BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 13 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 16, 2013 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS Al Muratsuchi, Chair AB 13 (Chávez) - As Amended: March 11, 2013 SUBJECT : Nonresident tuition exemption: veterans SUMMARY : This bill enables more veterans to pay resident tuition rates at California colleges. Specifically, this bill : 1)Deletes the requirement that the student have been stationed in California for a year prior to being discharged. 1)Substitutes for that requirement that the student must have been discharged or released from active duty within the immediately prior year. 2)Applies to California Community Colleges (CCC) and California State Universities (CSU). EXISTING LAW : Establishes uniform residency requirements for purposes of ascertaining the amount of fees to be paid by students at CSU and CCC and establishes various exceptions to these residency requirements, including many for current and former members of the Armed Forces (Education Code § 68074 and 68075). The University of California (UC), as a result of its constitutional autonomy, establishes its tuition policies; however, these policies traditionally mirror state policies. Current law establishes the requirements for determining residency for purposes of paying the lower-cost "in-state" student fees at UC, CSU, and CCC. To qualify for the lower resident fees, students are generally required to have resided in California for more than one year immediately preceding the residence determination date and undertake other specified actions such as registering to vote or registering one's car in California. FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown at this time. COMMENTS : The bill makes it easier for those veteran students who wish to AB 13 Page 2 move immediately to California to go to school after leaving the military. The difference between the resident and non-resident tuition rates is significant: Resident Non-resident UC: $12,192 per year $35,070 per year CSU: $5,472 per year $16,612 per year CCC: $46 per unit $208 per unit The Post 9/11 GI Bill will pay only the resident tuition amount. Thus a student who was not stationed in California for the year immediately prior to discharge who wishes to begin school right away must either move here and wait a year to begin school to obtain the non-resident rate or move here and pay the difference between the non-resident rate and the resident rate. It seems unlikely that students will choose the latter. Most GI Bill students enter the California higher education at the community college level. The cost for a non-resident community college student is four and a half times higher than for a resident student. Federal legislation . Federal legislation has been introduced in both the House and the Senate to require institutions that are eligible for Post 9/11 G.I. Bill benefits to charge any veteran the resident tuition rate. Related legislation . AB 368 (Morell) is substantially similar to this bill and a potential conflict exists. SB 290 (Knight), pending in the Senate, is very similar to this bill. AB 2250 (Beth Gaines) of 2012, which died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, was substantially similar to this bill. AB 2478 (Hayashi), Chapter 405, Statutes of 2012, allowed a student veteran to establish residency within two years, rather than one year, of discharge. Several similar bills have been introduced annually since 2006, and all were held in the Appropriations committees. REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION : Support American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AB 13 Page 3 AFL-CIO American Legion-Department of California AMVETS-Department of California California Association of County Veterans Service Officers California Community College, Chancellor's Office California State Commanders Veterans Council Kern Community College District Legion of Valor of the United States of America, Inc. MiraCosta Community College District San Diego Community College District VFW-Department of California Vietnam Veterans of America-California State Council 1 Individual Marine Corps Installations West Opposition None on file. Analysis Prepared by : John Spangler / V. A. / (916) 319-3550