The California Board of Registered Nursing Nursing Practice Committee voted unanimously Oct. 30 to recommend that the board advance its draft 2026 sunset report to the full board with committee-suggested edits, including clarified public-facing language about a proposed stipend program, broader flexibility for completion of the boards intervention program, and recommended statutory language changes addressing discipline for driving-under-the-influence offenses.

Committee members said the edits are intended to make the report clearer for the public and to narrow disciplinary exposure in cases where alleged conduct does not pose a demonstrable risk to patient safety. Executive Officer Loretta Melby told the committee the revised draft will be reposted and that the board must approve the final sunset report before staff submits it to legislative offices in January. "It has to be board approved in order for us to submit it to the legislators in January," Melby said.

What the committee changed and why

- Stipend program: The committee replaced technical language about funding with a concise public-facing sentence drafted by a board member and shown on the meeting slides: "The stipend program will continue only if the BRN has enough funds in its budget to support it." Committee members said the wording clarifies that any stipend program would be contingent on available fund balance rather than an ongoing entitlement.

- Intervention-program completion: The committee broadened recommended language to allow that, when a participants progress is reviewed, completion of the intervention program may still be granted without employment if the participant has mitigating circumstances. The report text was revised to list examples to be considered, including a disability, health condition, retirement or a career path that does not involve direct patient care. Staff and counsel noted that final statutory or bill language would be drafted by legislative counsel if the board pursues legislation.

- Discipline for DUI-related conduct: Committee discussion recommended aligning the boards statutory approach with other healing-arts boards by prioritizing discipline for multiple or serious offenses while reserving discipline for singular, out-of-work DUI incidents unless they are substantially related to practice. Counsel cautioned about phrasing that could be interpreted to weaken established legal standards; the committee agreed to direct the recommended change to legislative staff for precise drafting. Committee materials cite a recommended amendment to Business and Professions Code section 2762 to bring the boards approach closer to the Medical Board of Californias practice of focusing discipline on repeated or practice-related impairment.

Public input

During public comment Malik King, who described having a past DUI and later re-entering nursing practice, praised the committees change to the DUI language. "Thank you guys for making that small change because it does affect a lot of people who may have encountered police and have gotten DUIs, which is not affecting their work," King said.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of prior meeting minutes (motion to accept minutes and permit nonsubstantive corrections): passed unanimously by roll call (recorded as unanimous in committee).

- Recommendation to forward the boards 2026 sunset report to the full board with the committees suggested edits: passed unanimously by roll call (recorded as 3-0 in committee).

Next steps

Staff said it will post a revised draft incorporating the committees track-change edits and asked remaining board members to review the document before the full board meeting reserved Nov. 20 for sunset-report discussion. If the full board approves the report, staff will forward it to legislative offices in January; if not, staff said an additional board meeting would be required in December to meet the legislative timeline.