BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 384
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 384 (Portantino)
          As Amended September 4, 2007
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |75-0 |(May 31, 2007)  |SENATE: |39-0 |(September 6,  |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2007)          |
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           Original Committee Reference:    HIGHER ED.  

           SUMMARY  :  Enacts the California Fallen Federal Firefighter  
          Survivor Assistance Act of 2007 to provide health benefit  
          coverage to survivors of fallen federal firefighters who were  
          California residents and whose regular duty assignments were to  
          perform firefighting services in California, with specified  
          conditions relating to other federal benefits.

          The Senate amendments  delete tuition and fee assistance for  
          survivors of fallen federal firefighters at the University of  
          California (UC) and the California State University (CSU).

           EXISTING LAW  provides similar health care benefits to surviving  
          spouses and children of other law enforcement and fire  
          suppression personnel killed in the line of duty in California.

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill contained tuition and fee  
          assistance at UC and CSU as well as health benefit coverage.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Senate Appropriations  
          Committee, exact costs will depend on the number of eligible  
          survivors of federal firefighters who are killed while  
          performing services in California.  There are approximately, on  
          average, two fallen firefighters each year in California.  

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author, when a firefighter is killed  
          in the line of duty, he/she leaves behind a family who not only  
          suffers this great loss but a family faced with financial  
          challenges including health care.  Existing law provides  
          specific relief in these vital areas for survivors of fallen  
          police officers and firefighters, but omits protection for those  
          firefighters on the federal payroll.  This bill cures this  
          omission.









                                                                  AB 384
                                                                  Page  2

          Tuition and fee assistance benefits were removed upon  
          affirmation that there are significant federal education  
          benefits for survivors and that these benefits are contingent  
          upon the absence of state benefits.
           
           
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mary Gill / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960  



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