BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 595 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 595 (Gomez) As Amended September 6, 2013 Majority vote ----------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |73-6 |(May 16, 2013) |SENATE: |38-1 |(September 11, | | | | | | |2013) | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: HIGHER ED. 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. Sunsets the aforementioned provision on January 1, 2017. Establishes legislative intent that students who receive priority registration under the provisions of this bill comply with the requirements of the Student Success Act. Provides that the Commission on State Mandates may determine this provision contains reimbursable state mandated costs. The Senate amendments establish a sunset date of January 1, 2017, and establish legislative intent that students who receive priority registration under the provisions of this bill comply with the requirements of the Student Success Act. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs. COMMENTS : 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 education has decreased while enrollments have increased at the three segments (University of California, California State University, and CCC), 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. Existing law grants priority enrollment to current or former member of the Armed Forces and foster youth. In addition, the AB 595 Page 2 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. 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. 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 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." Analysis Prepared by : Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960 FN: 0002744 AB 595 Page 3