BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 1846 (Lopez) - Adult Education Block Grant Program: report
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|Version: June 22, 2016 |Policy Vote: ED. 8 - 1 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
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|Hearing Date: August 1, 2016 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee |
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This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: This bill expands existing reporting requirements for
the Chancellor of the Community Colleges (Chancellor) and the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (Superintendent) regarding
the use and outcomes of the Adult Education Block Grant funds
(block grant). The report must additionally include information
on the extent to which these and other funds available to adult
education consortia were insufficient to address the demand for
adult education.
Fiscal
Impact:
Significant state cost pressure in the millions to the
extent the report indicates that funding was insufficient
AB 1846 (Lopez) Page 1 of
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to address the demands for adult education. If the gap in
meeting the demands of the adult education program resulted
in a need to increase the block grant by just one percent,
this would result in a cost pressure of $5 million.
(Proposition 98)
Report expansion: Local cost pressure in the mid tens
of thousands for each of the 71 consortia to assess and
analyze potential local needs versus funding received.
Minor state costs for the Chancellor's Office and the
California Department of Education to assemble this
information into the report.
Background: Chapter 13, Statutes of 2015 (AB 104, Committee on Budget)
established the block grant under the administration of the
Chancellor and the Superintendent to address the education needs
of adults in all regions of the state. The Chancellor and the
Superintendent were required to divide the state into adult
education regions, coordinated by regional consortia, to improve
coordination and better serve the needs of adult learners within
each region.
The Budget Act of 2016 provides $500 million ongoing Proposition
98 funding. As a condition of funding, regional consortia must
receive approval of a three-year adult education plan from the
Chancellor or Superintendent to coordinate and deliver adult
education in their regions. Among the information required in
the plan is an evaluation of adult education needs in the
region, a list of entities that provide these services, an
evaluation of current levels and types of service, and an
evaluation of all funds available to consortium members and
other entities.
Block grant funds may be used for programs in the following
adult education instructional areas: basic skills in reading,
writing, and mathematics; English as a second language;
workforce preparation for adults; short-term career technical
education with employment potential; preapprenticeship training
activities coordinated with approved apprenticeship programs;
programs for adults with disabilities; and programs designed to
develop knowledge and skills that enable adults to help children
succeed in school.
In addition to the block grant, CCC receives adult education
AB 1846 (Lopez) Page 2 of
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instruction through apportionments from which the Legislative
Analyst's Office estimates $2.1 billion is spent on adult
education. Federal funds are received by the state through the
Workforce Investment Opportunity Act ($90 million in 2015-16 to
CDE) and the federal career technical education program ($121
million in 2015-16 from which a portion went to adult
education). Finally, adult schools and community colleges may
charge fees which range from no fee to covering the full cost of
instruction at adult schools.
Proposed Law: This bill expands existing reporting requirements
on the use of the Adult Education Block Grant funds and outcomes
for adults to include a summary, based upon a review of the
annual adult education plan for each consortium of the extent to
which funds provided, in combination with other funds available
to the consortium and other entities that provide education and
workforce services for adults in the region, were insufficient
to address the demands for adult education within the service
area of the consortium.
This bill removes the preliminary and final reporting
requirements on the use of block grant funds and outcomes for
adults statewide and in each adult education region. It instead
requires the Chancellor and the Superintendent to submit one
report containing the above information by September 30
following any fiscal year for which funds are appropriated for
the program to the Director of Finance, the State Board of
Education, and the Legislature.
Staff Comments: According to the author, the 2015 Adult
Education Regional Planning Report (required under the
provisions of AB 86) estimated that 15.3 million adults are in
need of adult education programs. The report made several
recommendations including increasing service levels to meet the
demand for adult education.
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