BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
24 (Block)
Hearing Date: 08/17/2009 Amended: 07/23/2009
Consultant: Dan Troy Policy Vote: ED 5-0
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 24 would require the Chancellor of the
California State University to conduct a study of the
feasibility of establishing a satellite program and, ultimately,
an independent CSU campus, at Chula Vista. This bill would also
modify an existing provision of law concerning alternate test
taking times for students.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
Feasibility study $500 to $600, one-time General
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STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Current law provides that the Trustees of the California State
University (CSU) shall have the full power over the construction
and development of any CSU campus and any buildings or other
facilities or improvements connected with CSU. Current law
further declares the intent of the Legislature that sites for
new institutions or branches of the University of California
(UC) or CSU shall not be authorized or acquired unless
recommended by the California Postsecondary Education Commission
(CPEC) and provides that all proposals for new colleges or
programs shall be forwarded to CPEC for review.
This bill would require the Chancellor of the CSU to conduct a
study regarding the feasibility of establishing a satellite
program and ultimately, an independent CSU campus at Chula
Vista, and specifies the study should include specified elements
such as enrollment projections, regional workforce needs,
prospective economic impact and job creation in the region,
potential alleviation of overcrowding and traffic at San Diego
State University, environmental impact, and support and capital
outlay projections.
Currently, the Chula Vista area is served by the CSU-San Marcos
and San Diego State University (SDSU). According to the
author's office, the CSU system cannot currently accommodate
statewide demand for 4-year degree study. SDSU, for example,
turned away 69 percent of first-time freshman applicants in
2008. By building a new campus at Chula Vista, it is argued
that a new option would be created to serve tens of thousands of
area residents that are being turned away at an impacted campus.
The CSU reports that all qualified students from the San Diego
area were offered admission to SDSU in 2008. Further, CSU
suggests that the state has not provided resources sufficient
for CSU to meet the needs of students and fund current
operations.
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AB 24 (Block)
The estimated cost for the feasibility study would be in the
range of $500,000 to $600,000, a figure derived form considering
the costs of feasibility reports that have been done over the
past 20 years for Monterey Bay, San Marcos, and the Channel
Islands.
Additionally, the actual costs of building a new campus would
likely be in the hundreds of millions.