AB 1366, as amended, Lopez. Public postsecondary education: Dream Resource Centers.
Existing law establishes the segments of the public postsecondary education system in the state, including the University of California administered by the Regents of the University of California, the California State University administered by the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.
Existing law provides that a student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, who has attended high school in California for 3 or more years, who has graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent thereof, who has registered at or attends an accredited institution of higher education in California not earlier than the fall semester or quarter of the 2001-02 academic year, and who, if he or she is an alien without lawful immigration status, has filed an affidavit, as specified, is exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges and the California State University.
This billbegin delete wouldend deletebegin insert would, commencing with the 2017-18 academic year,end insert require the California Community Colleges and the California State University, and would request the University of California, to create Dream Resource Centers onbegin delete each campusend deletebegin insert their campuses, as specified,end insert to assist certain students by streamlining access to all available financial aid and academic opportunities for those students.begin insert
The bill would require each campus of the California Community Colleges and the California State University that is not required to have a Dream Resource Center to ensure that it has a designated staff person who is knowledgeable in available financial aid, services, and academic opportunities for all students meeting specified requirements , including undocumented students.end insert By requiring community colleges to create Dream Resource Centers, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would authorize the trustees, the board of governors, and the regents to seek and accept on behalf of the state any gift, bequest, devise, or donation whenever the gift and the terms and conditions thereof will aid in the creation and operation of Dream Resource Centers for their respective systems.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to increase enrollment and
4graduation rates among students meeting the requirements of
5Assembly Bill 540 of the 2001-02 Regular Session (Firebaugh,
6Ch. 814) by requiring the creation of Dream Resource Centers at
7public institutions of higher education.
P3 1(b) It is estimated that each year approximately 65,000
2undocumented students graduate from high schools, and while
3California has been a leader in enacting innovative and bold laws
4to provide opportunities for undocumented youth to attain
higher
5education, only 20 percent of these students attend college. Many
6undocumented youth and their families are unaware of recent
7policy changes, such as the enactment of Assembly Bill 540 of the
82001-02 Regular Session, the California Dream Act of 2011, and
9the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), that
10make college graduation more attainable. Currently, the majority
11of college campuses do not have a centralized location that provides
12specialized support services and resources for students meeting
13the requirements of Assembly Bill 540 of the 2001-02 Regular
14Session.
15(c) The creation of Dream Resource Centers would save staff
16time and resources by streamlining all available financial aid and
17academic opportunities for students meeting the requirements of
18Assembly Bill 540 of the 2001-02 Regular Session. These Dream
19Resource
Centers would seek to empower and create a safe and
20welcoming environment for those students. These centers would
21increase enrollment, transfer, and graduation rates among this
22population.
23(d) A number of college campuses have acknowledged the needs
24and challenges of these students and have created Dream Resource
25Centers. These include: the University of California, Los Angeles;
26the University of California, Davis; the California State University,
27Los Angeles; the California State University, Fullerton; and the
28California State University, Northridge. These centers provide,
29among other things, informational workshops, legal clinics,
30information on programs available to undocumented immigrants,
31and peer mentoring and support services to increase awareness of
32existing programs and available resources, enhance professional
33development,
and increase employment opportunities.
Section 68130.6 is added to the Education Code, to
35read:
(a) begin deleteThe end deletebegin insertCommencing with the 2017-18 academic
37year, the end insertCalifornia Community Colleges and the California State
38University shall, and the University of California is requested to,
39create Dream Resource Centers onbegin delete each campusend deletebegin insert their campuses,
40as specified in subdivision (b),end insert to assist students meeting the
P4 1requirements set forth in Section 68130.5 by streamlining access
2to all available financial aid and academic
opportunities for those
3students.
4(b) (1) (A) The California Community Colleges shall create
5Dream Resource Centers on any campus that has at least 500
6currently enrolled students meeting the requirements set forth in
7Section 68130.5.
8(B) Any campus of the California Community Colleges that has
9less than 500 currently enrolled students meeting the requirements
10set forth in Section 68130.5 shall ensure that it has a designated
11staff person who is knowledgeable in available financial aid,
12services, and academic opportunities for all students meeting the
13requirements set forth in Section 68130.5, including undocumented
14students. The Legislature
encourages each of these campuses to
15place this designated staff person in the campus’ extended
16opportunities programs and services office or financial aid office.
17(2) (A) The California State University shall create Dream
18Resource Centers on any campus where any of its local feeder
19community colleges meets the requirement in subparagraph (A)
20of paragraph (1).
21(B) Any campus of the California State University where none
22of its local feeder community colleges meet the requirement in
23subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) shall ensure that it has a
24designated staff person who is knowledgeable in available financial
25aid, services, and academic
opportunities for all students meeting
26the requirements set forth in Section 68130.5, including
27undocumented students. The Legislature encourages each of these
28campuses to place this designated staff person in the campus’
29extended opportunities programs and services office or financial
30aid office.
31(3) The University of California is requested to create Dream
32Resource Centers on each of its campuses.
33(c) (1) This section shall not be construed as requiring the
34construction of a new or separate space for Dream Resource
35Centers.
36(2) Dream Resource Centers may be housed within existing
37student service or academic centers.
38(b)
end delete
39begin insert(d)end insert Notwithstanding Section 11005 of the Government Code
40and any other law requiring approval by a state officer of gifts,
P5 1bequests, devises, or donations, the Trustees of the California State
2University, the Board of Governors of the California Community
3Colleges, and the Regents of the University of California may seek
4and accept on behalf of the state any gift, bequest, devise, or
5donation whenever the gift and the terms and conditions thereof
6will aid in the creation and operation of Dream Resource Centers
7for their respective systems.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
9this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
10local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
11pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
124 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
O
97