Supported California Legislation

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Group of CNA leaders hold banner "Nurses Heal California" outside state capitol

California Nurses Association is committed to building a broad movement for transformative social change and confronting the powerful interests that dominate our economic and political system. We are proud to support legislation that reflects nurses’ values of caring, compassion, and community. Learn more about all our current supported California legislation.


S.B. 1015 Transparency and Standards in Nursing Education Clinical Placements

Clinical education is an essential part of pre-licensure nursing education programs and helps ensure clinical competency of entry-level RNs. However, a growing number of nursing education programs have had increasing difficulty in accessing clinical education placements for their students at clinical sites. This is sometimes referred to as clinical impaction.

S.B. 1015 would take the first steps to address the issue of nursing education clinical impaction. The bill codifies additional transparency requirements on clinical placements and initiates the process of developing clinical placement standards for California’s nursing education programs.

Read our S.B. 1015 fact sheet


S.B. 1061 Remove Medical Debt From Credit Reports

Nurses have long witnessed patients delay or forgo receiving the care they need because of medical debt. Nearly 4 in 10 Californians (38 percent) report having medical debt. But Californians with medical debt are twice (78 percent) as likely to skip care due to costs than those without medical debt (38 percent). For low-income Californians, more than half report that they postponed health care due to cost concerns.

To ensure that our patients get the care they need, nurses know that California must remove all medical debt from credit reports. S.B. 1061 would end this destructive practice by prohibiting consumer reporting agencies from including medical debt on credit reports.
 

Read our S.B. 1061 fact sheet


A.B. 1001 Hospital Standards for Behavioral Health Emergency Services

A significant portion of patients with behavioral health care needs — including mental health and substance use considerations — enter California hospitals each year. In 2020, patients with behavioral health diagnoses represented one third of all inpatient hospitalizations and one fifth of all emergency department visits.

California must create hospital standards to ensure that hospitals have appropriate staff available and trained to respond to patients who may experience behavioral health emergencies. Additionally, California can create hospital standards to ensure timely treatment, admissions, and transfers of emergency department or observation unit patients with behavioral health needs. The state can also establish a fund to support state or county programs to hire and train psychiatric nurses or other psychiatric health care professionals who can respond to behavioral health emergencies within a hospital. Dedicating appropriately trained and licensed hospital staff to respond to behavioral health emergencies would help address the immediate care needs of hospital patients with behavioral health needs and would help address rising rates of workplace violence in emergency departments.

Read our A.B. 1001 fact sheet


A.B. 2200 California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act (CalCare)

Today’s U.S. health care system is a complex, fragmented multi-payer system that still leaves wide gaps of coverage and poses significant issues of affordability.

The California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act sets in motion a single-payer health care coverage system in California, called CalCare, for all residents, regardless of citizenship status. By streamlining payments and lowering per-capita health care spending, CalCare guarantees quality health care and long-term care without creating barriers to care or out-of-pocket costs.

Read our A.B. 2200 fact sheet


California Sen. Monique Limón in front of podium

CNA applauds introduction of S.B. 1061 removing medical debt from credit reports

The bill, sponsored by CNA, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and a diverse coalition of organizations, would also prevent medical debt collectors from sharing medical debt information with credit reporting agencies.

California Nurses Association
March 11, 2024

Rep. Ash Kalra (AD 25), Sen. Dave Cortese (SD 15) on CNA panel for CalCare

Assemblymember Ash Kalra, California Nurses Association introduce CalCare legislation

AB 2200 would enact a comprehensive framework of governance, benefits, program standards, and health care cost controls for a single-payer health care coverage system in California, guaranteeing comprehensive, high-quality health care for all Californians as a human right.

California Nurses Association
February 7, 2024

CNA logo

California Nurses Association: Gov. Newsom betrays nurses and CalCare movement by signing S.B. 770

Sandy Reding, RN and president of California Nurses Association – the state’s largest union of registered nurses and fiercest advocates for single-payer health care – issued the following statement denouncing the signing of S.B. 770.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United
October 7, 2023

CNA logo

California Nurses Association celebrates new workplace protections from surgical smoke in hospitals signed into law by Gov. Newsom

California Nurses Association celebrates Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of A.B. 1007, a bill that requires the development and adoption of enforceable workplace health and safety protections from surgical smoke in California hospitals, authored by Assemblymember Liz Ortega and sponsored by CNA.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United
October 7, 2023

Group of nurses outside hold signs "Staff up for safe patient care"

California Nurses Association calls on Sacramento to provide RNs equity in workers’ comp, pass A.B. 1156

Nurses across California are applauding the introduction of A.B. 1156. If passed, the presumptive eligibility bill would automatically provide workers’ compensation to nurses and other health care workers for a variety of injuries and illnesses.

California Nurses Association
April 3, 2023

Goup of nurses inside hospital, one holds sign "Staff Up for Safe Care"

California nurses and caregivers applaud new meal and rest break law signed by Governor Newsom

S.B. 1334 guarantees enforceable breaks for public-sector and University of California workers who provide or support direct patient care in a hospital, clinic, or public health setting.

California Nurses Association/Caregivers and Healthcare Employees Union
September 30, 2022

CNA logo

Nurses urge Gov. Newsom to sign bill requiring public sector employers to provide meal and rest breaks to health care workers

S.B. 1334 will ensure that public-sector employees who provide direct patient care or support direct patient care will be covered by Section 512 of the California Labor Code, guaranteeing meal breaks and rest periods for nurses.

California Nurses Association
September 2, 2022

Nurse holds sign "Protect Nurses, Patients, Public Health"

California RNs mark Nurses Week by urging state legislators to pass bills to protect nurses and public health

To mark Nurses Week, registered nurses from across California will pay online visits to state legislators on Tuesday, May 11 and Wednesday, May 12, to advocate in support of bills that advance the work of nurses and protect public health.

California Nurses Association
May 7, 2021

CalCare: California Guaranteed Health Care for All

California nurses say that delaying action on establishing guaranteed health care for the state is a mistake, Californians cannot wait

Lawmakers today are choosing to delay for another year action on AB 1400, the bill known as CalCare that would establish a guaranteed, single-payer health system for all California residents, using the excuse that they need to hash out more details and decide how to finance it.

California Nurses Association
April 21, 2021

Nurses protesting for PPE holding signs "PPE is as essential as I am", "Proper protection for Covid-19 Nurses", "Every Nurse Protected Every Time", "Protect Nurses, Patients, Public Health"

New law requiring hospitals to maintain a three-month supply of PPE takes effect April 1

Nurses welcome the April 1, 2021 implementation of a new law requiring hospitals to create and maintain a three-month stockpile of N95 respirators, gowns, and other personal protective equipment (PPE).

California Nurses Association
March 31, 2021