Amended in Assembly May 27, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2494

Introduced by Assembly Member Roger Hernández

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Alejo, Brown, Gonzalez, Irwin, and Mathis)

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February 19, 2016

An act to add begin insert and repeal end insert Part 52.7 (commencing with Section 88670) begin delete to end delete begin insert of end insert Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2494, as amended, Roger Hernández. Veteran Resource Centers Grant Program.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing law requires the board of governors to appoint a chief executive officer, to be known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

This bill would establish the Veteran Resource Centers Grant Program, which would authorize the governing board of a community college district and a community college campus at which a veterans resource center has been or is intended to be established to jointly apply to the chancellor for a grant for purposes of providing resources to veterans and active duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States enrolled at the campus. The bill would establish the Veteran Resource Centers Grant Fund in the State Treasury. The bill would allocate moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act, to the chancellor for, among other things, administration of the program and distribution of awards to recipient community college districts and campuses. begin delete The bill would also require the chancellor to submit a report to the Legislature on the progress of the program by May 31, 2019. end delete begin insert The bill would repeal the program on January 1, 2023. 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.  

The Legislature finds and declares the following:

(a) More than 60,000 veterans and active duty service members
were enrolled at campuses of the California Community Colleges
in the 2013-14 academic year.

(b) Education is a tool for community college students to achieve
economic success.

(c) Veterans face unique challenges in achieving professional
success, including begin delete posttraumatic-stress end delete begin insert post-traumatic stress end insert
disorder and assimilation to civilian life during and after serving
on active duty.

(d) The intent of the Veteran Resource Centers Grant Program
is to help veterans and active duty service members enrolled at
campuses of the California Community Colleges achieve academic
and professional success.

SEC. 2.  

Part 52.7 (commencing with Section 88670) is added
to Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:

 

PART 52.7.  Veteran Resource Centers Grant
Program

 

88670.  

This part shall be known, and may be begin delete cited as, end delete begin insert cited,
as end insert the Veteran Resource Centers Grant Program.

88671.  

The Veteran Resource Centers Grant Fund is hereby
established in the State Treasury. Moneys in the fund, upon
appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act, shall
be allocated to the chancellor for the implementation and
administration of this part.

88672.  

A governing board of a community college district and
a community college campus at which a veterans resource center
has been or is intended to be established may jointly apply to the
chancellor for a grant begin delete for purposes of providing end delete begin insert to provide end insert
resources to veterans and active duty members of the Armed Forces
of the United States enrolled at the campus to help them succeed
academically.

88673.  

(a) The chancellor shall do begin insert both of end insert the following:

(1) Administer the program and distribute awards to recipient
community college districts and campuses.

(2) Develop application criteria, administrative guidelines, and
other requirements, by May 26, 2017, through a stakeholder process
and public meetings, for begin delete purposes of end delete administering the program.

begin delete Those requirements may include the chancellor awarding funding
priority to community college district and campus applicants that
commit to contributing an amount of funds in addition to the grant
to develop, enhance, or maintain a veteran resource center at a
community college campus. end delete

begin delete

(b) The chancellor shall submit a report to the Legislature on
the progress of the program on or before May 31, 2019.

end delete begin delete

(c) (1) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under
subdivision (b) is inoperative on June 1, 2023, pursuant to Section
10231.5 of the Government Code.

end delete begin delete

(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall
be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
Code.

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begin insert (b) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert An applicant who receives a grant award in the first fiscal
year that grants are awarded shall not be required to match the
amount of the award. An applicant who receives a grant award
in a fiscal year that follows shall match the amount of the award
dollar-for-dollar. end insert

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begin insert 88674. end insert   

This part shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2023, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute,
that is enacted before January 1, 2023, deletes or extends that
date.

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