BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 519|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 519
Author: Mendoza (D)
Amended: 9/7/07 in Assembly
Vote: 21
PRIOR VOTES NOT RELEVANT
SUBJECT : Private postsecondary education
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill extends limited state oversight of
private postsecondary schools from February 1, 2008 to July
1, 2008.
ANALYSIS : Existing law expresses the intent of the
Legislature to provide for the protection of the interests
of students who, and institutions which, have pending
matters before the former Private Postsecondary and
Vocational Education Reform Act of 1989.
This bill extends, from February 1, 2008, until July 1,
2008, limited state oversight of private postsecondary
schools by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA),
primarily by extending the provisions of AB 1515 (Cook),
Chapter 67, Statutes of 2007.
This bill:
1.Extends, for six months, the provisions of AB 1525, which
CONTINUED
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include a continuation of matters pending before the
Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education
(BPPVE) as of June 30, 2007, authorization for schools to
enter into voluntary agreements to comply with the law as
it existed on June 30, 2007, preservation of rights of
action for students, and continuation of the Student
Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) under the administration of
DCA.
2.Extends, for 11 months, retention of institutional
approvals necessary to preserve student ability to sit
for licensing exams.
3.Creates, within DCA, the Bureau of Private Postsecondary
Education (BPPE) and the position of bureau chief, which
shall commence operations when legislation creating a new
California Private Postsecondary Act is chaptered.
4.Provides an opportunity for new institutions to begin to
operate by voluntarily agreeing to comply with the law as
it existed on June 30, 2007.
5.Authorizes any accredited institution to modify a degree,
diploma, or certificate program, to add or change a
location, to change the institution's name, or undergo a
change of ownership, provided the institution documents
approval of such action by its accrediting agency.
6.Authorizes the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (BBC)
to approve a school that was not licensed by the former
BPPVE if the school meets specified conditions, in order
for BBC to continue to meet its existing statutory
obligations.
Comments
Due to a failure to reach a consensus on a new regulatory
structure as proposed in SB 823 (Perata), this bill
continues the provisions of AB 1525 for an additional six
months.
This bill creates the new BPPE and sets forth its duties
and responsibilities rather than waiting to place those
provisions in SB 823 because that bill must be adopted as
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an urgency measure to allow a new private postsecondary act
to take effect prior to the expiration of student
protections and institutional provisions in this bill. It
is unconstitutional to create a new bureau in an urgency
measure.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: Yes Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, DCA
estimates costs of approximately $300,000 for five
positions to oversee the voluntary contracts, pay STRF
claims, and respond to phone calls from consumers.
NC:cm 9/10/07 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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