SACRAMENTO – Legislation authored by Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) to help produce the nurses and allied health professionals California needs and help students overcome delays in their training, passed the California State Senate today. The Speaker’s AB 2385 would create a pilot program at up to five community college campuses throughout the state aimed at supporting innovative training programs for nurses and allied healthcare workers, including programs that provide flexibility in the delivery of coursework through intensive weekend, evening and summer courses.

“I’m pleased to be working to help provide the highly-trained healthcare workforce California will need by moving to get rid of the bottleneck in nursing and allied health students training and accelerating the training program for these students,” Pérez said. “The innovative approach in AB 2385 will help fill jobs, help more students realize their dreams, and help our health care system save lives.”

California’s community colleges train 70 percent of nurses statewide but cannot keep up with the growing demand for nurses and allied health professionals. The pilot program would help Californians train to complete some of the most difficult, and expensive, classes offered at community colleges so they can start well-paid jobs in this growing industry.

The bill now goes back to the Assembly for a largely procedural vote of concurrence, then on to the Governor’s desk.

Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker