Assembly Bill No. 2154

CHAPTER 457

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

[Approved by Governor September 22, 2016. Filed with Secretary of State September 22, 2016.]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2154, 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 2 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. 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.

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

(B) Upon 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. The requirements of subdivision (d) of Section 69510 do not apply to a student in the additional year under this paragraph.

(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.

(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.



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