SB 520 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Nurse-midwifery education program.

Summary

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.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Sep 2025

Senate Passage

May 2025

Assembly Passage

Sep 2025

Signed into Law

Oct 2025

Introduced Feb 19, 2025 Signed Oct 11, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/19/25 - Introduced → 03/24/25 - Amended Senate · 7 edits · Mar 24, 2025

MODERATE

SB 520 was transformed from a simple legislative intent statement into a substantive funding and program-creation bill. The amendment adds detailed legislative findings about California's maternity care crisis, creates the California Nurse-Midwifery Education Fund within HCAI with an initial $2 million appropriation for fiscal year 2025-26, and establishes requirements for master's-level nurse-midwifery education programs in CSU or UC. The bill now includes competitive site selection criteria, accreditation requirements, a five-year funding window per program, and anti-supplantation protections.

Scope change

The bill expanded from a non-binding legislative intent declaration into an operative statute that creates a new state fund, appropriates specific funding, and establishes regulatory requirements for nurse-midwifery education programs in the CSU and UC systems. It now has direct budgetary and programmatic effects rather than merely expressing future legislative goals.

SCOPE

Section 1 changed from a simple 'intent of the Legislature' statement to detailed legislative findings and declarations documenting the maternity care access crisis (50+ ward closures since 2013), midwifery outcome data, international comparisons showing California's low midwife-to-physician ratio (1:3.3 vs Netherlands 2.5:1 and Australia 8.8:1), and the fact that only one nurse-midwifery program currently exists at CSU Fullerton.

Coauthors added: Senators Becker, Cervantes, Cortese, Ochoa Bogh, and Valladares; Assembly Members Alanis, Bonta, Carrillo, Davies, Krell, Macedo, Ortega, and Stefani.

FISCAL

New Section 128570 creates the California Nurse-Midwifery Education Fund within HCAI, specifies $2 million from the General Fund for fiscal year 2025-26, and allows the fund to receive donations, contributions, fees, cash advances, and transfers.

New Section 128571(d) limits fund support to annual operating costs for development, operation, and maintenance of education programs through graduation of the first cohort of matriculated students or five years, whichever is shorter.

REQUIREMENT

New Section 128571 requires HCAI to establish competitive application criteria prioritizing areas of demonstrated maternity or midwifery workforce need, ensures a master's degree is the culminating degree option, requires programs to meet state regulatory requirements and be accredited or preaccredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, and notes programs are not required to be located within a school of nursing.

New Section 128572 adds an anti-supplantation provision requiring that all funds (public or private) supplement rather than supplant existing midwifery workforce education funding, including allocations under the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act, and university budget allocations.

TECHNICAL

Fiscal committee review changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now triggers fiscal analysis due to its appropriation language.

Floor votes · Senate May 29, 2025 · Assembly Sep 8, 2025

How they voted

38–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 40

May 29, 2025

D Democratic30

28 Yea 2

93% Yea

R Republican10

10 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Oct 11, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor.

legislature

Sep 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

upper

Sep 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 2994.) Ordered to the Senate.

lower

Aug 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 29).

lower

Jul 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Jun 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

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.

lower

Jun 5, 2025

Committee

Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and HIGHER ED.

lower

May 29, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1327.) Ordered to the Assembly.

upper

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1203.) (May 23).

upper

May 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

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.

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

upper

Mar 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 26, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 19, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 13 co-sponsors