BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 595
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 595 (Gomez)
As Amended September 6, 2013
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |73-6 |(May 16, 2013) |SENATE: |38-1 |(September 11, |
| | | | | |2013) |
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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
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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
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