BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2434
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 27, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2434 (Bonta) - As Amended March 31, 2016
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes a Blue Ribbon Commission on Public
Postsecondary Education. Specifically, this bill:
1)Establishes a nine-member commission to make recommendations
on improving access and affordability in postsecondary
education in California. The commissioners will serve without
compensation, but will be reimbursed for necessary expenses.
AB 2434
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2)Creates, until June 30, 2018, the Office of the Blue Ribbon
Commission on Public Postsecondary Education, under an
executive director, to implement the duties and directives of
the commission.
3)Requires the commission to conduct at least 10 public hearing
throughout the state, review relevant reports, perform
analysis, and provide written recommendations by March 31,
2018 to the Legislature, the Governor, and the governing
boards of the public postsecondary segments regarding eight
enumerated aspects of the state's public postsecondary
education system.
FISCAL EFFECT:
One-time General Fund costs in the range of $1 million over 18
months for staff at the Office and Commission expenses for
public meetings throughout the state. Potential additional costs
of up to several hundred thousand dollars for the University of
California, the California State University, the California
Community Colleges, and the California Student Aid Commission to
participate in Commission meetings and respond to data requests
from the Office.
COMMENTS:
1)Background. AB 770 (Vasconcellos) of 1973 created the
California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) and made
it responsible for the planning and coordination of
postsecondary education. CPEC was charged with providing
analysis, advice, and recommendations to the Legislature and
the governor on statewide policy and funding priorities. As
AB 2434
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part of his 2011-12 budget, Governor Brown proposed
eliminating CPEC. Both houses rejected this proposal, but the
governor exercised his line item veto to remove all General
Fund support for CPEC, describing the commission as
"ineffective." In his veto message, however, the governor
acknowledged the need for coordinating and guiding state
higher education policy and requested that stakeholders
explore alternative ways these functions could be fulfilled.
On November 18, 2011, CPEC closed its office and ceased
operations.
In a January 2013 report, "Improving Higher Education
Oversight," the LAO contended that the state needed higher
education oversight that enables policymakers and others to
monitor how efficiently and effectively the postsecondary
system is serving the state's needs, and to make changes to
improve its performance.
2)Purpose. According to the author, "?California's Master Plan
for Higher Education is no longer a practical roadmap to guide
the state's higher education policy. The Master Plan was to
take the state from 1960-1975. California's higher education
challenges in 1960 are very different from today's."
The author contends that absent a coordinating body, the state
still needs a statewide plan for higher education. The author
argues that, "The state's approach to higher education must
become more accessible, equitable, and affordable."
3)Related Legislation. AB 1837 (Low), pending in this committee,
creates the Office of Higher Education Performance and
Accountability as the statewide postsecondary education
coordination and planning agency, to be within the Governor's
office.
4)Prior Legislation. SB 42 (Liu, 2015) which was similar to AB
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1837, was vetoed, Governor Brown stated, "While there is much
work to be done to improve higher education, I am not
convinced we need a new office and an advisory board,
especially of the kind this bill proposed, to get the job
done."
SB 1196 (Liu, 2014), which would have established a process
for setting specific educational attainment goals for the
State, was held on this committee's Suspense file.
AB 1348 (John A. Pérez, 2014), which would have established
the California Higher Education Authority, its governing board
and its responsibilities, as specified, phased-in over a
three-year period, was held on Suspense in Senate
Appropriations.
AB 2190 (John A. Pérez, 2012), which would have established a
new state oversight and coordinating body for higher
education, was held on this committee's Suspense file.
Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)
319-2081