BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 1059
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Date of Hearing: August 3, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
SB 1059
(Monning) - As Amended June 21, 2016
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|Policy |Higher Education |Vote:|13 - 0 |
|Committee: | | | |
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| |Veterans Affairs | | 7 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill authorizes an institution, which obtains and provides
evidence to the California State Approving Agency for Veteran's
Education (CSAAVE) of accreditation from the Committee of Bar
Examiners (CBE), to receive approval from CSAAVE for
participation in Title 38 veteran's education benefits, provided
the institution does both of the following:
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1)Provides disclosures to applicants of the school who are
eligible for federal Title 38 awards of the institution's
tuition costs, refund policies, class sizes, number of
faculty, attrition rates, bar passage data, and employment
outcomes of graduates; and,
2)Is in compliance with all applicable CSAAVE rules and
regulations and is in good standing with the CBE.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Minor fiscal impact to CSAAVE.
COMMENTS:
1)Background. The California Department of Veterans Affairs
(CalVet) provides support to veterans living in California by
ensuring that veterans and their families receive the state
and federal benefits and services to which they are entitled.
The CSAAVE operates under contract with the U.S. Department of
Veteran Affairs. Under the authority of federal law, Title 38
US Code, the CSAAVE has the authority to approve or disapprove
veterans' education and training programs, prevent abuses, and
promote quality veterans' education by evaluating and
monitoring education and training programs.
In response to concerns that unscrupulous for-profit colleges
were targeting veteran students in order to access federal
Title 38 education benefits, and leaving students with high
debt levels and low-value degrees or certificates, AB 2099
(Frazier), Chapter 676, Statutes of 2014, requires colleges
approved by CSAAVE to: 1) be accredited by an accrediting
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agency recognized by the USDE, if the institution grants
academic degrees; 2) disclose information regarding licensure
examination passage rates to prospective students, where
applicable; and, 3) be approved by the Bureau for Private
Postsecondary Education (thereby making their students
eligible for a series of consumer protections, including
disclosures, complaint resolution, and access to a tuition
recovery fund) if the institution is a for-profit college.
2)Purpose. According to the author, most law schools in
California are approved by the American Bar Association (ABA),
which is a USDE-recognized accrediting agency. Due to the
cost-prohibitive nature of ABA's approval requirements, 19 law
schools in California, both non-profit and for-profit, have
instead opted to become accredited by the CBE. According to
the author, CBE-accredited law schools tend to attract a
different student population, including older, working
students, students with families, or those seeking a second
career and require part-time night courses in order to achieve
a juris doctorate. CBE is not recognized by the USDE, and
therefore CBE-accredited institutions do not meet the CSAAVE
accreditation requirements established in AB 2099. This bill
would authorize CBE-accredited law schools to be approved by
CSAAVE for purposes of Title 38 veterans' education benefits.
Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
SB 1059
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