Amended in Assembly April 11, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 2908


Introduced by Committee on Higher Education (Assembly Members Medina (Chair), Baker (Vice Chair), Bloom, Chávez, Irwin,begin insert Jones-Sawyer,end insert Levine, Linder, Low, Olsen, Santiago, and Weber)

March 8, 2016


An act to amend Sections 66028.6, 67380, 69432.9, 69439,begin insert 89226,end insert and 99161.5 of the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2908, as amended, Committee on Higher Education. Postsecondary education: omnibus.

(1) Existing law requires the governing board of each community college district, the Trustees of the California State University, the Board of Directors of the Hastings College of the Law, the Regents of the University of California, and the governing boards of postsecondary educational institutions receiving public funds for student financial assistance to require the appropriate officials at each campus to compile records of specified crimes and noncriminal acts reported to campus police, campus security personnel, campus safety authorities, or designated campus authorities and transmit a report containing a compilation of that information to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

This bill would repeal the requirement that the information be reported to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

(2) The Cal Grant Program establishes the Cal Grant A and Cal Grant B Entitlement awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C award, and the Cal Grant T award under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. As part of these eligibility requirements, existing law requires the commission to require that a grade point average be submitted to it electronically for all grade 12 pupils at public schools, including charter schools, each academic year, except for those pupils who, after being notified by October 15 of their grade 12 academic year, have opted out of being deemed a Cal Grant applicant.

This bill would specify that the grade point averages for grade 12 pupils are to be submitted by October 1 of each academic year, and would require that pupils be notified by January 1 of their grade 11 academic yearbegin insert soend insert that they can opt out. To the extent that these provisions would impose new duties on local educational agencies and community college districts, they would constitute a state-mandated local program.

(3) Existing law requires the Legislative Analyst’s Office to submit a report, containing specified information, to the Legislature on or before April 1, 2015, and a report with more limited information each odd year thereafter, regarding outcomes of the Cal Grant C program.

This bill would require that the report to be submitted on or before April 1,begin delete 2017,end deletebegin insert 2018,end insert include all of the information required in the April 1, 2015, report. The bill would require the Student Aid Commission, instead of the Legislativebegin delete Analystsend deletebegin insert Analyst’send insert Office, to submit a report with the more limited information on or before April 1,begin delete 2019,end deletebegin insert 2020,end insert and on or before April 1 of eachbegin delete odd numberedend deletebegin insert even-numberedend insert year thereafter.

The bill would also make conforming changes and connect a cross-reference.

begin insert

(4) Existing law requires the Legislative Analyst, on or before October 1, 2017, to submit a status update to the Legislature regarding the California State University’s implementation of specified provisions of law and an assessment of the extent to which the online programs of the California State University are operating in a manner consistent with legislative intent and statutory requirements.

end insert
begin insert

This bill would make the deadline for that status update on or before January 1, 2018.

end insert
begin delete

(4)

end delete

begin insert(5)end insert The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

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

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

P3    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 66028.6 of the Education Code is
2amended to read:

3

66028.6.  

(a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the
4Government Code, commencing with the 2012-13 academic year,
5the regents and the trustees shall annually provide the Legislature,
6by February 1 of each year, with detailed information regarding
7expenditures of revenues derived from student fees and uses of
8institutional financial aid, and shall provide information regarding
9the systemwide average total cost of attendance per student. For
10purposes of meeting the requirements of this section, the regents
11and the trustees may include this information in their respective
12annual reports on institutional financial aid pursuant to Section
1366021.1.

14(b) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code,
15 the regents and trustees shall each submit a report to the
16Legislature, by March 1 of each year, describing their respective
17institution’s compliance with the policies set forth in this article.

18(c) A report submitted pursuant to this section shall be submitted
19in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

20

SEC. 2.  

Section 67380 of the Education Code is amended to
21read:

22

67380.  

(a) Except as provided in subparagraph (C) of
23paragraph (6), the governing board of each community college
24district, the Trustees of the California State University, the Board
25of Directors of the Hastings College of the Law, the Regents of
26the University of California, and the governing board of any
27postsecondary educational institution receiving public funds for
28student financial assistance shall do all of the following:

29(1) Require the appropriate officials at each campus within their
30respective jurisdictions to compile records of both of the following:

P4    1(A) All occurrences reported to campus police, campus security
2personnel, or campus safety authorities of, and arrests for, crimes
3that are committed on campus and that involve violence, hate
4violence, theft, destruction of property, illegal drugs, or alcohol
5intoxication.

6(B) All occurrences of noncriminal acts of hate violence reported
7to, and for which a written report is prepared by, designated campus
8authorities.

9(2) Require any written record of a noncriminal act of hate
10violence to include, but not be limited to, the following:

11(A) A description of the act of hate violence.

12(B) Victim characteristics.

13(C) Offender characteristics, if known.

14(3) (A) Make the information concerning the crimes compiled
15pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) available within
16two business days following the request of any student or employee
17of, or applicant for admission to, any campus within their respective
18jurisdictions, or to the media, unless the information is the type of
19information exempt from disclosure pursuant to subdivision (f) of
20Section 6254 of the Government Code, in which case the
21information is not required to be disclosed. Notwithstanding
22subdivision (f) of Section 6254 of the Government Code, the name
23or any other personally identifying information of a victim of any
24crime defined by Section 243.4, 261, 262, 264, 264.1, 273a, 273d,
25273.5, 286, 288, 288a, 289, 422.6, 422.7, or 422.75 of the Penal
26Code shall not be disclosed without the permission of the victim,
27or the victim’s parent or guardian if the victim is a minor.

28(B) For purposes of this paragraph and subparagraph (A) of
29paragraph (1), the campus police, campus security personnel, and
30campus safety authorities described in subparagraph (A) of
31paragraph (1) shall be included within the meaning of “state or
32local police agency” and “state and local law enforcement agency,”
33as those terms are used in subdivision (f) of Section 6254 of the
34Government Code.

35(4) Require the appropriate officials at each campus within their
36respective jurisdictions to prepare, prominently post, and copy for
37distribution on request, a campus safety plan that sets forth all of
38the following: the availability and location of security personnel,
39methods for summoning assistance of security personnel, any
40special safeguards that have been established for particular facilities
P5    1or activities, any actions taken in the preceding 18 months to
2increase safety, and any changes in safety precautions expected to
3be made during the next 24 months. For purposes of this section,
4posting and distribution may be accomplished by including relevant
5safety information in a student handbook or brochure that is made
6generally available to students.

7(5) Require the appropriate officials at each campus within their
8respective jurisdictions to report information compiled pursuant
9to paragraph (1) relating to hate violence to the governing board,
10trustees, board of directors, or regents, as the case may be. The
11governing board, trustees, board of directors, or regents, as the
12case may be, shall, upon collection of that information from all of
13the campuses within their jurisdiction, make a report containing a
14compilation of that information available to the general public on
15the Internet Web site of each respective institution. It is the intent
16of the Legislature that the governing board of each community
17college district, the Trustees of the California State University, the
18Board of Directors of the Hastings College of the Law, the Regents
19of the University of California, and the governing board of any
20postsecondary educational institution receiving public funds for
21student financial assistance establish guidelines for identifying
22and reporting occurrences of hate violence. It is the intent of the
23Legislature that the guidelines established by these institutions of
24higher education be as consistent with each other as possible. These
25guidelines shall be developed in consultation with the Department
26of Fair Employment and Housing and the California Association
27of Human Relations Organizations.

28(6) (A) Notwithstanding subdivision (f) of Section 6254 of the
29Government Code, require any report made by a victim or an
30employee pursuant to Section 67383 of a Part 1 violent crime,
31sexual assault, or hate crime, as described in Section 422.55 of the
32Penal Code, received by a campus security authority and made by
33the victim for purposes of notifying the institution or law
34enforcement, to be immediately, or as soon as practicably possible,
35disclosed to the local law enforcement agency with which the
36institution has a written agreement pursuant to Section 67381
37without identifying the victim, unless the victim consents to being
38identified after the victim has been informed of his or her right to
39have his or her personally identifying information withheld. If the
40victim does not consent to being identified, the alleged assailant
P6    1shall not be identified in the information disclosed to the local law
2enforcement agency, unless the institution determines both of the
3following, in which case the institution shall disclose the identity
4of the alleged assailant to the local law enforcement agency and
5shall immediately inform the victim of that disclosure:

6(i) The alleged assailant represents a serious or ongoing threat
7to the safety of students, employees, or the institution.

8(ii) The immediate assistance of the local law enforcement
9agency is necessary to contact or detain the assailant.

10(B) The requirements of this paragraph shall not constitute a
11waiver of, or exception to, any law providing for the confidentiality
12of information.

13(C) This paragraph applies only as a condition for participation
14in the Cal Grant Program established pursuant to Chapter 1.7
15(commencing with Section 69430) of Part 42.

16(b) Any person who is refused information required to be made
17available pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of
18subdivision (a) may maintain a civil action for damages against
19any institution that refuses to provide the information, and the
20court shall award that person an amount not to exceed one thousand
21dollars ($1,000) if the court finds that the institution refused to
22provide the information.

23(c) For purposes of this section:

24(1) “Hate violence” means any act of physical intimidation or
25physical harassment, physical force or physical violence, or the
26threat of physical force or physical violence, that is directed against
27any person or group of persons, or the property of any person or
28group of persons because of the ethnicity, race, national origin,
29religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
30disability, or political or religious beliefs of that person or group.

31(2) “Part 1 violent crime” means willful homicide, forcible rape,
32robbery, or aggravated assault, as defined in the Uniform Crime
33Reporting Handbook of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

34(3) “Sexual assault” includes, but is not limited to, rape, forced
35sodomy, forced oral copulation, rape by a foreign object, sexual
36 battery, or the threat of any of these.

37(d) This section does not apply to the governing board of a
38private postsecondary educational institution receiving funds for
39student financial assistance with a full-time enrollment of less than
401,000 students.

P7    1(e) This section shall apply to a campus of one of the public
2postsecondary educational systems identified in subdivision (a)
3only if that campus has a full-time equivalent enrollment of more
4than 1,000 students.

5(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, this
6section shall not apply to the California Community Colleges
7unless and until the Legislature makes funds available to the
8California Community Colleges for the purposes of this section.

9

SEC. 3.  

Section 69432.9 of the Education Code is amended to
10read:

11

69432.9.  

(a) A Cal Grant applicant shall submit a complete
12official financial aid application pursuant to Section 69433 and
13applicable regulations adopted by the commission. Each pupil
14enrolled in grade 12 in a California public school, including a
15charter school, other than pupils who opt out as provided in
16subdivision (d), shall be deemed to be a Cal Grant applicant.

17(b) Financial need shall be determined to establish an applicant’s
18initial eligibility for a Cal Grant award and a renewing recipient’s
19continued eligibility using the federal financial need methodology
20pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 69506 and applicable
21regulations adopted by the commission, and as established by Title
22IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20
23U.S.C. Secs. 1070 et seq.).

24(1) “Expected family contribution,” with respect to an applicant
25or renewing recipient, shall be determined using the federal
26methodology pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 69506 (as
27established by Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of
281965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Secs. 1070 et seq.)) and applicable
29rules and regulations adopted by the commission.

30(2) “Financial need” means the difference between the student’s
31cost of attendance as determined by the commission and the
32expected family contribution. The calculation of financial need
33shall be consistent with Title IV of the federal Higher Education
34Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Secs. 1070 et seq.).

35(3) (A) The minimum financial need required for receipt of an
36initial and renewal Cal Grant A or C award shall be no less than
37the maximum annual award value for the applicable institution,
38plus an additional one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) of
39financial need.

P8    1(B) The minimum financial need required for receipt of an initial
2and renewal Cal Grant B award shall be no less than seven hundred
3dollars ($700).

4(c) (1) The commission shall require that a grade point average
5be submitted to it for all Cal Grant A and B applicants, except for
6those permitted to provide test scores in lieu of a grade point
7average.

8(2) The commission shall require that a grade point average be
9submitted to it electronically on a standardized form for all grade
1012 pupils at public schools, including charter schools, no later than
11October 1 of each academic year, except for pupils who have opted
12out as provided in subdivision (d). Social security numbers shall
13not be included in the information submitted to the commission.
14However, if the commission determines that a social security
15number is required to complete the application for financial aid,
16the school, school district, or charter school may obtain permission
17from the parent or guardian of the pupil, or the pupil, if he or she
18is 18 years of age, to submit the pupil’s social security number to
19the commission.

20(3) The commission shall require that each report of a grade
21point average include a certification, executed under penalty of
22perjury, by a school official, that the grade point average reported
23is accurately reported. The certification shall include a statement
24that it is subject to review by the commission or its designee.

25(4) The commission shall adopt regulations that establish a grace
26period for receipt of the grade point average and any appropriate
27corrections, and that set forth the circumstances under which a
28student may submit a specified test score designated by the
29commission, by regulation, in lieu of submitting a qualifying grade
30point average.

31(5) It is the intent of the Legislature that high schools and
32institutions of higher education certify the grade point averages of
33their students in time to meet the application deadlines imposed
34by this chapter.

35(6) It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission make
36available to each high school and school district a report identifying
37all grade 12 pupils within the high school or school district,
38respectively, who have and have not completed the Free
39Application for Federal Student Aid or the California Dream Act
40Application.

P9    1(d) (1) The school district or charter school shall, no later than
2January 1 of a pupil’s grade 11 academic year, notify, in writing,
3each grade 11 pupil and, for a pupil under 18 years of age, his or
4her parent or guardian that, pursuant to subdivision (a), the pupil
5will be deemed a Cal Grant applicant unless the pupil opts out
6within a period of time specified in the notice, which shall not be
7less than 30 days. The required notice shall indicate when the
8school will first send grade point averages to the commission and
9the submission deadline of October 1. The school district or charter
10school shall provide an opportunity for the pupil to opt out of being
11automatically deemed a Cal Grant applicant.

12(2) Until a pupil turns 18 years of age, only a parent or guardian
13may opt the pupil out. Once a pupil turns 18 years of age, only the
14pupil may opt himself or herself out and, if prior to the conclusion
15of the notice period, the pupil may opt in over the prior decision
16of a parent or guardian to opt out.

17

SEC. 4.  

Section 69439 of the Education Code is amended to
18read:

19

69439.  

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms
20have the following meanings:

21(1) “Career pathway” has the same meaning as set forth in
22Section 88620.

23(2) “Economic security” has the same meaning as set forth in
24Section 14005 of the Unemployment Insurance Code.

25(3) “Industry cluster” has the same meaning as set forth in
26Section 88620.

27(4) “Long-term unemployed” means, with respect to an award
28applicant, a person who has been unemployed for more than 26
29weeks at the time of submission to the commission of his or her
30application.

31(5) “Occupational or technical training” means that phase of
32education coming after the completion of a secondary school
33program and leading toward recognized occupational goals
34approved by the commission.

35(b) A Cal Grant C award shall be utilized only for occupational
36or technical training in a course of not less than four months. There
37shall be the same number of Cal Grant C awards each year as were
38made in the 2000-01 fiscal year. The maximum award amount
39and the total amount of funding shall be determined each year in
40the annual Budget Act.

P10   1(c) The commission may use criteria it deems appropriate in
2selecting students to receive grants for occupational or technical
3training and shall give special consideration to the social and
4economic situations of the students applying for these grants, giving
5additional weight to disadvantaged applicants, applicants who face
6economic hardship, and applicants who face particular barriers to
7employment. Criteria to be considered for these purposes shall
8include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

9(1) Family income and household size.

10(2) Student’s or the students’ parent’s household status,
11including whether the student is a single parent or child of a single
12parent.

13(3) The employment status of the applicant and whether the
14applicant is unemployed, giving greater weight to the long-term
15unemployed.

16(d) The Cal Grant C award recipients shall be eligible for
17renewal of their grants until they have completed their occupational
18or technical training in conformance with terms prescribed by the
19commission. A determination by the commission for a subsequent
20award year that the program under which a Cal Grant C award was
21initially awarded is no longer deemed to receive priority shall not
22affect an award recipient’s renewal. In no case shall the grants
23exceed two calendar years.

24(e) Cal Grant C awards may be used for institutional fees,
25charges, and other costs, including tuition, plus training-related
26costs, such as special clothing, local transportation, required tools,
27equipment, supplies, books, and living expenses. In determining
28the individual award amounts, the commission shall take into
29account the financial means available to the student to fund his or
30her course of study and costs of attendance as well as other state
31and federal programs available to the applicant.

32(f) (1) To ensure alignment with the state’s dynamic economic
33needs, the commission, in consultation with appropriate state and
34federal agencies, including the Economic and Workforce
35Development Division of the Office of the Chancellor of the
36California Community Colleges and the California Workforce
37Investment Board, shall identify areas of occupational and technical
38training for which students may utilize Cal Grant C awards. The
39commission, to the extent feasible, shall also consult with
40representatives of the state’s leading competitive and emerging
P11   1industry clusters, workforce professionals, and career technical
2educators, to determine which occupational training programs and
3industry clusters should be prioritized.

4(2) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the areas of
5occupational and technical training developed pursuant to
6paragraph (1) shall be regularly reviewed and updated at least
7every five years, beginning in 2012.

8(B) By January 1, 2016, the commission shall update the priority
9areas of occupational and technical training.

10(3) (A) The commission shall give priority in granting Cal
11Grant C awards to students pursuing occupational or technical
12training in areas that meet two of the following criteria pertaining
13to job quality:

14(i) High employer need or demand for the specific skills offered
15in the program.

16(ii) High employment growth in the occupational field or
17industry cluster for which the student is being trained.

18(iii) High employment salary and wage projections for workers
19employed in the occupations for which they are being trained.

20(iv) The occupation or training program is part of a
21 well-articulated career pathway to a job providing economic
22security.

23(B) To receive priority pursuant to subparagraph (A), at least
24one of the criteria met shall be specified in clause (iii) or (iv) of
25that subparagraph.

26(g) The commission shall determine areas of occupational or
27technical training that meet the criteria described in paragraph (3)
28of subdivision (f) in consultation with the Employment
29Development Department, the Economic and Workforce
30Development Division of the Office of the Chancellor of the
31California Community Colleges, and the California Workforce
32Investment Board using projections available through the Labor
33Market Information Data Library. The commission may supplement
34the analyses of the Employment Development Department’s Labor
35Market Information Data Library with the labor market analyses
36developed by the Economic and Workforce Development Division
37of the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community
38Colleges and the California Workforce Investment Board, as well
39as the projections of occupational shortages and skills gap
40developed by industry leaders. The commission shall publish, and
P12   1retain, on its Internet Web site a current list of the areas of
2occupational or technical training that meet the criteria described
3in paragraph (3) of subdivision (f), and update this list as necessary.

4(h) Using the best available data, the commission shall examine
5the graduation rates and job placement data, or salary data, of
6eligible programs. Commencing with the 2014-15 academic year,
7the commission shall give priority to Cal Grant C award applicants
8seeking to enroll in programs that rate high in graduation rates and
9job placement data, or salary data.

10(i) (1) The commission shall consult with the Employment
11 Development Department, the Office of the Chancellor of the
12California Community Colleges, the California Workforce
13Investment Board, and the local workforce investment boards to
14develop a plan to publicize the existence of the grant award
15program to California’s long-term unemployed to be used by those
16consulting agencies when they come in contact with members of
17the population who are likely to be experiencing long-term
18unemployment. The outreach plan shall use existing administrative
19and service delivery processes making use of existing points of
20contact with the long-term unemployed. The local workforce
21investment boards are required to participate only to the extent
22that the outreach efforts are a part of their existing responsibilities
23under the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (Public Law
24105-220).

25(2) The commission shall consult with the Workforce Services
26Branch of the Employment Development Department, the Office
27of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the
28California Workforce Investment Board, and the local workforce
29investment boards to develop a plan to make students receiving
30awards aware of job search and placement services available
31through the Employment Development Department and the local
32workforce investment boards. Outreach shall use existing
33administrative and service delivery processes making use of
34existing points of contact with the students. The local workforce
35investment boards are required to participate only to the extent
36that the outreach efforts are a part of their existing responsibilities
37under the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (Public Law
38105-220).

39(j) (1) The Legislative Analyst’s Office shall submit a report
40to the Legislature on the outcomes of the Cal Grant C program on
P13   1or before April 1,begin delete 2017.end deletebegin insert 2018.end insert This report shall include, but not
2necessarily be limited to, information on all of the following:

3(A) The age, gender, and segment of attendance for recipients
4in two prior award years.

5(B) The occupational and technical training program categories
6prioritized.

7(C) The number and percentage of students who received
8selection priority as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (f).

9(D) The extent to which recipients in these award years were
10successfully placed in jobs that meet local, regional, or state
11workforce needs.

12(2) For the report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1), the
13Legislative Analyst’s Office shall include data for two additional
14prior award years and shall compare the mix of occupational and
15technical training programs and institutions in which Cal Grant C
16award recipients enrolled before and after implementation of
17subdivision (f).

18(3) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code,
19the commission shall submit a report to the Legislature on or before
20April 1,begin delete 2019,end deletebegin insert 2020,end insert and on or before Aprilbegin delete 1stend deletebegin insert 1end insert of each
21begin delete odd-numberedend deletebegin insert even-numberedend insert year thereafter, that includes the
22information specified in paragraph (1).

23(4) A report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall
24be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
25Code.

26begin insert

begin insertSEC. 5.end insert  

end insert

begin insertSection 89226 of the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert is amended to
27read:end insert

28

89226.  

(a) On or before January 1, 2017, and on or before
29January 1 every two years thereafter, the trustees shall report to
30the Legislature key performance data on online courses as defined
31in Section 89225, including, but not necessarily limited to, all of
32the following:

33(1) The number of students enrolled at each campus.

34(2) Course completion rates for courses other than online
35courses.

36(3) Completion rates for degree programs that include no online
37courses.

38(4) Grade point average for students enrolled in online courses.

P14   1(5) The number of students cross-enrolled in online courses at
2a California State University campus other than the campus at
3which they are matriculated.

4(6) Course completion rates for students enrolled in online
5courses.

6(7) Completion rates for degree programs that include online
7courses.

8(b) (1) On or before January 1, 2017, the trustees shall report
9to the Legislative Analyst the key performance data described in
10subdivision (a).

11(2) On or beforebegin delete October 1, 2017,end deletebegin insert January 1, 2018,end insert the
12Legislative Analyst shall submit a status update to the Legislature
13regarding the California State University’s implementation of the
14provisions of the bill that added this section and an assessment of
15the extent to which the online programs of the California State
16University are operating in a manner consistent with legislative
17intent and statutory requirements.

18(c) Student enrollment and completion rate data included in a
19report to be submitted pursuant to this section shall be made
20available by demographics, including age, gender, and ethnicity.

21(d) (1) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under
22subdivision (a) is inoperative on July 1, 2021, pursuant to Section
2310231.5 of the Government Code.

24(2) The report prepared pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be
25submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
26 Code.

27

begin deleteSEC. 5.end delete
28
begin insertSEC. 6.end insert  

Section 99161.5 of the Education Code is amended to
29read:

30

99161.5.  

(a) (1) The test sponsor of the Law School Admission
31Test shall provide testing accommodations to a test subject with
32a disability who makes a timely request to ensure that the Law
33School Admission Test accurately reflects the aptitude,
34achievement levels, or other factors that the test purports to
35measure and does not reflect the test subject’s disability. This
36paragraph does not constitute a change in, but is declaratory of,
37existing law.

38(2) The process for determining whether to grant an
39accommodation under paragraph (1) shall be made public, and the
40decision whether or not to approve a request for an accommodation
P15   1shall be conveyed to the requester within a reasonable amount of
2time. If the test sponsor of the Law School Admission Test does
3not approve a request for accommodation, the test sponsor shall
4state the reasons for the denial of the request to the requester in
5writing.

6(3) The test sponsor of the Law School Admission Test shall
7establish a timely appeals process for a test subject who is denied
8an accommodation request. The test sponsor of the Law School
9Admission Test shall clearly post on the Law School Admission
10Test Internet Web site information regarding refund policies for
11individuals whose requests for accommodation are denied.

12(b) Whenever a test subject has received formal testing
13accommodations from a postsecondary educational institution for
14a disability as defined in subdivision (j), (m), or (n) of Section
15 12926 of the Government Code, the test sponsor of the Law School
16Admission Test shall, consistent with existing law, give
17considerable weight to documentation of past modifications,
18accommodations, or auxiliary aids or services received by the test
19subject in similar testing situations when determining whether to
20grant an accommodation to the test subject.

21(c) (1) The test sponsor of the Law School Admission Test
22shall not notify a test score recipient that the score of any test
23subject was obtained by a subject who received an accommodation
24pursuant to this section.

25(2) The test sponsor of the Law School Admission Test shall
26not withhold any information that would lead a test score recipient
27to deduce that a score was earned by a subject who received an
28accommodation pursuant to this section.

29(3) This subdivision does not constitute a change in, but is
30declaratory of, existing law.

31(d) This section shall not be construed to limit or replace any
32other right or remedy that exists under state or federal law.

33(e) This section shall not provide greater protections to persons
34with disabilities than those provided by Section 51 of the Civil
35Code.

36

begin deleteSEC. 6.end delete
37
begin insertSEC. 7.end insert  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
38this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
39local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
P16   1pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
24 of Title 2 of the Government Code.



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