BILL NUMBER: SB 1117	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Denham

                        JANUARY 4, 2006

   An act relating to postsecondary education.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1117, as introduced, Denham  University of California:
executive compensation.
   The California Constitution establishes the University of
California as a public trust with full powers of organization and
government, as provided, and administered by the Regents of the
University of California. The California Constitution also requires
meetings of the regents to be public, with specified exceptions and
notice requirements. Existing law permits the regents to conduct
closed sessions when they meet to consider or discuss specified
topics, including, but not limited to, matters concerning the
appointment, employment, performance, compensation, or dismissal of
university officers or employees, excluding individual regents other
than the president of the university. Existing law requires action by
the regents on compensation proposals for the consideration of
compensation for the principal officers of the regents and the
officers of the university, as specified, to be only in open session.
Existing law specifies that the compensation for the principal
officers of the regents and the officers of the university includes
salary, benefits, perquisites, specified severance payments,
retirement benefits, or any other form of compensation.
   This bill would express the intent of the legislature to enact
legislation that ensures that the regents immediately discontinue the
practice of holding secret meetings to award salaries and benefits
to University of California management executives and to strongly
urge the regents to annually and fully disclose any and all
compensation that every University of California management executive
receives in a report to the legislature. The bill would further
express the intent of the legislature to propose that the people of
the state amend the California Constitution to eliminate the
independence of the University of California, if the Regents of the
University of California refuse to voluntarily disclose the system of
compensating University of California management executives. The
bill would also make legislative findings and declarations relating
to the compensation of executives of the University of California.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (1) The University of California is an independent state agency,
established as a public trust by Section 9 of Article IX of the
California Constitution.
   (2) Over the last several years, the University of California has
not followed standard state open meeting regulations when approving
salaries and benefits of University of California management
executives.
   (3) Several University of California management executives have
received outrageous salary hikes, sometimes without public notice. In
addition, several University of California management executives
have received secret benefits, including housing, moving, and
transfer allowances well beyond those of other state employees.
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that
ensures that the Regents of the University of California immediately
discontinue the practice of holding secret meetings to award salaries
and benefits to University of California management executives and
to strongly urge the Regents of the University of California to
annually and fully disclose any and all compensation that every
University of California management executive receives in a report to
the Legislature.
   (c) It is further the intent of the Legislature to propose that
the people of the state amend the California Constitution to
eliminate the independence of the University of California, if the
Regents of the University of California refuse to voluntarily
disclose the system of compensating University of California
management executives.