BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1366| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- THIRD READING Bill No: AB 1366 Author: Lopez (D), et al. Amended: 9/1/15 in Senate Vote: 21 SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 8-1, 7/15/15 AYES: Liu, Block, Hancock, Leyva, Mendoza, Monning, Pan, Vidak NOES: Runner SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 5-2, 8/27/15 AYES: Lara, Beall, Hill, Leyva, Mendoza NOES: Bates, Nielsen ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 52-23, 6/3/15 - See last page for vote SUBJECT: Public postsecondary education: Dream Resource Liaisons SOURCE: Author DIGEST: This bill encourages schools that maintain grades 9 through 12, the California Community Colleges (CCC) and the California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC) to designate a Dream Resource Liaison on each of their campuses and authorizes the governing boards of the segments to accept private funds to establish and operate centers. ANALYSIS: Existing law: AB 1366 Page 2 1)Provides that, beginning January 1, 2013, AB 540 students are eligible to apply for, and participate in, any student financial aid program administered by the State of California to the full extent permitted by federal law. The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) is required to establish procedures and forms that enable AB 540 students to apply for, and participate in, all student financial aid programs administered by the State of California to the full extent permitted by federal law. Current law prohibits AB 540 students from being eligible for Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards unless specified conditions are met. (Education Code § 69508.5) 2)Provides that a student attending the CSU, the CCC, or the UC who is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under the provisions of AB 540 is eligible to receive a scholarship derived from non-state funds received, for the purpose of scholarships, by the segment at which he or she is a student. (EC § 66021.7) 3)Requires the Trustees of the CSU and the Board of Governors of the CCC, and requests the UC Regents, to establish procedures and forms that enable AB 540 students to apply for, and participate in, all student aid programs administered by these segments to the full extent permitted by federal law. (EC § 66021.6) 4)Establishes the California DREAM Loan Program intended to provide low interest loans to Dream Act students who are accessing the Cal Grant program and attending UC and CSU. These students are not eligible for federal student loans, making it difficult for some to cover the total costs of college. The law requires the state and UC and CSU to split the costs of launching the program. The state would need to provide about $4.7 million General Fund to begin the program. In 2014, the Governor signed SB 1210 (Lara, Chapter 754), but does not provide funding in the 2015-16 Budget for the program. (EC § 70030-70039) This bill: 1)Encourages schools that maintain grades 9 through 12, the CCC and the CSU and the UC to designate a Dream Resource Liaison on each of their campuses. AB 1366 Page 3 2)Encourages the specified entities to designate Dream Resource Liaisons to assist students meeting the requirements set forth in Section 68130.5 of the Education Code (commonly known as AB 540). 3)Specifies that each CSU and CCC campus ensure the Dream Resource Liaison to be: a) Knowledgeable in services and academic opportunity applicable to students who meet the specified requirements. b) Placed in an extended opportunity program, educational opportunity program, or financial aid office. 4)Authorizes, specifically, the governing board of each school district and each county office of education that maintains any grades 9 through 12 to have a Dream Resource Liaison as described above at each of their respective campuses, as specified. 5)Specifies the following parameters for Dream Resource Centers: a) May offer support services including, but not limited to, state and institutional financial aid assistance, academic counseling, peer support services, psychological counseling, referral services, and legal services. b) May be housed within existing student service or academic center. c) The space in which the Liaison is located may be deemed a Dream Resource Center. d) Construction of a new or separate space is not required. 6)Authorizes the governing boards of the segments to accept private funds to establish and operate centers. 7)Makes a variety of legislative findings and declarations regarding increasing enrollment and graduation rates for AB 1366 Page 4 students who meet the requirements established by AB 540 and the resources needed to support the unique needs of these students. Comments Need for the bill. According to the author, many undocumented youth and their families are unaware of recent policy changes, such as the enactment of AB 540 of the 2001-2002 Regular Session, the California Dream Act of 2011 and the federal deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), that make college graduation more attainable. The author notes that the majority of college campuses do not have a centralized location that provides specialized support services and resources for students meeting requirements of AB 540. Furthermore, there are many unique barriers that this student population faces due to their residency status and a trust space designated for these students will encourage more youth to pursue postsecondary education to prepare them to enter California's workforce. This bill seeks to create a centralized location for AB 540 students to access student support services and other applicable resources. What currently exists? Each UC campus designates a point of contact specifically for providing information to undocumented students. All but three campuses have physical space designated for this purpose. Among the 23 campuses at the CSU, the method of delivering information varies. Some campuses have a designated location but most provide information through existing student support programs. Similarly, information and services offered at community colleges changes from campus to campus. For the most part community colleges do not have a centralized location dedicated for AB 540 students. However, some campuses in Southern California are incorporating this group of students into their respective Student Equity Plans. These plans are developed in effort to close achievement gaps in access and success in underrepresented student groups. The 2015-16 Budget Act targeted funds for this purpose. It is unclear how many campuses have prioritized AB 540 students in the college Student Equity Plan or if they will establish a location similar to a Dream Resource Center as described by this bill. Related Legislation AB 1366 Page 5 SB 247 (Lara, 2015) authorizes the governing board of a school district or county office of education that maintains grades 9 through 12, the governing board of a CCC district, and the Trustees of the CSU, and encourages the UC Regents to establish on-campus Dream Centers for the purposes of providing educational support services applicable to undocumented students.FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.:YesLocal: Yes According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, this bill creates major cost pressures that would not be eligible for reimbursement as a state mandate since its requirements are permissive. Cost pressure in the tens of millions for Dream Resource Liaisons to be designated at each campus maintaining grades 9 through 12. Cost pressure of $100,000 per campus ($11.3 million statewide) to the CCC to support a Dream Resource Liaison position to the extent campuses choose to designate one. (Proposition 98) Cost pressure of $60,000 to the CCC Chancellor's Office for one part-time position to support oversight of Dream Resource Centers to the extent they are established. (General Fund) The CSU indicates that there may be a cost pressure to hire an additional staff member at some campuses at a cost of $70,000 each. (General Fund) No costs to the UC because each campus currently has a Dream Resource Liaison. SUPPORT: (Verified 8/28/15) California Dream Network California Immigrant Policy Center Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles AB 1366 Page 6 Espiritu de Nuestro Futuro at CSU, Dominguez Hills Fullerton College Dream Team Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities IDEAS at Mt. San Antonio College Improving Dreams, Equity, Access and Success at San Francisco State Lead Empower Achieve with Determination at Sacramento State University National Association of Social Workers RISE at Los Angeles Trade Tech Rising Immigrant Scholars through Education at Berkeley Scholars Promoting Education Awareness and Knowledge Student Demand for Equality in Education at Cal Poly Pomona Undocumented/AB 540 Educational Equity Task Force at San Francisco State University Voices Organizing Immigrant Communities for Educational Success OPPOSITION: (Verified8/28/15) None received ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 52-23, 6/3/15 AYES: Alejo, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Lackey, Levine, Lopez, Low, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Nazarian, O'Donnell, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Mark Stone, Ting, Weber, Williams, Wood, Atkins NOES: Achadjian, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Brough, Chang, Dahle, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Grove, Harper, Jones, Kim, Maienschein, Mayes, Melendez, Obernolte, Olsen, Patterson, Steinorth, Wagner, Waldron, Wilk NO VOTE RECORDED: Daly, Hadley, Linder, Mathis, Thurmond Prepared by:Olgalilia Ramirez / ED. / (916) 651-4105 9/1/15 21:30:27 **** END **** AB 1366 Page 7