Government Affairs

January 2025

• GAC held it’s pre-State Council meeting on 7, 2025, 12 people in attendance including the chair
  • The meeting included a robust discussion of the upcoming legislative season with an emphasis on Leg Day 2025 planning.
    • We reviewed the following items below and reported out during State
  • GAC Legislative Updates:
    • California
      • Legislature Changes and Challenges
      • AB 40 going strong!!!
      • Leg Day Agenda shaping up nicely . . . but we need your help!

ENA Public Policy Agenda 2024/25: Injury Prevention

• Support Federal and State Initiatives to Enhance Highway and Auto Safety and Other Injury Prevention Measures
  • e-bike injury prevention opportunity partnering with QSIP
    • data lacking
    • Resolution vs Legislation
    • WHAT IS OUR ASK? Need to define and
  • Meet your new State Legislators:
    • https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
    • Legislators … They are just like us!
  • Washington Updates:
    • Great News! EMSC signed for 5 year extension
    • Other ENA top legislative bills will require reintroduction
  • Save The Dates:
    • Leg Day Priorities Meeting: Feb 4, 6:30-7:30pm (virtual)
    • Bill Read Party: Feb 24, 6:30 – 8:30pm (virtual)
    • Leg Day: March 19, 8:00am – 5:00pm (in person/virtual)
      • Registration Flyer
      • Cocktail Reception – March 19, 7-9pm@ Kimpton, Sacramento
        • Invite your state legislators and/or their leg Aides – formal invite forthcoming

November 2024

GAC pre-State Council and State Council November Meeting Report:
Pre SC Zoom: October 30, 2024, 18:00-18:45
Zoom Members in attendance: Stephanie Jensen (chair), Kara Davis, Debby Rogers, Jillian Walsh
State Council Update: members in attendance in person/zoom @ 50

Pre-zoom Agenda

• Discussed 2025 calendar, including pre-planning for Leg Day. Potential topics/speakers suggested were members from CHA that could review new legislation related to mental health holds (5150/5250) and definitions of gravely disabled and ED impact.
• Reviewed AB 40 “ask”: educate all ED RNs to sign both name/time stamp on ePCR to verify accurate time for TOC when analyzing APOT data
• Reviewed legislative wins
• Planning for National Achievement Award for Gov Affairs application

State Council Report:

• Year in review included:
• CA ENA took positions on 9 of 32 bills tracked.
• 5 of those bills supported by CA ENA were signed by the Governor.
• Jen Denno and Meredith Holder testify in multiple committees for AB 977 & AB 1976
• Jen Denno makes a statement at AB 977 Press Conference along with coalition partners
• CA ENA is interviewed for comments in 2 publications
• AB 40 workgroup collaborates w CHA
• ENA (National) spot-lighted CA ENA achievements in passing key legislation (AB 977 and AB 1976)
• ENA (National) agreed to support Tyler’s Law (HR 6600/S 3519) based on the CA ENA supported “Tyler’s Law” (2022) and subsequent GA Resolution (2022) GA 22-06.

2024 Bills Tracked by CA ENA and Board Approved Positions:

Bill (Author)	Title	CA ENA Position	Status
AB 977 (Rodriguez – D)	ED: Assault & Battery	Support	Chaptered
AB 1841 (Weber – D)	Student safety: opioid OD reversal meds; student housing	Support	Chaptered
AB 1915 (Arambula – D)	Pupil health: drug education opioid OD training	Support	Dead – 1st house
AB 1976 (Haney – D)	OSHA: First aid materials: opioid antagonists	Sponsor / Support	Chaptered
AB 2429 (Alvarez – D)	Pupil instruction: health education: fentanyl	Support	Chaptered
AB 2960 (Lee – D)	STD testing: acute care facilities	Oppose	Dead – 1st house
AB 3127 (McKinnor – D)	Reporting of crimes: mandated report	Oppose	Dead – 2nd house
AB 3271 (Patterson, Joe – R)	Pupil health: opioid antagonist	Support	Dead – 1st house
SB 963 (Ashby – D)	Hospitals: self ID procedures: human trafficking or domestic violence	Support	Chaptered

March 2024

We had 48 registered attendees (in person and virtual) and documented 19 meetings and drop by visits with CA State Assembly members and Senators. This increase in visits represents a significant increase in year over year percentages of CA ENA members meeting with legislators (@ 300% increase).
Attendees included in person and virtual State Council participants. A review of Leg day was given and opened up discussion for roundtable.

Discussed adding AB 2225 (Rodriguez) as language was changed to incorporate MICN into the definition. Open discussion garnered support for this bill and will be forwarded to the Board for their review and position recommendations.

Washington Updates were provided and notified members of forthcoming ENA Press Conference to be live streamed on ENA Facebook home page on March 22 @ 9:00PST.

All Leg Day PowerPoints and materials will be redistributed to attendees and committee members.

Learn More

January 2024

Primary focus of the pre-SC zoom meeting (1/3/24) and State Council (1/12/24) meeting included discussion on the implementation of our strategic goals and Legislative Day planning.

We had 5 members attend the zoom meeting and was facilitated by GAC Chair, Stephanie Jensen. The State Council meeting attendance included all in-person and virtual members attending that day.

Call for GAC Co-Chair.

LEG DAY:

• Call for speakers include: Legislative members of interest like F. Rodriguez and S. Eggman, representatives from collaborative partners like CHA and CalACEP,
• Topics suggested: Workplace Violence (AB977), Behavioral health bills, (SB 43 and how Eds are addressing new 5150 laws)
• Discussed mentorship for first-time attendees. Seeking GAC member to delegate mentorship assignments.
• Bill Tracking key words

Board-approved GAC Strategic Goals:

1. Improve Leg Day attendance (in person and virtually) by 10% year over year.
a. Establish early registration by January annually with social media and Chapter Representatives promotion of the event
b. Advertise the LEG DAY education component (free CEUs for members) with earlier marketing (November Education event) and (January) registration links
c. Continued/frequent marketing for Leg Day during 1st quarter annually

2. Engage members with legislator contacts increased by 20%.
a. Early Leg Day Registration and tutorials for contacting legislators
b. Identify barriers to contacting legislators with Leg Day attendees and GAC survey (Q3- 2023)

November 2023

GAC met via zoom on Oct 26, 2023 @ 6:30pm, meeting conducted by Stephanie Jensen, with 5 committee members attending. Reviewed GAC strategic goals for 2023-24 and discussed upcoming Legislative session and barriers to address without the benefit of a contracted lobbyist. Connie Delgado ended her 2023 contract. Discussion revolved around collaborative initiatives that could facilitate
CA ENA positions and maximize resources moving forward.

November 3, 2023 State Council Meeting

Attended by ENA members at State Council, both in-person and virtual attendees. Provided summary of GAC successes and bill data break down. Provided blueprint for GAC recruitment and membership engagement. Secured dates for virtual GAC CEU opportunities. Confirmed February 7, 2024 for
Inland Empire, Orange Coast, San Diego and Channel Island Chapters combined zoom presentation. Working to secure dates for combined Northern CA chapters for similar education opportunity early 2024 to advertise Leg Day and DOTH events for advocacy.

Lisa Chambers discussed pathways for Pediatric Window Fall Prevention initiatives, including potential legislative opportunities. Will work with trauma
centers to gather data to support the project.

August 2023

Primary focus of the pre-SC zoom meeting (8/1/23) and State Council (8/12/23) meeting included discussion on the implementation of our strategic goals.

We had 6 members attend the zoom meeting and was facilitated by GAC Chair, Stephanie Jensen. The State Council meeting attendance included all in-person and virtual members attending that day.

Board-approved GAC Strategic Goals:

1. Improve Leg Day attendance (in person and virtually) by 10% year over year.
a. Establish early registration by January annually with social media and Chapter Representatives promotion of the event
b. Advertise the LEG DAY education component (free CEUs for members) with earlier marketing (November Education event) and (January) registration links
c. Continued/frequent marketing for Leg Day during 1st quarter annually

2. Engage members with legislator contacts increased by 20%.
a. Early Leg Day Registration and tutorials for contacting legislators
b. Identify barriers to contacting legislators with Leg Day attendees and GAC survey (Q3- 2023)

Barriers identified are lack of understanding of the political process, funding, and time.

Will offer Chapter meeting “mini Leg Day” events that include free CEU opportunity; market to nursing school students to educate; and engage at the local level membership to discuss benefits of Grassroots and Grasstops representation to promote our profession, and improve patient outcomes.

February, 2023

We conducted our LEG DAY BILL READ PARTY, reviewing the pdf list provided. We had discussion among the attendees to identify bills that fall into the ENA policy priority lane, but additionally, identified key bills that may potentially evolve into issues that affect ENA members, either positively or negatively. Therefore, several bills were placed on a “watch” list. Topics include: APOT/APOD, workplace violence, injury prevention, many bills covering the opioid/fentanyl crisis.

We had 14 members participate on the Zoom meeting, with Board members Al Duke, President and Debby Rogers, Past President (GAC Board Liaison) in attendance.

The meeting was facilitated by GAC Chair, Stephanie Jensen.

The link below is for members to look up local state legislative members and are encouraged to arrange meetings during the Leg Day Advocacy event on March 22, 2023 in Sacramento, or virtually, at the earliest opportunity.

Find Address (ca.gov)

May 2022

State Updates: We had a state legislation update from Connie Delgado, ENA lobbyist, and reviewed updates on the Bill Tracker list that were made at 5/18/22 hearings. Discussions centered on two bills in particular: AB 2242 (Santiago) Mental Health Services, to take a position of Oppose Unless Amended AB 1598 (Davies) Controlled Substance Testing, to support. These bills will be taken to the Board for approval of positions and submittal of letters to appropriate legislators. S. 864 (Fentanyl UDS capabilities in hospital settings) has moved to the Assembly. SB 2260 (Emergency response trauma kits) should go for vote in Assembly next week. Federal Updates: Day On The Hill (DOTH) 2022 was a great success this year, with California delegates meeting on Capitol Hill to advocate for: 1. Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act HR 851/S 246, which creates funding for nursing students, facilities and support systems to address nursing shortages. Shortages directly impact the ED and contribute to APOT problems. 2. Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (S. 4182/HR 1195). Senator Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the bill on the Senate floor last week, after holding a press conference with ACEP and ENA representatives during our DOTH activities. Senators Feinstein and Padilla both signed as co-sponsors of this bill. 3. Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act (HR 1324/S 467). Passed the House on a voice vote, looking for a big push to get the Senate to do the same. Reach out to your legislators, state and federal, to make those connections. Don’t forget to vote in the CA primary coming up. Elections have consequences. Work continues to refine the proposed Fentanyl UDS Resolution to take to General Assembly.

March 2022

We met in person and virtually for CA ENA Annual Legislative Day, hearing from our lobbyist, Connie Delgado and State Council President, Debby Rogers, educating us on the legislative process and how to talk with those legislators; State lawmakers (Senator Pan, Assembly members Wood and Rodriguez) interacted with our attendees via zoom, to discuss their policy priorities, and fielded questions about CA ENA policy priorities; Dr. Lev and special guest Juli Shamash presented on fentanyl drug testing, in support of SB 864, a bill that passed 11-0 out of Senate Health Committee later that day. Additionally, it was proposed to present a Resolution regarding fentanyl drug screening. Updates will be forthcoming on this item. For those attending in person, we were able to take a tour of the State Capitol, thanks to our tour guides, Debby Rogers and Jen Denno. During State Council the following day, we discussed bills on our “watch” list, and had a group discussion providing updates on APOT, Workplace Violence, and Day On The Hill announcements. It was a fantastic 2-day event, exposing both veteran and novice attendees to the political process and effective ways to advocate for issues that remain a priority for CA ENA.

Next stop: Capitol Hill in May for National ENA advocacy “Day On The Hill”.

January 2022

We had a pre-State Council zoom meeting to discuss format for upcoming Legislative Day 2022, including potential speakers and legislative priorities for CAL ENA 2022. Attending members provided suggestions and concluded that in-person education with a virtual option, followed by virtual meetings with legislators on March 23, 2022 will be the best use of time and resources.

GAC participated in State Council, introducing our newly retained lobbyist, Connie Delgado. Connie gave a brief overview of the Legislative Calendar for 2022, and provided updates on the legislative climate. We continued the meeting by having a robust discussion on AB 1394 regarding CAL ENA opinions and recommendations for the ages of Suicide Screening. We will discuss this bill further with CHA next week and SBAR to the Board. Save The Dates were provided: March 2, 2022 for GAC Bill-reading party, and March 23, 2022 for Leg Day. Legislative priorities were discussed with proposed meetings: joint webinar (Date TBD) with CHA on Fentanyl Testing in the ED to address the Opioid Crisis; introduction meeting with members of California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) to advocate ENA’s position on Workplace Violence. Members offered resources for Human Trafficking education. Website improvements are in process, recommendations made by several GAC members.

Federal bill update:
Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act
H.R. 4861
S. 3006
Creates a grant program to assist EDs to develop protocols for identifying, assessing and treating individuals who are at-risk for suicide.

Currently in Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act of 2020
H.R. 6711
S. 3627

Would require the appointment of an individual to oversee federal acquisition and deliver of critical equipment and supplies (including PPE) related to COVID-19 outbreak. This individual would also be involved in supply chains related to the expanded availability of testing, as well as the production and distribution of a vaccine, when available.
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Armed Services, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

COVID-19 Every Worker Protection Act of 2020
H.R. 6559
S. 3677

Compels OSHA to enact an Emergency Temporary Standard which would be followed by a permanent standard related to infection control for the novel coronavirus. This legislation would ensure employers are held accountable for protecting their workers from coronavirus and other novel pathogens.
Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Federal bills: https://www.congress.gov

State update:
AB329 workplace violence, Rodriguez: Pulled by the author, Senate Public Safety Committee doesn’t see enough data to support and doesn’t want any bills creating more prisoners
AB2053 trauma kits in public buildings, Rodriguez: Failed in appropriations
SB793 Tobacco sales to minors, Hill: Signed into law
AB890 Expand nurse practitioner scope, Wood: Signed into law
State bills: https://legiscan.com

August 2020

Summary of current status in the California legislative process during COVID-19

• There has been a reduction of bill loads due to COVID-19 pandemic
• Lots of high tensions due to pandemic pressures
• Currently doing all processes by phone unless emergent or urgent

Cal ENA Targeted California Legislation
AB 1544 – Community Paramedicine Bill Update, Author: Senator Gibson

• Cal ENA opposes this bill as this bill includes language that will cause Cal ENA to lose its seat
• Author decided not to move the bill in June 2020
• Currently in “Inactive File” on the Senate floor; 3 stops from the Governor’s office
• Connie Delgado, Cal ENA’s lobbyist, and Cal ENA reps met with Senator Gibson on a call to discuss and advocate against the Cal ENA seat removal in July 2020
• Delgado has continued to advocate against the Cal ENA seat removal
• Currently awaiting next steps; Delgado is on an updated floor alert, monitoring, and prepped to respond

AB 329 – Assaults on Emergency Workers, ENA Sponsored Bill

• Currently in Senate Public Safety
• Legislatures in Senate Public Safety have interest in decreasing legislation that contributes to prison population
• Assemblymember Rodriguez asked if AB 329 could be given to another legislator, signifying that the bill was rewritten with language focused on law enforcement only
• Cal ENA approved this move per realistic restrictions posed by the pandemic situation
• Assemblymember Rodriguez voiced to Delgado that he was very sympathetic to the lack of success of the bill

AB 890 – Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice Bill, Author: Assemblymember Wood

• Cal ENA is in support with a coalition of other individuals and organizations
• Delgado testified in support on behalf of Cal ENA
• Some physicians and BRN are opposing citing a variety of issues
• Some NPs are also testifying opposition
• Passed Business and Professions Committee

SB 793 Flavored Tobacco Bill

• Cal ENA is in support
• Delgado testified in support on behalf of Cal ENA
• Flavored tobacco industry testified against
• Next to be heard in the Appropriations Committee

Day Off the Hill

• Federal virtual advocacy day was held for national ENA

ENA Targeted Federal Legislation

HR 4861, SB 3006 Suicide Screening in the ED

• ENA is in support
• Already in place in California
• Potential issues: Slowing of patient throughput in EDs if no local mental health support resources exist for those who screen positive for suicidal tendencies

HR 6711, SB 3627 Medical Supply and Transparency Act (PPE related)

• ENA is in support
• Provide transparency to where medical supplies and PPE are going within the United States from the national level

New Legislation: HR 7255 Healthcare Wellness Act

• Written to provide mental health support to healthcare worker

New Legislation: SB 4399 Healthcare Worker Protection Act

• Written to provide mental health support to healthcare worker

New Legislation: HR 6809 Workplace Protection Act

• If hospitals are receiving federal support, nurses would not be able to be laid off even if the census drops in their elective or specialty area

March 2020
We just finished another great Legislative Day! We had many participants from around the state and were able to visit multiple Legislators and Leg aides to discuss our issues. We had great speakers during our morning education session including representatives from Cal ACEP, CHA, and the Sacramento Mayor Pro Tem. Our leave behind included the bills we are supporting: AB329, Rodriguez (D), AB2053, Rodriguez (D), SB793, Hill (D), AB890, Wood (D). We are excited to announce that we have hired a lobbyist, Connie Delgado who will be helping us increase our presence at the state Capitol and navigate the legislation process on our issues. The Government Affairs Co-Chairs and state Board will work directly with Connie for day-to-day operations and keep members updated when needed to testify or send letters to the Capitol. 10 ENA members will be heading to Washington D.C. in April for the National ENA Day on the Hill.

January 2020
The Government Affairs committee provided an update on AB1544 and AB329. AB521 passed with our support on 2019. We are getting ready for Legislative Day 2020 on March 4! The registration is open and there is a $25 fee that will be returned when the registrant shows up for Leg day (to help offset costs of people not showing up). Hotel rooms will be available at the ENA rate but paid by the registrant. We will have a bill reading party on February 23, 2020 across the state via Skype. For any questions/info contact calenagac@gmail.com