Registered nurse Jamie Simmons speaks with a patient during an appointment at the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center in Massachusetts.(JESSE COSTA FOR NPR)

Earlier this year, Assemblymember Heath Flora (R-Ripon) introduced legislation aimed at widening the opportunities for students training to become nurses via distance learning.

Currently, California requires students enrolled in about 50 distance nursing programs to travel out of state for the required clinical training. AB 1082, introduced in February, aims to suspend that restriction and allow students to receive clinical training at in-state facilities.

The bill would permit accredited programs to sign off on clinical training supervised by a registered licensed nurse in California. Under the bill, clinical sites will not be allowed to prioritize out-of-state programs over in-state programs.

The bill is currently under consideration from the Assembly Appropriations Committee after receiving a unanimous 14-0 vote during the initial hearing on April 1. The bill was placed in the suspense file on April 23 and is awaiting further action.

The Board of Registered Nursing would require a fee of $100 for each student participating in clinical placements in the state. It anticipates receiving about 3,000 such applications each year.

The Board of Registered Nurses opposes the bill, according to a legislative analysis, citing concerns over program oversight and clinical impaction.