SB-520 • 2026

Nurse-midwifery education program.

Budget Education Healthcare

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Caballero
Last action: 2025-10-11
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 601, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details on funding amounts or exact requirements for selecting optimal sites.

California Nurse-Midwifery Education Program

This law establishes a fund to support the creation and operation of nurse-midwifery education programs at California universities, ensuring they offer master’s degrees.

What This Bill Does

Creates the California Nurse-Midwifery Education Fund within the Department of Health Care Access and Information for establishing nurse-midwifery education programs in California State University or the University of California.
Requires the department to establish criteria for selecting optimal sites for these programs.
Ensures that a master’s degree is an option for students completing the education programs.
Supports annual operating costs for developing, running, and maintaining the education programs until the first group of students graduates or within 5 years.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Health Care Access and Information
California State University and the University of California
Students in nurse-midwifery education programs

Terms To Know

Nurse-Midwife: A healthcare professional who provides care for women during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum periods.
Master’s Degree: An advanced academic degree that shows a high level of knowledge in a specific field.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact amount of funding.
It is unclear which universities will ultimately receive the funds for these programs.
The detailed requirements and criteria for selecting optimal sites are not fully specified.

Bill History

2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 601, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-16 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 2994.) Ordered to the Senate.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-08-20 California Legislative Information
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-07-09 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-25 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.
2025-06-05 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and HIGHER ED.
2025-05-29 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2025-05-29 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1327.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1203.) (May 23).
2025-05-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-05-12 California Legislative Information
May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-05-02 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 12.
2025-05-01 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 965.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-08 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 30.
2025-04-02 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-02-26 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-02-20 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.
2025-02-19 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 520, Caballero.
Nurse-midwifery education program.
Existing law creates the Vocational Nurse Education Program within the Department of Health Care Access and Information for persons agreeing to serve in an eligible county health facility, state-operated health facility, or a health workforce shortage area, before completing vocational nursing school. Existing law authorizes a person who qualifies for admission to a vocational nursing program to apply for funding under the program, as specified. Existing law establishes the Vocational Nurse Education Fund for the purpose of promoting the education of vocational nurses and related administrative costs.
This bill would create the California Nurse-Midwifery Education Fund within the department for the purpose of establishing California-based, master’s level,
nurse-midwifery education programs within the California State University, the University of California, or both. The bill would require the department to administer the fund, and receive moneys from the General Fund for these purposes upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would require the department to establish a competitive application criteria to ensure the optimal sites selection for the education programs within the California State University system or the University of California, would require the department to ensure that a master’s degree is an option for students as the culminating degree of the education programs receiving funds, and would require the education programs to meet specified requirements. The bill would also require the fund to support the annual operating costs for the development, operation, and maintenance of the education programs through the graduation of the first cohort of matriculated students, or 5 years, whichever is shorter.

Current Bill Text

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