Health care: workforce training programs.

Budget Education Healthcare Housing Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Ahrens
Last action: 2026-04-22
Official status: From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 1.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill expresses intent but does not mandate an increase in funding for existing nurse training programs.

Health Care Training Programs

This law establishes a program to provide financial support for new nursing graduates and sets criteria for hospital labor standards when awarding grants.

What This Bill Does

Creates the New Nursing Graduate Support and Placement Program to give grants to community college nursing programs for recent graduates.
Provides financial assistance like loan repayment, relocation, transportation, housing, childcare, and other help to new nursing graduates.
Sets criteria that community colleges and graduates must meet to be eligible for these grants.
Requires the Department of Health Care Access and Information to consider hospital labor standards when giving out grants.

Who It Names or Affects

Community college nursing programs
Recent nursing graduates
Hospitals that hire new nurses

Terms To Know

Labor standards: Rules about working conditions, pay, and benefits for employees.
Grant: Money given by the government to support a specific purpose or project.

Limits and Unknowns

The exact amount of funding is not specified.
Implementation depends on approval from the Legislature.
Details about how hospitals meet labor standards are not provided.

Bill History

2026-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 1.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-04-13 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.
2026-04-09 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2026-04-08 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 7).
2026-03-17 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
2026-03-16 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.
2026-03-16 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and HIGHER ED.
2026-02-21 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2026-02-20 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2391, as amended, Ahrens.
Health care: workforce training programs.
Existing law, the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act, declares the intent of the Legislature to increase the number of students and residents receiving quality education and training in specified primary care specialties and as primary care physician’s assistants, primary care nurse practitioners, and registered nurses.
This bill would require the Department of Health Care Access and Information to maintain a New Nursing Graduate Support and Placement Program to award program grants to community college associate degree of nursing programs, through which support grants would be awarded to recent graduates for loan repayment assistance, relocation, transportation, housing assistance, childcare, and other financial support. The bill would specify grant eligibility criteria for community colleges and recent graduates. The bill would
require the department to consider labor standards of hospital sites that employ support grant applicants when determining grant distribution.
Under the bill, the program would be funded by a redirection of an unspecified amount provided annually
Implementation of these provisions would be contingent
upon appropriation by the Legislature.
This bill would
also
express the intent of the Legislature
that funding for
to support and strengthen existing
programs that train registered
nurses
be increased, beginning in the 2027–28 fiscal year, by an unspecified amount upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would specify that unencumbered funds that were appropriated for
under
the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training
Act in the Budget Act of
2026 may be used for capacity building and equipment in the 2027–28 fiscal year, upon appropriation by the Legislature.
Act.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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