BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2908
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Date of Hearing: April 19, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Jose Medina, Chair
AB 2908
(Committee on Higher Education) - As Amended April 11, 2016
SUBJECT: Postsecondary education: omnibus.
SUMMARY: Makes several changes to the Education Code (EC).
Specifically, this bill:
1)Reassigns, from the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), to the
University of California (UC) and the California State
University (CSU), the reporting requirement to the Legislature
on UC and CSU expenditures.
2)Removes the requirement for postsecondary institutions to
submit hate violence reports to the LAO; and, specifies that
the postsecondary institutions shall still complete reports
and post their findings publicly on their respective Internet
Web sites.
3)Authorizes the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to
require grade point average (GPA) submission no later than
October 1 of each academic year.
4)Moves the time frame and grade level upon which a school
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district or charter school shall notify in writing to each
pupil, and for a pupil under 18 years of age, his or her
parent or guardian, about the GPA submission to CSAC, from
October 15 to January 1 and from grade 12 to grade 11.
5)Changes the due date for the LAO to report on Cal Grant C from
April 1, 2017 to April 1, 2018.
6)Changes the due date for the LAO to report on CSU's online
courses, as specified, from October 1, 2017 to October 1,
2018.
7)Makes clarifying and technical changes to an incorrect cross
reference in the EC.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires the LAO to report to the Legislature on the
expenditures of the UC and CSU (EC 66028.6).
2)Requires the governing boards of each community college
district, the CSU Trustees, the Hastings College of Law Board
of Directors, the UC Regents, and the governing boards of any
postsecondary educational institution receiving public funds
for student financial assistance to make a report containing
data on hate crimes, as specified, available to the LAO (EC
67380).
3)Authorizes CSAC to require school districts and charter
schools to submit the GPAs of all grade 12 pupils every year,
unless a pupil and/or his or her parent or guardian has opted
out of the GPA submission to CSAC; and, specifies that school
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districts and charter schools shall notify grade 12 pupils
and/or their parent or guardian if the pupil is under 18 years
of age, in writing, about the GPA submission to CSAC, no later
than October 15 every year (EC 69432.9).
4)Requires the LAO to report to the Legislature on the outcomes
of the Cal Grant C program on or before April 1, 2015, and on
or before April 1 of each odd numbered year thereafter (EC
69439).
5)Requires the LAO to report to the Legislature on the status
update of CSU's online education programs, as specified, on or
before October 1, 2017 (EC 89226).
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: Omnibus bill. This measure is the Committee omnibus
bill, which seeks to provide various and necessary changes to
the EC.
Demands on the LAO. AB 770 (Vasconcellos), Chapter 1187,
Statutes 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 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.
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On November 18, 2011, CPEC closed its office and ceased
operations. Its federal Teacher Quality Improvement grant
program was transferred to the California Department of
Education and its extensive data resources were transferred to
the CCC Chancellor's Office.
Since that time, more and more the LAO has been required to
perform many of the duties of CPEC, including researching,
writing, and producing many reports to the Legislature.
Committee staff understands that the LAO is beyond capacity with
the volume of reports assigned to the Office on an annual basis.
This measure seeks to make necessary adjustments to some of the
reporting due dates, as specified.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). President
Obama, on September 14, 2015, announced significant changes the
FAFSA process that will impact millions of students. Effective
this year, students will be able to:
1)Submit a FAFSA earlier - students will be able to file a
2017-18 FAFSA as early as October 1, 2016, rather than
beginning on January 1, 2017. To note, the earlier submission
date will be a permanent change, enabling students to complete
and submit a FAFSA as early as October 1 every year; and,
2)Use earlier income information - commencing with the 2017-18
FAFSA, students will report income information from an earlier
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tax year. That is to say, on the 2017-18 FAFSA, students and
parents, as appropriate, will report their 2015 income
information, rather than their 2016 income information.
This authorizes CSAC to make necessary changes in order to
accommodate the federal changes, as aforementioned.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on file.
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
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