Community colleges’ hope to offer nursing bachelor’s dashed with Newsom veto
Danielle Dawson
September 28, 2024
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A state bill allowing community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in nursing was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday.
Senate Bill 895, introduced by state Sen. Richard Roth (D-Riverside), sought to expand on a recently implemented law that opened up the door for community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees by adding bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN) degrees to the mix.
The bill was lauded as a potential game-changer for nursing education, making the often-expensive pursuit more accessible to low-income students while addressing a critical shortage of working nurses that has placed significant stress on local hospitals.
While California’s community colleges were behind the bill, the state’s four-year university systems were not, arguing the bill would create competition for teaching resources and impede other efforts already underway to expand access to existing nursing bachelor’s programs.
In his veto letter, Newsom agreed with the California State University and University of California, saying “a pause should be taken” to understand the full impact before giving community colleges the ability to create baccalaureate nursing programs.
