BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



               SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                              Senator Carol Liu, Chair
                                2015 - 2016  Regular 

            Bill No:             SB 247              
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            |Author:    |Lara                                                 |
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            |Version:   |February 18, 2015                      Hearing Date: |
            |           |    March 25, 2015                                   |
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            |Urgency:   |No                     |Fiscal:     |Yes             |
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            |Consultant:|Olgalilia Ramirez                                    |
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            Subject:  Dream Centers:  educational support services

              SUMMARY
            
            This bill authorizes the governing board of a school  
            district or county office of education that maintain grades  
            9-12, the governing board of a California Community College  
            (CCC) district, and the trustees of the California State  
            University (CSU) and encourages the Regents of the  
            University of California (UC) to establish on-campus Dream  
            Centers for the purposes of providing educational support  
            services applicable to undocumented students.

              BACKGROUND
            
            Existing law provides that AB 540 students are eligible to  
            apply for, and participate in; any student financial aid  
            program administered by the State of California to the full  
            extent permitted by federal law and requires the California  
            Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to establish procedures and  
            forms for this purpose.  To comply with this provision the  
            CSAC developed the Dream Application. 
            (EC 69508.5) 

              ANALYSIS
            
            This bill authorizes the governing bodies of school  
            districts, county offices of education, CCC districts and  
            the CSU, and encourages the UC to establish on-campus Dream  
            centers for the purposes of providing information to  







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            undocumented students about educational support services  
            which may include the Dream Application established by the  
            CSAC. 

            STAFF COMMENTS
            
               1.   Need for the bill: This bill only authorizes and  
                 encourages campuses to establish Dream centers and its  
                 ultimate effect is unclear. According to the author,  
                 the California legislature has adopted several polices  
                 to support undocumented students seeking postsecondary  
                 education.  Most notably, AB 540 granted these students  
                 in state-tuition if they meet specified criteria, AB  
                 130 (California Dream Act), and AB 131 allowed students  
                 to access state and institutional financial aid.   
                 Additionally the federal program known as the Deferred  
                 Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) enables students  
                 to participate in federal work study programs. Despite  
                 these policies, there is anecdotal evidence of  
                 community groups challenging the need and legality of  
                 support services for undocumented students in various  
                 school districts and colleges around the state. This  
                 bill seeks to provide clarification by explicitly  
                 authorizing the creation of dream centers and other  
                 support services for undocumented students.

               2.   What currently exists?  Each University of  
                 California (UC) campus designates a point of contact  
                 specifically for providing information to undocumented  
                 students.  All but three campuses have physical space  
                 designates for this purpose.  Among the twenty-three  
                 campuses at the California State University (CSU), the  
                 method of delivering information varies. Some campuses  
                 have a designated location but most provide information  
                 through existing student support programs. It is  
                 unclear if any high school or community college campus  
                 has an established location similar to a Dream center  
                 as described by the bill.

            In order to clarify the author's intent to ensure  
            undocumented students' needs are met staff recommends the  
            bill be amended as follows:     

                 11900. The governing board of each school district or  
                 county office of education that maintains any of grades  








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                 9 to 12, inclusive, the governing board of each  
                 community college district, and the Trustees of the  
                 California State University may establish, and the  
                 Regents of the University of California are encouraged  
                 to establish undocumented student support services to  
                 provide but not limited to, state and institutional  
                 financial aid assistance, academic counseling, referral  
                 services and on-campus Dream Centers.  ,  to provide  
                 information to undocumented pupils and students about  
                 educational support services, including, but not  
                 limited to, the financial aid application established  
                 by the Student Aid Commission pursuant to subdivision  
                 (b) of Section 69508.5, known as the Dream Act  
                 Application.  

               3.   Related and prior legislation.

                 AB 1366 (Lopez, 2015) requires the California Community  
                 Colleges and the California State University and  
                 requests the University of California to establish  
                 on-campus Dream resource centers.

              SUPPORT
            
            California Communities United 
            California Immigrant Policy Center 
            Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA)
            Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)
            Young Invincibles 

              OPPOSITION
             
             None received. 

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