California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 733

Introduced by Assembly Member Mansoor

February 21, 2013

An act to add Section 78015.5 to the Education Code, relating to community colleges, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 733, as introduced, Mansoor. Community colleges: academic credit for military training and experience.

(1) Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state under the administration of local governing boards, and authorizes them to provide instruction to students at community college campuses.

This bill would authorize community college district governing boards to grant academic credit to students who are honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States, as defined, or who are current members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, for their military training and experience that is determined by the district to meet prescribed guidelines.

(2) This bill would appropriate an unspecified amount from the General Fund to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for allocation to community college districts that grant academic credit to honorably discharged veterans and reservists pursuant to the bill, in augmentation of their regular apportionments. The bill would specify that the amounts of these allocations would reflect an unspecified amount per semester unit approved pursuant to the bill, as specified.

(3) The funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 78015.5 is added to the Education Code,
to read:

78015.5.  

(a) The governing board of a community college
district may grant academic credit to a student who is honorably
discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States, or who is
a current member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of
the United States, for his or her military training and experience
that the community college district determines to meet the
appropriate guidelines of the American Council on Education.

(b) As used in this section, “Armed Forces of the United States”
means the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine
Corps, or Navy, and the reserve components of each of those
forces, including the California National Guard and the Naval
Militia.

SEC. 2.  

The amount of ________ dollars ($_________) is
hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Chancellor of
the California Community Colleges for allocation to community
college districts, in augmentation of their regular apportionments,
that grant academic credit to honorably discharged veterans and
reservists for their military training and experience in the United
States Armed Forces in accordance with Section 78015.5 of the
Education Code. The amounts of the allocations made by this
section reflect an amount of _______ dollars ($______) per
semester unit approved pursuant to Section 78015.5 of the
Education Code. If insufficient moneys are hereby appropriated
for that level of payment per semester unit, the payment per
semester unit shall be reduced so that this appropriation is entirely
allocated to community college districts in proportion to their
awards of credits pursuant to Section 78015.5