BILL NUMBER: AB 649	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 31, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Harkey
    (   Coauthors:   Assembly Members 
 Achadjian,   Bill Berryhill,   Blumenfield,
  Donnelly,   Grove,   Hagman,  
Jeffries,   Logue,   Portantino,   and
Silva   ) 
   (  Coauthor:   Senator  
Wyland   Coauthors:   Senators  
Harman   and Wyland  )

                        FEBRUARY 16, 2011

   An act to amend Section 66025.8 of the Education Code, relating to
public postsecondary education.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 649, as amended, Harkey. Public postsecondary education:
veteran's enrollment.
   Existing law requires the California State University and each
community college district, and requests the University of
California, with respect to each campus in their respective
jurisdictions that administers a priority enrollment system, to grant
priority for registration for enrollment to any member or former
member of the Armed Forces of the United States for any academic term
attended at one of these institutions within 2 years of leaving
active duty.
   This bill would also grant priority  admission and
 class registration to these members or former members of
the Armed Forces  ,   who are California residents,
 within 5 years of leaving active duty  , as specified 
.
   Because the bill would impose additional duties on the California
Community Colleges in evaluating an individual's eligibility for
priority in enrollment, the bill would impose a state-mandated local
program.
   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 66025.8 of the Education Code is amended to
read:
   66025.8.  (a) The California State University and each community
college district shall, and the University of California is requested
to, with respect to each campus in their respective jurisdictions
that administers a priority enrollment system, grant priority in that
system for  admission and  class registration for
enrollment to any member or former member of the Armed Forces of the
United States  who is a California resident and  who has
received an honorable discharge, a general discharge, or an other
than honorable discharge; and to any member or former member of the
State Military Reserve, for any academic term attended at one of
these institutions within five years of leaving state or federal
active duty. A former member of the Armed Forces of the United States
or the State Military Reserve who received a dishonorable discharge
or a bad conduct discharge is not eligible for priority 
admission and  class registration for enrollment pursuant to
this section.
   (b) (1) For purposes of this section, "Armed Forces of the United
States" means the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps,
National Guard, Naval Militia, Navy, and the reserve components of
each of those forces, including the California National Guard.
   (2) As used in this section, "member or former member of the Armed
Forces of the United States" includes, but is not necessarily
limited to, any student who is called to active military duty
compelling that student to take an academic leave of absence.
  SEC. 2.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.