Amended in Senate September 1, 2015

Amended in Senate August 18, 2015

Amended in Senate July 8, 2015

Amended in Assembly June 1, 2015

Amended in Assembly May 7, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1366

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 begin delete to end delete begin insert to, and to add Chapter 3.67 (commencing with Section 44778) to Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of, end insert the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1366, as amended, Lopez. Public postsecondary education: Dream Resource 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 begin delete would, commencing with the 2017-18 academic year, require end delete begin insert would encourage end insert the California Community begin delete Colleges and end delete begin insert Colleges, end insert the California State University, and begin delete would request end delete the University of begin delete California, end delete begin insert California end insert to designate a Dream Resource 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. begin insert The bill would encourage the governing board of each school district and each county office of education that maintains any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to have a Dream Resource Liaison at each of their respective campuses that includes any of those grades. end insert The bill would authorize Dream Resource Centers to offer support services, begin delete including end delete begin insert including, end insert 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 begin delete require end delete begin insert encourage end insert each campus of the California Community Colleges and the California State University to ensure that it has a 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, including undocumented students. begin delete By requiring community colleges to designate a Dream Resource Liaison, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. end delete

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.

begin delete

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.

end delete begin delete

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.

end delete

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

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.

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Chapter 3.67 (commencing with Section 44778) is
added to Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert ,
to read: end insert

begin insert

 

Chapter   begin insert 3.67. end insert Dream Resource Liaison

 

begin insert 44778. end insert   

The governing board of each school district and each
county office of education that maintains any of grades 9 to 12,
inclusive, are encouraged to have a Dream Resource Liaison, as
described in Section 68130.6, at each of their respective campuses
that includes any of those grades.

end insert

begin delete SEC. 2. end delete
begin insert SEC. 3. end insert   

Section 68130.6 is added to the Education Code, to
read:

68130.6.  

(a)  begin delete Commencing with the 2017-18 academic year,
the end delete begin insert The end insert California Community begin delete Colleges and end delete begin insert Colleges, end insert the
California State begin delete University shall, and end delete begin insert University, and end insert the University
of California begin delete is requested to, end delete begin insert are encouraged to end insert designate a Dream
Resource 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) Each campus of the California Community Colleges
begin delete shall end delete begin insert is encouraged to end insert ensure that it has a 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 begin delete opportunities end delete begin insert opportunity end insert programs and services office
or financial aid office.

(2) Each campus of the California State University begin delete shall end delete begin insert is
encouraged to end insert ensure that it has a 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’
educational begin delete opportunities end delete begin insert opportunity end insert programs begin delete and services end delete office
or financial aid office.

(3) The University of California is begin delete requested end delete begin insert encouraged end insert to
designate a Dream Resource 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.

begin delete

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.

end delete