ANA\C The Nursing Voice Summer 2019

anacalifornia.org  .  23 A Day at the Capitol Senator Jerry Hill District 13: San Mateo & Santa Clara University of San Francisco MSN Students: Aubrey Tamez, Hanieh Sapien, Melody Pagan, Jovinna Chalensouk- Khaosaat, Danielle Joseph, Brittany Washington, Meley Abraha Our group wasn’t expecting to meet with Senator Hill. We were scheduled to meet with his staff. It was an unexpected and pleasant surprise to share a half hour long discussion. The Senator was recep- tive and listened to our inquiries. Our group learned the difference between AB & SB bills. Personally, today I learned what it means to ask a question and not receive a direct answer (for instance, certain AB bills hadn’t made their way to Senator Hill’s office yet so they were unable to comment on those). I was not prepared with a follow-up response or question. Now I know what to expect next time. We got Senator Hill’s insight on the AB 890, as far as why it has been so difficult to pass it. It is majorly rejected by the CMA’s opposition and feeling threatened. The Senator and the group all agreed that there is no real threat with giving NPs full authority in their practice as there is a growing shortage of doctors. Senator Hill shared insight into a bill I had not heard of before, SB 425, which extends protection to patients who have been abused by their primary care physician. The bill aims to facilitate the process of report- ing sexual misconduct allegations to the California Medical Board. Senator Hill also shared with us what he and his office are currently working on, and he explained some of the roadblocks they have encountered in getting bills passed. For example, he spoke a bit a bill that he had worked on and was not passed. this bill, SB 799, would have required that in certain circumstances employers such as hospi- tals inform the Board of Registered Nursing when registered nurses are fired, suspended or resign under pressure. The BRN is the only board in California that doesn’t require mandatory reporting. California Nurses Association is not a fan of Jerry Hill’s due to his work on SB 799. The bill has been “killed” a few times, due to California Nurses Association’s strong influence and opposition. He acknowledges though it is tough, he cares about patients and their safety. Overall, today’s meeting was very informative. As future nurses getting ready to enter the workforce, it was a privilege and unique opportunity to personally address a legislator and engage in timely discussions. Senator Hill was very informative about policies that we as nurses should be aware and what current bills are underway and what each bill means to healthcare providers. to the members of ANA\C and then hearing Assemblymember Wood discussed AB 890, we had a scheduled meeting with Assemblymember Evan Low’s office. We met with Robbie (Robert) Sumner, Chief Consultant, for Assemblymember Low. We learned that Assemblymember Low is the Chair for the Assembly Committee on Business and Profes- sions where the amendments were made to AB 890. Robbie was quick to point out that there was a lot of conversation and meet- ings between Low, Wood, and the California Association of Nurse Practitioners (CANP). He also stated that the amendments were good faith efforts, not to penalize current nurse practitioners, but to try to bridge the gap between the clinical/educational re- quirements for physicians and nurse practitioners. We discussed the creation of a new board as NPs are not under CMA or BSN purview. The end result is to get the bill to a point where it will pass in the Assembly and then advance in the Senate, eventually making its way to the Governor’s desk for signature. If future amendments need to be made, they will be addressed. Other bills were discussed during RN Day. Some of the other bills we discussed were Assembly Bill (AB) 329 authored by Assembly- member Freddie Rodriguez, AB 1364 authored by Assemblyman Blanca Rubio, and AB 545 authored by Assemblymember Low. For AB 329, this bill “would make an assault committed on the property of a public or private hospital punishable by impris- onment in a county jail not exceeding one year, by a fine not exceeding $2,000, or by both fine and imprisonment.” In regard to AB 1364, this bill states that if an approved nursing program is seeking exemption status from the board of nursing on controlling partnerships between approved schools, programs, and clinical agencies. Furthermore, when an approved nursing program meets the exemption provision, it is “prohibited from making a payment to any clinical agency or facility in exchange for clinical experience placements for students enrolled in a nurs- ing program offered by or affiliated with the institution or private postsecondary school of nursing.” According to Robbie, “Nursing education is a mess.” Assemblyman Low authored AB 545 which states that The Con- trol, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act of 2016 (AUMA) “authorizes a person who obtains a state license to engage in commercial adult-use cannabis activity pursuant to that license and applicable local ordinances. The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA), among oth- er things, consolidates the licensure and regulation of these activities. MAUCRSA generally divides responsibility for the state licensure and regulation of commercial cannabis activity among the Bureau of Cannabis Control in the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the State Department of Public Health. Furthermore, MAUCRSA establish- es the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel and authorizes any person aggrieved by decisions of a licensing authority to appeal the licensing authority’s written decision to the panel. This bill would require the powers and duties of the bureau and the panel to be subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.’ Advocacy is central to nursing. Our experience at RN Day with Assemblymember Low and Chief Consultant Robbie opened our eyes to the roles of advocacy and how our nurses’ advocacy ef- forts would play a significant part in the delivery of care. Nurses have been voted as the most trusted and honest professional in the United States. The public trusts nurses on bearing the respon- sibility to represent the patients’ voice in the delivery of ethically sound and safe care.