BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1393
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 29, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                   AB 1393 (Skinner) - As Amended:  April 23, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                              Higher  
          EducationVote:9-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requests the California Community Colleges (CCC) and  
          the University of California (UC), and requires the California  
          State University (CSU), in order to ensure stable housing for  
          current and former foster youth, to give priority for campus  
          housing to current and former foster youth with first priority  
          for housing open for uninterrupted year-round occupation and  
          next priority for housing open for occupation most days during  
          the calendar year.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          CSU indicates no fiscal impact.  To the extent UC and CCC decide  
          to give priority for campus housing to former foster youth, any  
          administrative costs should be minor and absorbable.  (Only 10  
          community college districts provide on-campus housing.)

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  .  It is estimated that more than 20,000 youth aged 16  
            and older transition from the foster care system each year.   
            According to a 2007 report by the Children's Advocacy  
            Institute, 65% of foster youth emancipate from the system  
            without a place to live, 51% are unemployed, and 46% have not  
            completed high school.  Fewer than 10% of foster youth who  
            graduate from high school go on to college, and fewer than 3%  
            of foster youth who go on to college ever graduate.  The  
            author argues that a significant obstacle facing foster youth  
            is stability in housing, particularly when on-campus housing  
            closes during holiday and campus breaks. Without families to  
            go home to, former foster youth are often left homeless during  








                                                                  AB 1393
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            these gaps in postsecondary campus housing.  This bill seeks  
            to provide priority for housing to former and current foster  
            youth on CCC, CSU, and UC campuses.  

           2)Prior Legislation .  This bill was included in AB 1578  
            (Leno)-the Foster Youth Higher Education Preparation and  
            Support Act of 2007-which was held on Suspense in Senate  
            Appropriations Committee.  

            This provision was also included in AB 2489 (Leno) of 2006,  
            which was also held in the Senate Appropriations.

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