BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 595
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 9, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Das Williams, Chair
AB 595 (Gomez) - As Introduced: February 20, 2013
SUBJECT : Community colleges: priority enrollment.
SUMMARY : Requires California Community College (CCC) districts
to grant priority registration to students in the Community
College Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) and to
disabled students, as specified. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires CCC districts to grant priority registration for
enrollment to the following:
a) Students in the Community College Extended Opportunity
Programs and Services (EOPS) and
b) Disabled students within the meaning of the federal
Americans with Disabilities Act.
2)Determines that the Commission on State Mandates may determine
this provision contains reimbursable state mandated costs.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires the California State University, and CCC, and
requests UC, to grant priority registration for enrollment to
a member or former member of the Armed Forces, as defined and
who meets specified requirements, for any academic term within
15 years of leaving state or federal active duty and to
current and former foster youth, provided the campus
administers priority enrollment. (Education Code � 66025.8
and 66025.9)
2)Governs the establishment and operation of CCC EOPS programs.
(EC � 69640 et seq.)
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Background . Priority registration enrollment
decisions are made at the campus level at each segment. This
process allows specified students access to classes ahead of the
general student population. As state support for higher
AB 595
Page 2
education has decreased while enrollments have increased at the
three segments, classes have become increasingly impacted-unable
to accommodate all students who enroll in the course. Thus,
students who have priority registration enrollment status have a
significant advantage over other students, particularly at CCC.
Who currently receives priority enrollment ? Existing law grants
priority enrollment to current or former member of the Armed
Forces and foster youth (see Previous legislation below). In
addition, the public higher education segments have
traditionally provided priority enrollment for students with
disabilities, participants in EOPS, and continuing students
nearing their education goals. While veterans and foster youth
have had statutory priority, the implementing regulations placed
these students in the same tier as EOPS and disabled students
for the purposes of granting priority enrollment.
Change in priority enrollment implementation . As a result of SB
1143 (Liu), Chapter 409, Statutes of 2010, the CCC Chancellor's
Office convened a Student Success Task Force that made 22
recommendations to increase student completion, including better
use of priority enrollment. Regulations adopted to implement
this recommendation. The regulations specify the following
priority enrollment tiers:
Tier 1 Active duty military and veteran students and current
and former foster youth who are new and fully
matriculated or in good standing
Tier 2 New and continuing fully matriculated EOPS and
Disabled Student Program Services (DSPS) students in
good standing
Tier 3 Students in good standing and new, fully matriculated
students
Districts would have the flexibility to set priorities and
categories for other students.
Need for this bill . According to the author, "Until 2013,
participants of EOPS and DSPS, along with veterans and foster
youth, shared priority enrollment in community colleges without
impacting enrollment access for any of these populations through
long standing regulations as these programs were created before
AB 595
Page 3
the term "priority enrollment" had been established in the Ed
code. Existing law now codifies priority enrollment for
veterans and foster youth, but needs to be updated to include
EOPS and DSPS."
Impact . It does not appear that EOPS or disabled students have
been denied priority enrollment for courses as a result of the
statutory priority given to current and former members of the
military and foster youth, especially since these categories of
students often overlap. The impact would likely occur if the
number of statutorily protected students grows to the point they
fill courses before other high priority students have the
opportunity to enroll.
Previous legislation : AB 2133 (Blumenfield), Chapter 400,
Statutes of 2012, extended priority enrollment for current and
former members of the military from four to 15 years. AB 194
(Beall), Chapter, 458, Statutes of 2011, granted priority
enrollment to foster youth. AB 272 (Runner), Chapter 356,
Statutes of 2007, granted priority enrollment to current and
former members of the military, as specified.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Association of Regional Center Agencies
California School Employees Association
Faculty Association of California Community Colleges
National Association of Social Workers-California Chapter
Susan Lala, Disabled Students Programs and Services, Program
Coordinator, Porterville College
Penny Skemp, Child Development Department Chair, MiraCosta
College
12 Individuals, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services and
Disabled Students Programs
and Services, Allan Hancock College
2 Individuals, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services and
Disabled Students Programs
and Services, Cabrillo College
1 Individual, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services
Association, Chaffey College
1 Individual, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services
Association, Reedley College
6 Individuals, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services and
AB 595
Page 4
Disabled Students Programs
and Services, Saddleback College
1 Individual, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services, San
Diego Miramar College
1 Individual, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services,
Southwestern College
4 Individuals
Opposition
Community College League of California
Analysis Prepared by : Sandra Fried / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960