Bill Text: CA AB517 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 517

Bill Title: Health Professions Career Opportunity Program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-05-31 - Referred to Com. on HEALTH. [AB517 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB517-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly March 23, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 517

Introduced by Assembly Member Soria

February 07, 2023

An act to amend Section 127885 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 517, as amended, Soria. Health Professions Career Opportunity Program.

Existing law establishes the Department of Health Care Access and Information and requires the department to maintain a Health Professions Career Opportunity Program to, among other things, implement programs at colleges and universities selected by the department and include in those programs 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 bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to this provision.~~
This bill would require the department to provide to the Legislature a spending report of the Health Professions Career Opportunity Program for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 fiscal years.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NOYES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 127885 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

127885.

(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, a 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.

(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.

(c) (1) The department shall provide to the Legislature a spending report of the Health Professions Career Opportunity Program for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 fiscal years.
(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.