BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2079
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2079 (Torlakson and Davis)
As Amended May 28, 2010
Majority vote
HIGHER EDUCATION 9-0 ARTS., ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS
6-1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Ayes:|Block, Norby, Adams, |Ayes:|Davis, Silva, |
| |Chesbro, Fong, Fuller, | |Blumenfield, |
| |Galgiani, Portantino, | |Charles Calderon, De |
| |Ruskin | |Leon, Monning |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Audra Strickland |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
--------------------------------
|Ayes:|Fuentes, Ammiano, |
| |Bradford, |
| |Charles Calderon, Coto, |
| |Davis, Monning, Ruskin, |
| |Skinner, Solorio, |
| |Torlakson, Torrico |
| | |
|-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Conway, Harkey, Miller, |
| |Nielsen, Norby |
| | |
--------------------------------
SUMMARY : Specifies information that must be provided by
collegiate athletic recruiters and included in scholarship
offers made to California student athletes, beginning July 1,
2011. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires a recruiter representing any intercollegiate athletic
program inside or outside California, within one week of any
direct personal contact, as specified, with a California
student athlete, to provide in writing a disclosure letter of
up to 1,250 words, with specified content regarding:
AB 2079
Page 2
a) The college's most recent cost of attendance expenses;
b) The portion of these expenses prohibited, per NCAA
rules, from inclusion in a full grant-in-aid scholarship;
c) Whether the college provides athletic scholarships for
summer school;
d) The average monthly scholarship payment received by
students living on- and off-campus; and,
e) Information regarding the college's and NCAA's policies
on scholarship renewals, payment of athletically-related
medical expenses, and athletic release for student athletes
wishing to transfer.
2)Requires the recruiter, for a student athlete who has not yet
entered grade 11, to provide the above information by
directing the student to a disclosure letter posted on the
institution's Web site.
3)Requires any scholarship offer made to a student athlete to be
made in writing within one week of a verbal offer, and to
contain specified information.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, University of California (UC) and California State
University (CSU) campuses would incur costs to develop and print
the materials to be provided to each recruit including regular
updates as information changes, developing a mailing list,
record keeping, orienting athletic recruiters to the new
procedures, and assuring compliance with the bill's
requirements. Both segments indicate that funding for athletic
programs comes from a mix of funds, including the General Fund,
and that these programs, like the rest of the universities, have
been experiencing cutbacks.
1)UC costs are estimated at $290,000 ongoing, for a full-time
staff person at campuses engaged in national recruiting and a
half-time person at other campuses. Start-up costs would be
somewhat higher.
2)CSU's ongoing costs, assuming a half-time position per campus
AB 2079
Page 3
for 23 campuses, would be about $575,000, again, with somewhat
higher start-up costs.
3)The above costs do not include potential litigation brought by
individuals challenging UC's and CSU's compliance with the
above requirements.
COMMENTS : The NCAA is a voluntary association of about 1,200
colleges and universities, athletic conferences, and sports
organizations that administer intercollegiate athletics.
Volunteer representatives from these schools and conferences
establish rules that govern the NCAA and programs designed to
further its purposes and goals. Currently, NCAA bylaws impose
a number of restrictions on student athlete financial
assistance. For example, NCAA Division 1 schools:
1)Cannot guarantee scholarships for more than one academic year.
2)Cannot finance student health insurance if the insurance is
provided or offered to the general student body only on an
optional basis.
3)Cannot award financial aid to a student athlete that exceeds
the cost of attendance that normally is incurred by students
enrolled in a comparable program at that institution or that
exceeds the limitations established by Division I, whichever
is less.
4)Must include earnings from the student athlete's employment
during semester or term time to determine whether a full
grant-in-aid is reached and can only allow $2,000 in earnings
over a full grant-in-aid award, as defined.
Analysis Prepared by : Sandra Fried / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0004668