BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2154|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2154
Author: Medina (D), et al.
Amended: 5/25/16 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 9-0, 6/8/16
AYES: Liu, Block, Hancock, Huff, Leyva, Mendoza, Monning, Pan,
Vidak
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 79-0, 5/5/16 (Consent) - See last page for
vote
SUBJECT: Student Aid Commission: student members
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill provides changes to the term and benefits for
service as a student member of the California Student Aid
Commission.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Establishes the California Student Aid Commission (Commission)
to administer California's student financial aid programs. The
composition of the Commission includes:
a) Eleven members Governor appointees confirmed by the
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Senate:
i) Three representatives from the general public.
ii) One representative from a California secondary
school.
iii) Two student representatives each of whom must be
enrolled in a California postsecondary educational
institution.
iv) One representative from the University of
California (UC).
v) One representative from the California State
University (CSU).
vi) One representative from the California Community
Colleges (CCC).
vii) One representative from a California independent
college or university.
viii) One representative from a public, proprietary,
or nonprofit postsecondary school located in
California.
b) Two representatives appointed by the Senate Rules
Committee.
c) Two representatives appointed by the Speaker of the
Assembly. (Education Code § 69510)
2)Provides that student members appointed to the Commission:
a) Be enrolled in postsecondary educational institutions
for the duration of the two-year terms.
b) May serve for six months beyond graduation.
c) May not be enrolled in the same segment of higher
education. The segments of higher education are designated
as the UC, the CSU, the CCC, independent institutions
(non-profit), and for-profit institutions. (EC § 69511)
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3)Provides that the Commission is responsible for determining
the appropriate student organization for each segment, and
each student organization is required to inform students
within their respective segment of pending Commission student
member vacancies and each student organization is authorized
to submit a list of three to five nominees for membership. A
student member appointed to the Commission may not be in the
same segment of the outgoing or the other sitting student
member. (EC § 69511.5)
This bill provides changes to the term and benefits for service
as a student member of the Commission. Specifically, it:
1)Authorizes a student Commission member upon expiration of the
student member's two-year term to remain in office for one
additional year or until the Governor appoints a successor,
whichever occurs first.
2)Requires an institution to waive a student member's tuition up
to a specified amount, for the duration of their term in
office, provided that the student is not a Cal Grant award
recipient.
3)Requires the Commission to notify the appropriate student
organization for each segment of a pending vacancy no less
than three months before the expiration of the term and of the
organizations opportunity to submit a list of nominees.
Comments
1)Need for the bill. According to the California State Student
Association (CSSA), "for the past several years, student
commissioners have faced challenges trying to serve on the
commission while often also needing to work in order to pay
for school." Additionally, CSSA asserts, that there have been
instances of delayed appointments of student members, causing
gaps in student representation. For example, the CSU student
was selected for appointment in 2013, nearly seven months late
and in 2014, the private university student appointment was
delayed by five months. Lastly, in 2011, a student was
appointed to the Commission after a four-year gap.
This bill seeks to ensure consistent student representation on
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the Commission by authorizing students to serve for one
additional year after their term has expired should there be a
delay in appointing a successor and by requiring that
institutions waive tuition for the duration of the student's
term provided that they are non-Cal Grant recipients.
2)Appointment of student members. Existing law provides for two
student commissioners from different higher education
segments, nominated by the appropriate student association and
appointed by the governor to serve on the Commission for
two-year terms. The higher education segments are designated
as UC, CSU, CCC, independent institutions (non-profit), and
for-profit institutions. The student commissioners may not be
enrolled in the same segment of the outgoing or the other
sitting student member. This rotation of student seats by
segment could be confusing to many if not adequately tracked.
It is the responsibility of the student organizations to have
knowledge of the process and submit nominees to the Governor
at the appropriate time. Arguably, if a student organization
is not aware of this opportunity it could delay an appointment
or miss the chance all together. This bill requires the
Commission to notify appropriate student organizations of a
pending vacancy and of the organizations opportunity to submit
a list of nominees.
3)Commission service and benefits. The Commission is
responsible for administering financial aid programs for
students attending public and private postsecondary
institutions, colleges and vocational schools in California.
Service on the Commission requires attendance at meetings of
the board and assigned committees. The Commission meets at
least six-times per year, in two-day meetings. Additionally,
committees may meet more frequently. All commissioners are
entitled to a $100 stipend for each day of attendance at a
regular or assigned committee meeting and compensation for
board related travel expenses. Each student commissioner is a
full voting member with the same powers and duties afforded to
the remaining commissioners.
4)Other boards by comparison. Students serve on a variety of
boards and commissions and each provides varying benefits to
students who serve.
a) The CCC Board of Governors sets policy and provides
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guidance for the 72 districts and 113 colleges that
constitute the system. The 17-member board meets at least
six-times a year, in two-day meetings. The Governor
appoints two student members (voting and non-voting) from
nominees proposed by the recognized student organization.
These student members serve staggered two-year terms with
the non-voting student trustee succeeding to the voting
position upon the expiration of the term of the voting
member. Student members receive $100 per diem and are
compensated for board related travel expenses.
b) The CSU Board of Trustees is responsible for the
oversight of the 23 campus CSU system. The board meets
six-times per year, in two-day meetings. The Governor
appoints two student trustees (voting and non-voting) from
nominees proposed by the CSSA. These student trustees serve
staggered two-year terms with the non-voting student
trustee succeeding to the voting position upon the
expiration of the term of the voting member. Student
trustees receive tuition fee waivers, $100 per diem and
compensation for board related travel expenses.
c) The Regents of the UC governs the 10 campus UC system
and meets six times a year, in two-day meetings. The Board
of Regents appoint a student Regent (voting) and a student
Regent-designate (non-voting) and serve one-year terms in
each positions with the Regent-designate succeeding the
voting student Regent. The student Regent is reimbursed for
expenses incurred for attendance at meetings of the board
and its committees, and all mandatory University fees and
tuition are waived during the academic years in which he or
she serves as Regent-designate and as a member of the
board.
Arguably service on the Commission is comparable to service on
the Board of Trustees or Regents therefore it may be
appropriate for the benefits provided by this bill to be
extended to a student member of the Commission.
5)Cost Impact. This bill seeks to acknowledge that students who
serve on the Commission merit a tuition waiver. The tuition
waiver is solely based on service there is no test for
financial need. However, given the small number of students
that would receive such a waiver the cost would be
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insignificant. Senate Education Committee staff notes that the
tuition waiver only applies to non-Cal Grant recipients as
student members who receive a Cal Grant would have his or her
fees covered by the award.
Related/Prior Legislation
AB 2766 (Lopez, 2016) requires the Commission to include four
student members, one from each of the public postsecondary
institutions (UC, CSU, CCC) and a California private
postsecondary education institution. AB 2766 is pending on the
Senate Floor.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified6/21/16)
California Student Aid Commission
California State Student Association
OPPOSITION: (Verified6/21/16)
None received
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 79-0, 5/5/16
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Arambula, Atkins, Baker,
Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke,
Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley,
Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier,
Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson,
Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Roger
Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey,
Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes,
McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte,
O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Quirk, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez,
Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting,
Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, Wood, Rendon
NO VOTE RECORDED: Beth Gaines
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Prepared by:Olgalilia Ramirez / ED. / (916) 651-4105
6/22/16 15:15:02
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