BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 447
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 17, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                   AB 447 (Williams) - As Amended:  March 21, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              Higher  
          EducationVote:12-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This bill:

          1)Removes community college district governing boards'  
            discretion whether to allow the nonvoting student  
            representative on these boards to attend closed sessions, thus  
            granting all student board representatives the authority to  
            attend any closed session except those regarding personnel  
            matters, collective bargaining, or litigation and make and  
            second motions. 

          2)Allows nonvoting student board members to cast an advisory  
            vote, to be recorded in the board's meeting minutes.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible state-reimbursable costs for districts to record the  
          advisory votes of student board members and include in meeting  
          minutes.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Background  . Student trustees are elected representatives of  
            the student body and have been members of community college  
            district governing boards since 1977.  Each local board  
            determines the privileges of student trustees. Up to two  
            students are elected for this position and voice the students'  
            concerns at the board meetings.

           2)Purpose  . According to the author, this bill seeks to provide  
            all student trustees of CCC district boards an equal  








                                                                  AB 447
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            opportunity to represent their peers. The author contends that  
            when privileges are afforded to some and not others, the  
            student voice can be diminished.  

           3)Opposition  . The Community College League of California  
            believes that local boards should continue to have their  
            current discretion. The League indicates that the extent to  
            which the student trustee is viewed as an advocate for and  
            representative of the current student body varies from board  
            to board, and depends in part on the attitude of the person  
            holding the position.
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081