposes of carrying out this article.

(5) Nothing in this article prevents the office from developing a protocol to contract with potential programs that train nurse-midwives or that train licensed midwives, in order to support the initial startup of new training programs, as long as the eligibility requirements of this article are met or can be met through the award of funds.

(6) The office may pay contracted programs that train certified nurse-midwives and programs that train licensed midwives in an amount calculated based on a single per-student capitation formula, or through another method, in order to cover the costs of innovative special projects or programs.

(7) Funds appropriated to the office for purposes of this article and awarded by the office to eligible programs that train certified nurse-midwives or programs that train licensed midwives may be used by the training program to develop new initiatives, projects, or curriculum, or to expand existing initiatives, projects, or curriculum. Awarded funds may also be used for general support and sustainability of the overall training program, or to sustain specific components of the training program, including, but not limited to, tuition assistance for students, or support for preceptor recruitment, or to sustain preceptor training sites for students.

(c) This section shall be implemented only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes in the annual Budget Act or another act.

article: 4. Midwifery Workforce Training Act


text: This article shall become operative on January 1, 2022.

article: 4. Midwifery Workforce Training Act


text:
(a) Upon appropriation from the Legislature, the Department of Health Care Access and Information shall administer funding for a statewide study on midwifery education. The study shall be conducted by an outside consultant familiar with the health care and midwifery landscapes and workforce in California.

(b) This study shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) An evaluation of status and trends in midwifery education in California and the United States.

(2) Financial sustainability plan, including long-term education program financing, cost of educating midwives in California, and the options for financial stability of midwifery education.

(3) Assess available state and federal funding resources to cover student tuition and fees, and report on average student debt per program upon program completion.

(4) Identify and propose pathways to diversify the midwifery student pipeline.

(5) Assess the opportunities, challenges, and support needs of prospective students, current students, and preceptors.

(6) Identify institutions and programs of study that are equipped to house midwifery education programs, including those outside of schools of nursing.

(7) Identify viable education programs that can serve both rural and urban geographic areas.

(8) Consider education consortium models that pool resources to support student didactic education and allow them to stay in their communities while completing their education.

(9) Identify and propose solutions to address the shortage of clinical preceptors and precepting sites.

(10) Identify sites for interprofessional education between resident obstetricians and midwives.

(11) Consider innovations in education and training that allow nurse-midwives and licensed midwives to train together, with separate exit requirements specific to their path.

(12) Ensure that proposed solutions for midwifery education meet the needs of California birthing families and future midwives.

(13) Current and projected needs for midwifery and reproductive health care professionals.

(14) Assessment of jobs available for new graduates and projected growth.

(c) (1) The department shall submit a report from the study’s findings to the Legislature.

(2) The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(d) The department shall post the report on the department’s internet website, and shall notify all persons in the department’s reproductive health and maternity care electronic mailing list no later than 36 months after the actual appropriation of funds to the department.

(e) For purposes of this section, “reproductive health care professionals” means medical doctors, licensed midwives, certified nurse-midwives, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, physician’s assistants, doulas, licensed vocational nurses, and perinatal community health workers.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 597, Sec. 2. (AB 836) Effective January 1, 2026.)

article: 4. Midwifery Workforce Training Act


text:
As used in this article:

(a) “Board” means the Board of Trustees of the Health Professions Education Foundation.

(b) “Council” means the California Health Workforce Education and Training Council.

(c) “Director” means the Director of the Department of Health Care Access and Information.

(d) “Foundation” means the Health Professions Education Foundation.

(e) “Health professions” or “health professionals” means physicians and surgeons licensed pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code or pursuant to the Osteopathic Act, dentists, registered nurses, and other health professionals determined by the department to be needed in medically underserved areas.

(f) “Department” means the Department of Health Care Access and Information.

(g) “Underrepresented groups” means populations that are underrepresented in medicine, dentistry, nursing, or other health professions as determined by the department. The department, upon a finding that the action is necessary to meet the health care needs of medically underserved areas, may add a group comprising the economically disadvantaged to those groups authorized to receive assistance under this article. The department shall recognize that it is especially important that medical and dental care be provided in a way that is sensitive to the sociocultural variables that affect a person’s health.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 161. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

path: 107. HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND INFORMATION > 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEVELOPMENT > 5. Health Professions Education Programs > 1. Health Professions Education Programs


text: Notwithstanding any other law, on or before October 1, 2021, the nonprofit public benefit corporation known as the Health Professions Education Foundation shall be dissolved. All assets, including records, and any liabilities shall be transferred to the department.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 163. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)

chapter: 5. Health Professions Education Programs

article: 1. Health Professions Education Programs


text: Effective with the dissolution of the Health Professions Education Foundation, any reference to the Health Professions Education Foundation, or the Foundation, in this chapter shall be deemed a reference to the department.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 164. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)


text:
The department 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 students from underrepresented groups. These funds shall be expended by the department after transfer to the Health Professions Education Fund, created pursuant to Section 128355.

(b) Disburse private sector moneys deposited in the Health Professions Education Fund to students from underrepresented groups enrolled in or graduated from schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, or other health professions in the form of loans or scholarships.

(c) 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.

(d) Implement the Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program and the Volunteer Physician Program, as provided under Article 5 (commencing with Section 128550).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 166. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)


text:
The department shall do all of the following:

(a) Provide technical and staff support to the programs in meeting all of its responsibilities.

(b) Provide financial management for the Health Professions Education Fund.

(c) Enter into contractual agreements with students from underrepresented groups for the disbursement of scholarships or loans in return for the commitment of these students to practice their profession in an area in California designated as deficient in primary care services.

(d) Disseminate information regarding the areas in the state that are deficient in primary care services to potential applicants for the scholarships or loans.

(e) Monitor the practice locations of the recipients of the scholarships or loans.

(f) Recover funds, in accordance with the terms of the contractual agreements, from recipients of scholarships or loans who fail to begin or complete their obligated service. Funds so recovered shall be redeposited in the Health Professions Education Fund.

(g) Contract with the institutions that train family practice residents, in order to increase the participation of students from underrepresented groups in entering the specialty of family practice. The director may seek the recommendations of the council as to what programs best demonstrate the ability to meet this objective.

(h) Contract with training institutions that are involved in osteopathic postgraduate training in general or family practice medicine, in order to increase the participation of students from underrepresented groups participating in the practice of osteopathic medicine. The director may seek the recommendations of the council as to what programs have demonstrated the ability to meet this objective.

(i) Enter into contractual agreements with graduated health professionals to repay some or all of the debts they incurred in health professional schools in return for practicing their professions in an area in California designated as deficient in primary care services.

(j) Contract with institutions that award baccalaureate of science degrees in nursing in order to increase the participation of students from underrepresented groups in the nursing profession. The director may seek the recommendations of the council as to what programs have demonstrated the ability to meet this objective.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 167. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)


text: There is hereby created within the department a Health Professions Education Fund. The primary purpose of this fund is to provide scholarships and loans to students from underrepresented groups who are accepted to or enrolled in schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, or other health professions. The fund shall also be used to pay for the cost of administering the program and for any other purpose authorized by this article. The level of expenditure by the department for the administrative support of the program created pursuant to this article shall be subject to review and approval annually through the State Budget process. The department may receive private donations to be deposited into this fund. All money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the department for the purposes of this article. The department shall manage this fund prudently in accordance with other provisions of law.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 168. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)