BILL NUMBER: AB 1366 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 18, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 8, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 7, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Lopez
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Bonta)
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Cristina Garcia)
FEBRUARY 27, 2015
An act to add Section 68130.6 to the Education Code, relating to
public postsecondary education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1366, as amended, Lopez. Public postsecondary education: Dream
Resource Centers. Liaisons.
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 bill would, commencing with the 2017-18 academic year,
require the California Community Colleges and the California State
University, and would request the University of California, to
create designate a Dream Resource
Centers Liaison on each of
their campuses, as specified, to assist certain students by
streamlining access to all available financial aid and academic
opportunities for those students. The bill would authorize Dream
Resource Centers to offer support services, including but not
necessarily limited to, state and institutional financial aid
assistance, academic counseling, peer support services, psychological
counseling, referral services, and legal services. 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 designated as a Dream Resource
Liaison who is knowledgeable in available financial aid,
services, and academic opportunities for all students meeting
specified requirements , requirements,
including undocumented students. By requiring community colleges to
create designate a Dream Resource
Centers, Liaison, 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:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to increase enrollment and
graduation rates among students meeting the requirements of Assembly
Bill 540 of the 2001-02 Regular Session (Firebaugh, Ch. 814) by
requiring the creation of Dream Resource Centers at public
institutions of higher education.
(b) It is estimated that each year approximately 65,000
undocumented students graduate from high schools, and while
California has been a leader in enacting innovative and bold laws to
provide opportunities for undocumented youth to attain higher
education, only 20 percent of these students attend college. Many
undocumented youth and their families are unaware of recent policy
changes, such as the enactment of Assembly Bill 540 of the 2001-02
Regular Session, the California Dream Act of 2011, and the federal
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), that make college
graduation more attainable. Currently, the majority of college
campuses do not have a centralized location that provides specialized
support services and resources for students meeting the requirements
of Assembly Bill 540 of the 2001-02 Regular Session.
(c) The creation of Dream Resource Centers would save staff time
and resources by streamlining all available financial aid and
academic opportunities for students meeting the requirements of
Assembly Bill 540 of the 2001-02 Regular Session. These Dream
Resource Centers would seek to empower and create a safe and
welcoming environment for those students. These centers would
increase enrollment, transfer, and graduation rates among this
population.
(d) A number of college campuses have acknowledged the needs and
challenges of these students and have created Dream Resource Centers.
These include: the University of California, Los Angeles; the
University of California, Davis; the California State University, Los
Angeles; the California State University, Fullerton; and the
California State University, Northridge. These centers provide, among
other things, informational workshops, legal clinics, information on
programs available to undocumented immigrants, and peer mentoring
and support services to increase awareness of existing programs and
available resources, enhance professional development, and increase
employment opportunities.
SEC. 2. Section 68130.6 is added to the Education Code, to read:
68130.6. (a) Commencing with the 2017-18 academic year, the
California Community Colleges and the California State University
shall, and the University of California is requested to,
create designate a Dream Resource
Centers Liaison on each of their
campuses, as specified in subdivision (b), to assist students meeting
the requirements set forth in Section 68130.5 by streamlining access
to all available financial aid and academic opportunities for those
students.
(b) (1) (A) The California Community Colleges shall create Dream
Resource Centers on any campus that has at least 500 currently
enrolled students meeting the requirements set forth in Section
68130.5.
(B) Any
(b) (1) Each campus of
the California Community Colleges that has less than 500
currently enrolled students meeting the requirements set forth in
Section 68130.5 shall ensure that it has a
designated staff person designated as a Dream Resource
Liaison who is knowledgeable in available financial aid,
services, and academic opportunities for all students meeting the
requirements set forth in Section 68130.5, including undocumented
students. The Legislature encourages each of these campuses to place
this designated staff person in the campus' extended opportunities
programs and services office or financial aid office.
(2) (A) The California State University shall create Dream
Resource Centers on any campus where any of its local feeder
community colleges meets the requirement in subparagraph (A) of
paragraph (1).
(B) Any
(2) Each campus of the California State
University where none of its local feeder community colleges
meet the requirement in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1)
shall ensure that it has a designated staff person
designated as a Dream Resource Liaison who is
knowledgeable in available financial aid, services, and academic
opportunities for all students meeting the requirements set forth in
Section 68130.5, including undocumented students. The Legislature
encourages each of these campuses to place this designated staff
person in the campus' extended educational
opportunities programs and services office or financial aid
office.
(3) The University of California is requested to create
designate a Dream Resource Centers
Liaison on each of its campuses.
(c) Dream Resource Centers may offer support services, including,
but not necessarily limited to, state and institutional financial aid
assistance, academic counseling, peer support services,
psychological counseling, referral services, and legal services.
(d) (1) This section shall not be construed as requiring the
construction of a new or separate space for Dream Resource Centers.
(2) Dream Resource Centers may be housed within existing student
service or academic centers.
(3) The space in which the Dream Resource Liaison is located may
be deemed a Dream Resource Center.
(e) Notwithstanding Section 11005 of the Government Code and any
other law requiring approval by a state officer of gifts, bequests,
devises, or donations, the Trustees of the California State
University, the Board of Governors of the California Community
Colleges, and the Regents of the University of California may 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.
SEC. 3. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.