Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
(a) Any community college district, irrespective of whether it participates in the program established by this article, may use any diagnostic assessment tool that is commonly used in registered nursing programs and is approved by the chancellor.
(b) If, after using an approved diagnostic assessment tool, a community college registered nursing program determines that the number of applicants to that program exceeds its capacity, the program is authorized to use additional multicriteria screening measures. This subdivision does not prohibit or prevent a community college registered nursing program from using an approved diagnostic assessment tool before or during a multicriteria screening process.
(c) A community college district may not do either of the following:
(1) Exclude an applicant to a registered nursing program on the basis that the applicant is not a resident of that district or has not completed prerequisite courses in that district.
(2) Implement policies, procedures, and systems, including, but not limited to, priority registration systems, that have the effect of excluding an applicant or student who is not a resident of that district from a registered nursing program of that district.
(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 175, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2009.)