BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 384
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 23, 2007

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mark Leno, Chair

                  AB 384 (Portantino) - As Amended:  April 19, 2007 

          Policy Committee:                              Higher  
          EducationVote:7-0
                        PERSS                                 6-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill provides that the surviving spouses and children of  
          firefighters employed by the federal government who were  
          residents of the state, whose regular duty was to provide  
          firefighting services in the state, and who died performing that  
          duty:

          1)Shall not be required to pay mandatory systemwide fees or  
            tuition at the University of California (UC), the California  
            State University (CSU), or a California community college, and  


          2)Will be provided state-provided health benefit coverage, as  
            provided by the California Public Employees Retirement System  
            under the Public Employees Medical and Hospital Care Act if  
            the surviving spouses and children are uninsured.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)GF costs would depend on the number of existing and future  
            surviving spouses and children of fallen firefighters take  
            advantage of medical and/or tuition benefits. Currently 29  
            surviving spouses receive health care benefits at an annual GF  
            cost of $372,000. Since 1990, 30 federal firefighters have  
            been killed in the line of duty. It is unknown how many of  
            these firefighter left survivors. If 10 surviving spouses and  
            their families were to receive health benefits, the initial  
            cost would be around $130,000 annually. If two additional  
            surviving spouses become eligible for benefits, the annual  
            cost would exceed $150,000.








                                                                  AB 384
                                                                  Page  2


          2)Revenue losses to UC and CSU, assuming 10 students at each  
            system receive a tuition waiver, would be $64,000 and $28,000,  
            respectively. Any revenue losses at the community colleges  
            would be minor.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  . Last fall, five federal employees died while fighting  
          the Esperanza fire in Riverside County. The survivors of these  
          men, and any other fallen federal firefighters, will not receive  
          the benefits that are available to other Californians who have  
          died in a similar line of duty. 

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081