BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 1393
AUTHOR: Skinner
AMENDED: April 23, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 17, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Foster youth: priority for student housing.
SUMMARY
This bill requests the California Community Colleges and
the University of California, and requires the California
State University, to give priority for student housing to
current and former foster youth.
BACKGROUND
The Higher Education Outreach and Assistance Act for
Emancipated Foster Youth requires the following services to
be provided to assist emancipated foster youth:
1) The Trustees of the California State University (CSU)
and Board of Governors of the California Community
Colleges (CCC) to review housing issues to ensure
basic housing during the school year, including
vacations and holidays other than summer break,
provide technical assistance and advice to campuses on
ways in which to improve the delivery of services to
emancipated foster youth, and track retention rates of
students who voluntarily disclose their status as
former foster youth.
2) The Trustees of the CSU and Board of Governors of the
CCC to evaluate the extent to which their current
programs are meeting the needs of foster youth and how
those outreach and retention services can be improved.
3) The State University Educational Opportunity Program
and the CCC Extended Opportunity Programs and Services
to ensure that identified emancipated foster youth are
informed of services, including mentoring, provided by
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these programs.
4) The State Department of Social Services and county
welfare departments to, in coordination with the CSU
and CCCs, communicate with foster youth at two grade
levels designated jointly by the CSU and CCCs to
conduct outreach and technical assistance for
prospective students.
5) The Student Aid Commission to provide outreach
services and technical assistance to foster youth at
the two grade levels designated by the CSU and CCC.
ANALYSIS
This bill requests the California Community Colleges and
the University of California, and requires the California
State University, to give priority for student housing to
current and former foster youth. Specifically, this bill:
1) Requires a campus of the California State University
(CSU) that maintains student housing facilities to
give priority to current and former foster youth.
This bill additionally requires a CSU campus that has
student housing open for occupation during school
breaks, or on a year-round basis, to first give
priority to current or former foster youth for
residence in the housing facilities that are open for
uninterrupted year-round occupation, and next give
priority to current or former foster youth for housing
that is open for occupation during the most days in
the calendar year.
2) Requires the same of a campus of the University of
California (UC), to the extent that the UC Regents, by
appropriate resolution, make this bill applicable.
3) Requests the same of a campus of the California
Community Colleges (CCC).
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Why request CCC and UC but require CSU to comply ?
While the California State University (CSU) is
required to comply with the provisions of this bill,
the California Community Colleges (CCC) and the
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University of California (UC) are only requested to
comply. Ten CCC campuses maintain dormitories, thus
the author believes the CCCs should provide priority
housing to foster youth. However, requesting rather
than requiring the CCCs to comply avoids a
state-mandated cost associated with the bill. The
author requests UC to comply with the provisions of
the bill as the California Constitution (Section 9 of
Article IX) establishes that the UC is subject to
legislative control only to the degree necessary to
ensure the security of its funds and compliance with
the terms of its endowments.
2) UC amendments . The UC has suggested, and the author
agreed to accept, amendments to clarify that the
former foster youth affected by this bill meet current
campus eligibility requirements for housing. For
example, the UC does not want to create situations
where former foster youth are housed in graduate
family housing with no access to services for
undergraduate students. Staff recommends that these
amendments be adopted.
3) Fiscal impact . According to the Assembly
Appropriations Committee analysis, 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 colleges provide
on-campus housing.)
4) Prior legislation . AB 1578 (Leno, 2007), among other
things, contained provisions relative to student
housing that are identical to this bill. AB 1578 was
held on the Senate Appropriations Committee's suspense
file due to costs associated with provisions other
than those relating to housing.
AB 2489 (Leno, 2006) was similar to AB 1578 (Leno, 2007).
AB 2489 was held in the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
SUPPORT
California Community Colleges
California State Association of Counties
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California State PTA
California Youth Connection (sponsor)
Children's Advocacy Institute
Children's Law Center of Los Angeles
County Welfare Directors Association of California
Everychild Foundation
John Burton Foundation for Children Without Homes
Junior League of Orange County
National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter
Southern California Foster Family and Adoption Agency
OPPOSITION
None received.