California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1228

Introduced by Assembly Members Gipson and Atkins

February 27, 2015

An act to amend Sections 66019.3, 76010, 90001.5, and 92660 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1228, as introduced, Gipson. Public postsecondary education: campus housing: priority for homeless youth.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the 3 segments of the public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to provide instruction to students at community college campuses. Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as the other 2 segments of public postsecondary education in this state.

Existing law requests the regents and the trustees to explore methods of using the admissions-by-exemption category to assist the transition of students in foster care into 4-year public institutions of higher education.

This bill would request the regents and the trustees to provide that assistance to students who are homeless youth.

Existing law requests campuses of the California Community Colleges, requires campuses of the California State University, and requires campuses of the University of California, subject to its agreement by resolution, to do all of the following: (1) give priority for housing to current and former foster youth, and (2) as to campuses that maintain student housing facilities open for occupation during school breaks, or on a year-round basis, give first priority to current and former foster youth for residence in the housing facilities that are open for uninterrupted year-round occupation and next give priority to current and former foster youth for housing that is open for occupation during the most days in the calendar year.

This bill would provide priority for campus housing to current and former homeless youth, as defined, that is identical to that priority extended to current and former foster youth under existing law. This bill would request the community colleges, and require the campuses of the California State University, and of the University of California, subject to its agreement by resolution, to (1) provide housing in housing facilities that are open for uninterrupted year-round occupation to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth at no extra cost during academic or campus breaks, and (2) develop a plan to ensure that current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth can access housing resources during and between academic terms, including during academic and campus breaks.

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

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

SECTION 1.  

Section 66019.3 of the Education Code is
amended to read:

66019.3.  

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the
California Community Colleges, the California State University,
and the University of California to disseminate information to
foster care agencies regarding admissions requirements and
financial aid.

(b) The Legislature requests the Regents of the University of
California and the Trustees of the California State University to
explore methods of using the admissions-by-exemption category
to assist the transition of students begin delete in foster care end delete begin insert who are homeless
youth or foster youth end insert into four-year public institutions of higher
education.

SEC. 2.  

Section 76010 of the Education Code is amended to
read:

76010.  

begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert In order to ensure that current and former begin insert homeless
youth and end insert begin insert current and former end insert foster youth who are students at the
campuses of the California Community Colleges have stable
housing, a campus of the California Community Colleges is
requested to give priority for housing to current and former
begin insert homeless youth and end insert begin insert current and former end insert foster youth. In addition,
a campus of the California Community Colleges that maintains
student housing facilities open for occupation during school breaks,
or on a year-round basis, is requested to give first priority to current
and former begin insert homeless youth and end insert begin insert current and former end insert foster youth
for residence in the housing facilities that are open for uninterrupted
year-round occupation begin insert and provide this housing to current and
former homeless youth and end insert begin insert current and former foster youth at no
extra cost during academic or campus breaks end insert , and next give
priority to current and former begin insert homeless youth and end insert begin insert current and
former end insert foster youth for housing that is open for occupation during
the most days in the calendar year.

begin insert

(b) In addition, a campus of the California Community Colleges
is requested to develop a plan to ensure that current and former
homeless youth and current and former foster youth can access
housing resources as needed during and between academic terms,
including during academic and campus breaks.

end insert begin insert

(c) As used in this section, a “homeless youth” means a student
under 25 years of age, who has been verified, in the case of a
former homeless youth at any time during the prior six years, as
a homeless child or youth as defined in subsection (2) of Section
725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)), by at least one of the following:

end insert begin insert

(1) A homeless services provider, as defined in paragraph (3)
of subdivision (d) of Section 103577 of the Health and Safety Code.

end insert begin insert

(2) The director, or his or her designee, of a federal TRIO
program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs program.

end insert begin insert

(3) A financial aid administrator.

end insert

SEC. 3.  

Section 90001.5 of the Education Code is amended to
read:

90001.5.  

begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert In order to ensure that current and former
begin insert homeless youth and end insert begin insert current and former end insert foster youth who are
students at campuses of the California State University have stable
housing, a campus of the California State University that maintains
student housing facilities shall give priority to current and former
begin insert homeless youth and end insert begin insert current and former end insert foster youth. In addition,
a campus of the California State University that maintains student
housing facilities open for occupation during school breaks, or on
a year-round basis, shall first give priority to current begin delete or end delete begin insert and end insert former
begin insert homeless youth and end insert begin insert current and former end insert foster youth for residence
in the housing facilities that are open for uninterrupted year-round
occupation begin insert and provide this housing to current and former
homeless youth and end insert begin insert current and former foster youth at no extra
cost during academic or campus breaks end insert , and next give priority to
current begin delete or end delete begin insert and end insert former begin insert homeless youth and end insert begin insert current and former end insert
foster youth for housing that is open for occupation during the
most days in the calendar year.

begin insert

(b) In addition, a campus of the California State University is
requested to develop a plan to ensure that current and former
homeless youth and current and former foster youth can access
housing resources as needed during and between academic terms,
including during academic and campus breaks.

end insert begin insert

(c) As used in this section, a “homeless youth” means a student
under 25 years of age, who has been verified, in the case of a
former homeless youth at any time during the prior six years, as
a homeless child or youth as defined in subsection (2) of Section
725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)), by at least one of the following:

end insert begin insert

(1) A homeless services provider, as defined in paragraph (3)
of subdivision (d) of Section 103577 of the Health and Safety Code.

end insert begin insert

(2) The director, or his or her designee, of a federal TRIO
program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs program.

end insert begin insert

(3) A financial aid administrator.

end insert

SEC. 4.  

Section 92660 of the Education Code is amended to
read:

92660.  

(a) In order to ensure that current and former begin insert homeless
youth and end insert begin insert current and former end insert foster youth who are students at
campuses of the University of California have stable housing, a
campus of the University of California that maintains student
housing facilities shall give priority to current and former begin insert homeless
youth and end insert begin insert current and former end insert foster youth. In addition, a campus
of the University of California that maintains student housing
facilities open for occupation during school breaks, or on a
year-round basis, shall first give priority to current begin delete or end delete begin insert and end insert former
begin insert homeless youth and end insert begin insert current and former end insert foster youth for residence
in the housing facilities for which they are eligible that are open
for uninterrupted year-round occupation begin insert and provide this housing
to current and former homeless youth and end insert begin insert current and former
foster youth at no extra cost during academic or campus breaks end insert ,
and next give priority to current or former begin insert homeless youth and end insert
begin insert current and former end insert foster youth for residence in the housing
facilities for which they are eligible that are open for occupation
during the most days in the calendar year.

begin insert

(b) In addition, a campus of the University of California is
requested to develop a plan to ensure that current and former
homeless youth and current and former foster youth can access
housing resources as needed during and between academic terms,
including during academic and campus breaks.

end insert begin insert

(c) As used in this section, a “homeless youth” means a student
under 25 years of age, who has been verified, in the case of a
former homeless youth at any time during the prior six years, as
a homeless child or youth as defined in subsection (2) of Section
725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)), by at least one of the following:

end insert begin insert

(1) A homeless services provider, as defined in paragraph (3)
of subdivision (d) of Section 103577 of the Health and Safety Code.

end insert begin insert

(2) The director, or his or her designee, of a federal TRIO
program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs program.

end insert begin insert

(3) A financial aid administrator.

end insert

begin delete (b) end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert d) end insert  This section shall not apply to the University of California
except to the extent that the Regents of the University of California,
by appropriate resolution, make this section applicable.