California AB 2391: Health care: workforce training programs.

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 Bill Text - AB-2391 Health care: workforce training programs.

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 |Add To My Favorites |Track Bill | Version: 04/09/26 - Amended Assembly
 03/16/26 - Amended Assembly
 02/20/26 - Introduced

 AB-2391 Health care: workforce training programs.(2025-2026)

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 Date Published: 04/09/2026 09:00 PM

AB2391:v97#DOCUMENTBill Start

 Amended
 IN 
 Assembly
 April 09, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Assembly
 March 16, 2026

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

 Assembly Bill

No. 2391

Introduced by Assembly Member Ahrens

February 20, 2026

An act to amend Section 128200 of, and to add Article 6 (commencing with Section 128075) to Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 107 of, the Health and Safety Code, relating to health care. 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

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.

Digest Key

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

Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Article 6 (commencing with Section 128075) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 107 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:

 Article
 6. New Nursing Graduate Support and Placement Program

128075.

 For purposes of this article:

(a) “Department” means the Department of Health Care Access and Information.

(b) “Program” means the New Nursing Graduate Support and Placement Program established pursuant to Section 128076.

(c) “Program development” includes activities related to collaborations between the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the department.

(d) “Recent graduate” means an individual who is either of the following:

(1) Currently enrolled and in the last semester of a community college associate degree of nursing program.

(2) Graduated from a community college associate degree of nursing program within the past three years.

(e) “Support grant” means a grant that is direct gift aid to recent graduates.

(f) “Underserved area” means an area with high need for registered nurses and may include medically underserved areas as designated by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, rural areas, areas with a high number of Medi-Cal patients, or an underserved area as designated by the department.

128076.

 (a) The department shall maintain a New Nursing Graduate Support and Placement Program for the purposes of providing funding to community college associate degree of nursing programs to do all of the following:

(1) Improve employment outcomes and provide support for recent graduates.

(2) Ensure equitable access to the nursing profession and remove employment barriers for