California Code, Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2873.6

(a) Any person who on the effective date of this section is employed as a medical technical assistant or as a senior medical technical assistant by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, who served on active duty in the medical corps of any of the Armed Forces of the United States or who served in the United States Public Health Service, in which no less than an aggregate of 12 months was spent in rendering patient care, who completed the basic course of instruction in nursing required by the United States Public Health Service, or by a particular branch of the armed forces, and who was honorably discharged therefrom, shall be granted an employment restricted license upon proof that the person possesses the necessary qualifications of this section as set forth in the person's service and discharge records. An employment restricted license issued pursuant to this subdivision shall authorize the holder thereof to practice vocational nursing only within a facility of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and shall be valid only for the period of employment. In order to obtain a nonrestricted license as a vocational nurse, a medical technical assistant shall apply and take the examination as required and normally administered by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California.

(b) On and after the effective date of this section, no person shall be appointed as a medical technical assistant by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation unless the person complies with one of the following:

(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), any person who was granted a restricted vocational nurse's license pursuant to that subdivision and who was employed in the psychiatric unit of the California Medical Facility at the time of the unit's transfer from the Department of Corrections to the State Department of Mental Health on July 1, 1988, shall continue to hold their license.