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


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California nurses applaud new law that provides transparency, improves equity in nursing education

California Nurses Association, the largest union of registered nurses in the state, applauds the signing of Senate Bill 1015 by Governor Gavin Newsom. Nurses say the new law is an essential step towards ensuring clinical placement opportunities for California’s future nurses, particularly for students attending public institutions like community colleges and state universities.

California Nurses Association
October 2, 2024

CNA web header

CNA applauds Governor Newsom for signing medical debt bill into law

California Nurses Association applauds Governor Gavin Newsom for signing S.B. 1061, which would prevent medical debt collectors and health care providers from sharing medical debt information with credit reporting agencies. The bill, authored by Senator Monique Limón and sponsored by CNA, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and a diverse coalition of organizations, would also prohibit consumer reporting agencies from including medical debt on credit reports.

California Nurses Association
September 24, 2024

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Nurses applaud governor’s veto of S.B. 1432

Registered nurses and health care workers across California applaud Gov. Gavin Newsom’s veto of S.B. 1432, which would have allowed hospital executives to delay implementation of critical seismic safety standards and risked workers’ and patients’ lives.

California Nurses Association
September 13, 2024

Close-up of a seismograph machine needle tracing seismic waves, indicative of earthquake activity, on graph paper with epicenter rings.

California nurses urge veto on dangerous earthquake safety delay legislation that places health care workers, patients, and communities at risk

Registered nurses and health care workers across California call on Governor Newsom to ensure hospitals remain open and fully functioning in the event of a major earthquake by promptly vetoing SB 1432.

California Nurses Association
September 4, 2024

Nurses in front of California state capitol building holding banners and signs: "Insist on an RN"

Nurses applaud California Senate vote to improve nursing education transparency, equity

CNA applauds the California Senate’s passage of Senate Bill 1015. The bill, authored by Senator Dave Cortese and sponsored by CNA, would ensure clinical placement opportunities for California’s future nurses, particularly for students attending community colleges, state universities, and other public institutions.

California Nurses Association
May 24, 2024

Nurses in front of California state capitol building holding banners and signs: "Insist on an RN"

CNA applauds California Senate passage of S.B. 1061 removing medical debt from credit reports

CNA applauds the California Senate’s passage (31-8) of S.B. 1061, which would prohibit consumer reporting agencies from including medical debt on credit reports.

California Nurses Association
May 22, 2024

Large group of people in park standing and sitting in front of CalCare banner, some holding CalCare signs

Nurses condemn California Assembly committee for failing to pass CalCare

California Nurses Association members condemned the California State Assembly Appropriations Committee for capitulating to corporate health care and failing to pass A.B. 2200,  the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act, also known as CalCare, at a time when public health programs are being drastically cut and a comprehensive, high-quality single payer program would be many Californians’ only lifeline for care.

California Nurses Association
May 16, 2024

Group of nurses marching towards CA Capitol building, holding banner "Patients over Profits"

California nurses to march and rally at state capitol for California Nurses Association lobbying day May 14

Registered nurses from across California will march and rally in Sacramento, Calif., on May 14 ahead of lobby visits with lawmakers at the state capitol to discuss nurses’ priority legislation.

California Nurses Association
May 10, 2024

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