The CSU is pleased to announce that two legislators have agreed to carry the university’s sponsored legislations on the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Assembly Member Pedro Nava from Santa Barbara and Assembly Member Juan Arambula from Fresno are joint authors of the bill. In addition, Assembly Member Cathleen Galgiani from Tracy will be a principal co-author of the bill on the Assembly side of the legislature.

This strong support shows the legislature commitment to help provide resources to bring more nurses into the state to address the critical shortage. By having strong support on both sides of the aisle gives the bill a stronger advantage of making it through the extensive legislative process. In addition to the joint authors and principal co-author, the CSU and its campuses are continuing to work on securing additional co-authors to bring forward the widest support possible when the bill is introduced in a few weeks.

The bill will assist with California’s severe nursing shortage by authorizing the CSU to award the DNP degree to prepare faculty to teach in college and university nursing education programs.

Pedro Nava (D-35th, Santa Barbara) is beginning his third term in the California State Assembly and is an alumnus of CSU San Bernardino. Assembly member Nava has some experience with higher education and health care issues as he served on the Assembly Higher Education Committee during his first term in 2004-06 as well as serving as a civil litigator, primarily representing nurses and health care practitioners.

Juan Arambula (D-31st, Fresno) is also beginning his third term and has some prior higher education experience serving on the Assembly Higher Education Committee last session.

The prinicipal co-author, Cathleen Galgiani (D-17th, Tracy) is beginning her second term and graduated from CSU Sacramento. She currently serves on the Assembly Higher Education Committee and prior turning to the world of politics, Cathleen worked in physical therapy at a few community hospitals in the Stockton area.