Amended in Assembly April 30, 2015

Amended in Assembly March 26, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 907

Introduced by Assembly Member Burke

February 26, 2015

An act to add Section 52334.7 to the Education Code, relating to career technical begin delete education. end delete begin insert education, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 907, as amended, Burke. Career training: adult students.

Existing law authorizes various career technical education programs, including regional occupational centers and programs, specialized secondary programs, partnership academies, and agricultural career technical education programs.

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The

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begin insert This end insert bill would authorize the Superintendent of Public Instruction to certify, by name, begin delete each end delete begin insert any end insert regional occupational center or program, county office of education, or adult education program, that provides a program of training to prepare adult students for begin insert gainful end insert employment in a recognized occupation, to legally authorize the center, program, or office to provide an educational program beyond secondary education, as specified.

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This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

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Vote:  begin delete majority end delete begin insert ²⁄₃ end insert . Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

SECTION 1.  

begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

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(a)

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begin insert ( end insert begin insert 1) end insert  Career training for adults is an important part of workforce
and economic development in California.

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(b)

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begin insert ( end insert begin insert 2) end insert  Many of California’s neediest adult students require financial
aid to support their career training.

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(c)

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begin insert ( end insert begin insert 3) end insert  Historically, those adult students have had access to federal
financial aid under Title IV of the federal begin delete Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.) end delete begin insert Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070 et seq.) end insert .

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(d)

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begin insert ( end insert begin insert 4) end insert  Recent revisions in federal regulations begin delete governing Title IV
of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C.
Sec. 6301 et seq.) have eliminated the end delete begin insert (Sections 600.6, 600.7, and
600.9 end insert begin insert of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations) to improve
integrity of the programs authorized under Title IV of the federal
Higher Education Act end insert begin insert established new institutional end insert eligibility
begin insert requirement end insert begin insert s end insert for financial aid for adult students in many of
California’s career training programs operated by local educational
begin delete agencies, even though adults in those programs have been
historically eligible end delete begin insert agencies end insert .

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(e)

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begin insert ( end insert begin insert b) end insert  The Legislature begin insert therefore end insert supports begin insert all of the following end insert :

(1) Adult students’ access to career training programs that will
improve or expand their job skills and employability.

(2) Adult students’ access to federal financial aid that may be
used for career training programs and services.

(3) Providers of career training programs for adult students, as
those providers work to satisfy federal requirements necessary to
establish federal financial aid eligibility for those adult students.

SEC. 2.  

Section 52334.7 is added to the Education Code, to
read:

52334.7.  

(a) The Superintendent may certify, by name, any
regional occupational center or program, county office of
education, or adult education program, that provides a program of
training to prepare adult students for gainful employment in a
recognized occupation, to legally authorize the center, program,
or office to provide an educational program beyond secondary
education, including an education program that leads to a degree
or certificate, for purposes of the center, program, or office
participating in any student financial assistance program authorized
by Title IV of the begin insert federal end insert Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended begin insert (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070 et seq.) end insert .

(b) A regional occupational center or program, county office of
education, or adult education program applying for certification
pursuant to subdivision (a) shall comply with both of the following:

(1) Satisfy all applicable eligibility requirements specified in
federal rulemaking pursuant to Sections 600.6, 600.7, and 600.9
of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, other than the
authorization provided for in subdivision (a).

(2) Apply in writing to the Superintendent, as an individual
center, program, or office, to be considered for certification
pursuant to subdivision (a).

(c) Any person may file a complaint under the Uniform
Complaint Procedures, as set forth in Title 5 of the California Code
of Regulations, regarding an alleged violation by a local agency
of federal or state law or regulations governing adult education
programs or regional occupational centers and programs, including
allegations of unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation,
or bullying.

(d) The Superintendent shall adopt regulations that authorize
any person to file a complaint under the Uniform Complaint
Procedures, as set forth in Title 5 of the California Code of
Regulations, regarding an alleged violation by a county office of
education of federal or state law or regulations governing that
county office’s participation in any student financial assistance
program authorized by Title IV of the begin insert federal end insert Higher Education
Act of 1965, as begin delete amended, end delete begin insert amended (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070 et seq.), end insert
including allegations of unlawful discrimination, harassment,
intimidation, or bullying.

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begin insert SEC. 3. end insert   

end insert begin insert

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the
immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within
the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into
immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

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In order for regional occupational centers and programs, county
offices of education, and adult education programs, that provide
a program of training to prepare students for gainful employment
in a recognized occupation, to satisfy federal requirements in order
to participate in federal student aid programs at the earliest
possible time, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.

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