BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1228 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 6, 2015 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Jimmy Gomez, Chair AB 1228 (Gipson) - As Introduced February 27, 2015 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Higher Education |Vote:|12 - 1 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No SUMMARY: This bill expands current provisions, which request the public higher education segments to help accommodate the campus housing needs of current and former foster youth, to also encompass current and former "homeless youth," as defined. Specifically, AB 1228 Page 2 this bill: 1)Requests campuses of the California Community Colleges (CCC), and requires campuses of the California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC), to the extent the UC Regents concur, to give priority for student housing, in addition to current and former foster youth, to current and former homeless youth, with first priority for housing open for uninterrupted year-round occupation and next priority for housing open for occupation most days during the calendar year, and at no added cost during academic or campus breaks.. 2)Requests that campuses of the three higher education segments to develop plans to ensure that that current and former foster and homeless youth can access housing resources as needed during academic and campus breaks. 3)Requests the UC Regents and the CSU Trustees to explore methods of using the admissions-by-exemption category to assist the transition of students who are homeless into four-year public higher education institutions. FISCAL EFFECT: Any costs to campuses of the three segments will be minor and absorbable. COMMENTS: 1)Purpose. According to the author, housing proves to be a regular barrier to homeless youth succeeding in college. The author states, "This bill will help prioritize homeless youth AB 1228 Page 3 for on-campus housing but also make such housing available to them during academic breaks to help prevent other problems from arising in the student's life that distracts them from succeeding in their educational pursuits." 2)Related Legislation. AB 801 (Bloom), pending in this committee, enacts the Success for Homeless Youth in Higher Education Act, which among other things, would extend priority enrollment with respect to the CSU and CCC to current and former homeless youth, as defined. 3)Prior Legislation. AB 1393 (Skinner)/Chapter 391 of 2003 applied the provisions described in #1 of the Summary above to current and former foster youth. Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081