Amended in Senate May 25, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2154

Introduced by Assembly Member Medina

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Olsen)

February 17, 2016

An act to amend Section 69511 of the Education Code, relating to the Student Aid Commission.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2154, as amended, Medina. Student Aid Commission: student members.

Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission to perform a variety of duties relating to student financial aid programs, and requires the Governor to appoint 2 student members to the commission for terms of begin delete two end delete begin insert 2 end insert academic years. Existing provisions of the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program set forth requirements for a postsecondary institution to be considered a qualifying institution.

This bill would authorize a student member to serve as a student member of the Student Aid Commission for up to one additional year after his or her 2-year term expires if the Governor has not appointed a successor student member. The bill would also require a qualifying institution to waive a student member’s tuition, up to a specified amount, for the duration of the student member’s term in office if the student member is not a recipient of a Cal Grant award. begin insert The bill would require the commission to notify the appropriate student organization for each segment of a pending student member vacancy no less than three months before the expiration of the term, and of the appropriate student organization’s opportunity to submit a list of nominees end insert begin insert . end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 69511 of the Education Code is amended
to read:

69511.  

(a) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (b), each
member of the commission, other than a student member, shall
have a four-year term.

(2)  begin insert (A) end insert begin insert   end insert A student member appointed pursuant to subdivision
(d) of Section 69510 shall have a term of two academic years.

begin delete However, upon end delete

begin insert (B) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert Upon end insert expiration of the student member’s two-year term, if
the Governor has not appointed a successor, the student member
may remain in office for one additional year or until the Governor
appoints a successor, whichever occurs first. begin insert The requirements of
subdivision (d) of Section 69510 do not apply to a student in the
additional year under this paragraph. end insert

begin insert

(C) The commission shall notify the appropriate student
organization for each segment, as described in Section 69511.5,
of a pending student member vacancy no less than three months
before the expiration of the term, and of the appropriate student
organization’s opportunity to submit a list of nominees pursuant
to Section 69511.5.

end insert

(b) The term of one member appointed pursuant to subdivision
(g) of Section 69510 and the term of one member appointed
pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 69510, effective January 1,
1991, shall be for five years. Each subsequent term for members
appointed pursuant to this subdivision shall be for four years.

(c) At no time shall both student representatives be enrolled in
the same segment of postsecondary education in California. For
purposes of this subdivision, each postsecondary education program
listed in subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) of Section 69510 is a segment
of postsecondary education in California.

(d) Appointment to the commission of members appointed
pursuant to subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, of Section 69510 shall
be made by the Governor subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(e) Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointment of a person
who will have the same status as the predecessor of the appointee.
The appointee shall hold office only for the balance of the
unexpired term.

(f) (1) Each member of the commission shall receive a stipend
of one hundred dollars ($100) for each day in which he or she
attends any meeting of the commission or any meeting of any
committee or subcommittee of the commission, of which
committee or subcommittee he or she is a member, and which
committee or subcommittee meeting is conducted for the purpose
of carrying out the powers and duties of the commission. In
addition, each member shall receive his or her actual and necessary
traveling expenses incurred in the course of his or her duties.

(2) In addition, if a student member who attends a qualifying
institution, as defined in Section 69432.7, is not the recipient of a
Cal Grant award, the qualifying institution, as a condition of
participation in the Cal Grant program, shall waive the student
member’s tuition, up to the maximum award amount for that
institution, for the duration of the student member’s term of office.

(g) (1) If an act of Congress establishes a program of
scholarships or grants for undergraduate students and permits
administration of the program within a state by a state agency, the
Student Aid Commission, as established by Section 69510, shall
administer the act within the state if the Governor and the Student
Aid Commission, by a majority vote of its entire membership,
determine that the participation by the state in the federal
scholarship or grant program under the act would not interfere
with or jeopardize the continuation of the scholarship program
established under Chapter 1.7 (commencing with Section 69430)
of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3.

(2) The commission shall constitute the state commission on
federal scholarships or grants and is hereby empowered to
formulate a plan for development and administration of any federal
scholarship or grant program within the state.

(3) Subject to the provisions of this chapter, the commission is
hereby vested with all necessary power and authority to cooperate
with the government of the United States, or any agency or
agencies thereof, in the administration of any act of Congress
establishing a scholarship or grant program and the rules and
regulations adopted thereunder.

(4) Before adopting a state plan, the commission, acting as the
state commission on federal scholarships or grants, shall hold
public hearings as provided in the California Administrative
Procedure Act.