BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 1023
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 6, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                     SB 1023 (Liu) - As Amended:  June 19, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                             Human  
          ResourcesVote:  7-0
                       Higher Education                       13-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill authorizes the California Community College (CCC)  
          Chancellor's Office to enter into agreements with up to 10  
          districts to provide additional funding and services, as  
          specified, in support of foster youth at the CCC. Specifically,  
          this bill:

          1)States that the program-the Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth  
            Educational Support Program-must expand the number of foster  
            youth participating in the CCC's Extended Opportunity Programs  
            and Services (EOPS) and not displace other students.

          2)Requires a district's application to the CCC Board of  
            Governors (BOG) to participate in the program to estimate the  
            number of foster youth to be served and requires the board, if  
            more than 10 districts seek to participate, to give priority  
            to those with the higher number of eligible students.

          3)Stipulates that, to be eligible for participation, a student's  
            dependency must have been established or continued on or after  
            the student's 16th birthday and the student must not exceed 25  
            years of age.

          4)Requires the BOG to adopt regulations authorizing students  
            enrolling in at least nine units to participate in the  
            program, and to adopt regulations, in consultation with the  
            Department of Social Services (DSS) program regulations.

          5)Requires the BOG to report on the program to the Legislature,  
            the Governor, and the California Child Welfare Council by  








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            March 31, 2018 and every two years thereafter.

          6)Stipulates that the program is operative only in fiscal years  
            when funding is appropriated for this purpose, and that two  
            percent of funds may be used for program administration and  
            three percent may be used for program development and  
            accountability.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)There are approximately 13,000 self-identified foster youth  
            and former foster youth enrolled in CCC courses statewide. The  
            number of those who would meet the additional requirements to  
            be eligible for services is unknown, but it is likely to be  
            much less than half. The 2014-15 base funding level for EOPS  
            services is $859 per student, and the support envisioned in  
            this bill is more extensive. If roughly 1 in 7 districts  
            participate, as authorized, and serve about 1,000 students at  
            twice the cost of EOP services, the annual cost would be about  
            $1.7 million. (GF, Prop. 98)

          2)The Chancellor's Office would incur initial General Fund costs  
            of around $175,000 for two positions and travel costs to  
            establish program guidelines, receive and review applications,  
            and provide technical assistance. Ongoing costs should be  
            somewhat less.   

           COMMENTS  

           1)Background  . The Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012  
            is intended to increase overall CCC student access and success  
            by providing effective core matriculation services, including  
            orientation, assessment and placement, counseling and other  
            education planning services and academic interventions. EOPS  
            is a supplemental CCC program to increase the enrollment of  
            students who are affected by language, social and economic  
            disadvantages, to improve the delivery of programs and  
            services to the disadvantaged, and to increase the number of  
            students who successfully complete their chosen educational  
            objectives.

            The Chafee Education Training Voucher program (ETV), provides  
            up to $5,000 annually to current and former foster youth to  
            assist in covering educationally related costs.  The ETV is  
            administered by the California Student Aid Commission under a  








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            memorandum of understanding with DSS. The program is funding  
            by state and federal dollars and totaled about $11 million in  
            2013-14, and served approximately 3,350 current and former  
            foster youth out of 17,761 eligible applications at all  
            educational segments in the state.

           2)Purpose  . According to the author, "SB 1023 is needed to  
            provide an additional layer of support that meets the unique  
            needs of foster youth to enable those students to meet the  
            requirements of the Student Success Act.  SB 1023 creates  
            under the umbrella of EOPS an additional component that is  
            similar in concept to existing Cooperative Agencies Resources  
            for Education (CARE) program for single parents receiving  
            public assistance. In addition to establishing support  
            services that are specific to current and former foster youth,  
            SB 1023 authorizes these students to participate with a  
            minimum of 9 units rather than the full load of 12 units, at  
            the discretion of the EOPS director.  This is consistent with  
            existing options related to students participating in Disabled  
            Student Programs and Services, and does not affect a student's  
            eligibility for financial aid."

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081