BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 611 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 4, 2011 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair AB 611 (Gordon) - As Amended: March 22, 2011 Policy Committee: Higher EducationVote:9-0 (Consent) Business and Professions 9-0 (Consent) Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: SUMMARY This bill amends the Private Postsecondary Education Act to prohibit unaccredited institutions from offering doctoral degrees without disclosing to prospective students prior to enrollment that the degree program is unaccredited, whether the degree issued is issued in a field that requires licensure in the state, and any known limitation of the degree. FISCAL EFFECT Minor absorbable enforcement-related costs to the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education within the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA). COMMENTS 1)Purpose . AB 48 (Portantino)/ Chapter 310 of 2009 re-established state regulation of private postsecondary educational institutions in California by a bureau within DCA. Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental peer review process utilized for the purpose of determining academic quality of higher education institutions and programs. Unaccredited degrees can limit a student's career options. For professions like education and health care, where certification or licensure is a pre-requisite for employment, degrees from accredited colleges are required. This bill seeks to increase transparency and student protections by ensuring that students enrolling in unaccredited doctoral programs at private postsecondary institutions are aware of the AB 611 Page 2 limitations imposed by the accreditation status of their degree program. 2)Prior Legislation . AB 1889 (Portantino) of 2010, which included a similar provisions as this bill, was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger due to concerns over unrelated provisions in the bill regarding Bureau employment requirements. Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081