CA AB174

Appropriates $1,255,000 annually from the General Fund to the Regents of the University of California, beginning in fiscal year 2016-17, to expand the San Joaquin Valley PRIME (Program in Medical Education) program.

Expansion of PRIME will allow admission of up to 12 students per year with up to 48 total student participants in the four-year curriculum annually.

Establishes legislative findings that the San Joaquin Valley faces a significant physician shortage with 31 percent lower access to health care compared to the rest of California, with several regions designated as Medically Underserved Areas.

Identifies PRIME as a key interim resource for training healthcare providers in the San Joaquin Valley while the University of California continues planning toward establishing a medical school at UC Merced.