CA Health & Safety Code Section 128401

(a)

The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development shall adopt regulations establishing the statewide Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N.) Scholarship Program.

(b)

Scholarships under the program shall be available only to students in counties determined to have the most need. Need in a county shall be established based on consideration of all the following factors:

(1)

Counties with a registered nurse-to-population ratio equal to or less than 500 registered nurses per 100,000 individuals.

(2)

County unemployment rate.

(3)

County level of poverty.

(c)

A scholarship recipient shall be required to complete, at a minimum, an associate degree in nursing and work in a medically underserved area in California upon obtaining his or her license from the Board of Registered Nursing.

(d)

The Health Professions Education Foundation shall consider the following factors when selecting recipients for the A.D.N. Scholarship Program:

(1)

An applicant’s economic need, as established by the federal poverty index.

(2)

Applicants who demonstrate cultural and linguistic skills and abilities.

(e)

The program shall be funded from the Registered Nurse Education Fund established pursuant to Section 128400 and administered by the Health Professions Education Foundation within the office. The Health Professions Education Foundation shall allocate a portion of the moneys in the fund for the program established pursuant to this section, in addition to moneys otherwise allocated pursuant to this article for scholarships and loans for associate degree nursing students.

(f)

No additional staff or General Fund operating costs shall be expended for the program.

(g)

The Health Professions Education Foundation may accept private or federal funds for purposes of the A.D.N. Scholarship Program.

(h)

The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development shall post A.D.N. Scholarship Program statistics and updates on its Internet Web site.