BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 176
Page A
Date of Hearing: April 7, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Jose Medina, Chair
AB 176
(Bonta) - As Amended March 23, 2015
[Note: This bill is double referred to the Assembly Health
Committee and will be heard as it relates to issues under its
jurisdiction.]
SUBJECT: Data collection
SUMMARY: Requires the Board of Governors (BOG) of the
California Community Colleges (CCC), the Trustees of the
California State University (CSU), and the Regents of the
University of California (UC), whenever said entities collect
demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of students
for a report that includes student admission, enrollment,
completion, or graduation rates, to use specified collection and
tabulation categories for Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander groups, as specified. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires that on or after July 1, 2016, whenever the CCC BOG,
the CSU Trustees, or the UC Regents collect demographic data
as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of students for a report
that includes student admission, enrollment, completion, or
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graduation rates, the entity shall use separate collection
categories and tabulations in accordance with the following:
a) No later than 18 months after a decennial United States
Census is released to the public, each entity shall use the
collection and tabulation categories for Asian, Native
Hawaiian, and the Pacific Islander groups as they are
reported by the United States Census Bureau;
b) Until the release of the next decennial United States
Census (following the enactment of this measure), each
entity shall use the collection and tabulation categories
for Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander groups
that the entity used as of January 1, 2015; and,
c) Each entity shall observe current standards regarding
compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act and shall observe criteria for ensuring statistical
significance of data collected and published.
2)Requires that each entity make the demographic data publicly
available, except for personal identifying information, which
shall be deemed confidential, by posting the data on the
applicable entity's Internet Website by July 1, 2016, and
shall update the data annually.
3)Specifies that this measure shall not take away from any other
state agency from posting data collected, as specified, on the
state agency's Internet Website as specified in current law.
4)Stipulates that this measure applies to the UC Regents only if
the UC Regents, by resolution, make it applicable.
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5)Defines "entity" to mean the CCC BOG, the CSU Trustees, and
the UC Regents.
EXISTING LAW: Requires state agencies, boards, and commissions
that directly or by contract collect demographic data as to the
ancestry or ethnic origin of Californians to use separate
collection categories and tabulations for each major Asian and
Pacific Islander group, including, but not limited to, Chinese,
Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Asian Indian, Laotian,
Cambodian, Hawaiian, Guamanian, and Samoan (Government Code
Section 8310.5).
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: Background. According to the California Commission
on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs' Issue Paper on
September 5, 2014, data disaggregation is imperative for
uncovering economic, educational, and social disparities
inherent not only in Asian Pacific Islander (API) American
communities, but in all ethnic populations. The Commission
finds that the need to disaggregate data is often exemplified by
the needs of Southeast Asian American students; often
categorized as "Asian," their "lower academic achievement rates
are overshadowed by the stereotype that all Asian students excel
in academics."
According to information provided by the author's office, many
of the communities within the API population face similar
challenges in California, such as language barriers and
immigration; however, they differ on many issues. This is most
evident with respect to education and public health, where the
outcomes of some of the largest API groups within the API
population raise the average outcome of the greater API
population as a whole. For example, although data related to
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the average API student demonstrates high academic achievements,
disaggregated data sheds light on the harsh reality that
Southeast Asian subgroups suffer from much lower achievement
rates than other API groups.<1> Similarly, data from a 2013
report done by the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice
demonstrates that 14 percent of Asian Americans are uninsured;
disaggregated data demonstrates that Korean, Tongan and Thai
have uninsured rates higher than 22 percent whereas only
eight-10 percent of Japanese and Asian Indian populations are
uninsured.<2>
Purpose of the bill. According to the author's office, "By
relying heavily on aggregate data of the API community, the
state of California fails to recognize that different API ethnic
subpopulations have diverse social and economic conditions."
The author contends that if the needs of each of the API
"subgroups" are not addressed properly, California will run the
risk of lower educational outcomes and greater healthcare costs
for our future generations. Data disaggregation is imperative
for uncovering social, economic and educational disparities
within the greater Asian population.
---------------------------
<1>https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/108561107/capiaaissuepaper201
4.pdf
<2>http
://www.advancingjustice.org/sites/default/files/Communities_of_Co
ntrast_California_2013.pdf
AB 176
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Accurate demographic data is critical in developing effective
policies that respond to the needs of California's residents.
Data by the diverse API ethnic groups should also be publicly
reported so that policymakers, researchers, and community
members can better understand how different communities are
faring. Tasking the CCC BOG, the CSU Trustees, and the UC
Regents to disaggregate the data they collect and report on for
API student groups will help to inform the Legislature as to how
the students are achieving and performing; allowing the
Legislature to determine other steps that may be necessary in
order to ensure all students succeed.
Scope of data collection. As presently drafted, it is unclear
as to if the CSU Trustees and the UC Regents would have to
collect disaggregated API student data for both undergraduate
and graduate students.
To note, the admissions process for graduate and professional
schools is de-centralized; it has an entirely different process
from that of the undergraduate process (which is centralized).
Moving forward, the author may wish to clarify if the intent of
this measure is to collect and report on both undergraduate and
graduate student data, or just undergraduate student data.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
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Support
California Black Health Network
California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American
Affairs
California Immigrant Policy Center
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries
Pasadena Community College District
Young Invincibles
Opposition
None on file.
AB 176
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Analysis Prepared by:Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960