BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 2026
AUTHOR: Arambula
AMENDED: May 11, 2010
FISCAL COMM: No HEARING DATE: June 23, 2010
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Kathleen Chavira
SUBJECT : Standardized Testing Valid Identification
KEY POLICY ISSUE
Should a test sponsor that administers a standardized test for
purposes of admission to, or class placement in, postsecondary
educational programs be required to accept a specified document
as a valid form of identification for admission to a
standardized test administration session?
SUMMARY
This bill requires a test sponsor to accept a Matricula
Consular de Alta Seguridad (MCAS) issued by the government of
Mexico within the last five years as a valid form of
identification for admission to a standardized test
administration session.
BACKGROUND
Current law imposes a number of requirements on test sponsors
(defined as any individual, partnership, corporation,
association, company, firm, institution, society, trust, or
joint stock company) that develop, sponsor or administer
standardized tests (defined as any test administered in
California at the expense of the test subject and used for
purposes of admission to, or class placement in, postsecondary
institutions or their programs, or preliminary preparation for
those tests). These requirements include specified reporting
requirements, specified administration and financial data and
information, technical psychometric data, test descriptions
with specified information to be provided to test subjects, and
other miscellaneous items. (Education Code 99150-99164)
AB 2026
Page 2
Current law also provides that a test sponsor who violates any
of these provisions is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed
$750 per violation. (EC 99163)
ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Requires a test sponsor to accept the Matricula Consular
de Alta Seguridad (MCAS) as a valid form of identification
for admission to a standardized test administration
session if it has been issued by a consular office of the
government of Mexico within the last five years.
2) Prohibits a test sponsor from requiring any additional
form of identification for purposes of test admission and
administration if a valid MCAS
(as specified in # 1) is presented.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill . According to the author, the College
Board is currently the only test sponsor that accepts high
school student IDs and the Matricula Consular as valid
identifications for the purposes of standardized test
administration. This creates an obstacle for undocumented
students, particularly AB 540 students, who are attempting
to pursue graduate study. Currently, the only valid
identification option for these non-citizen students is
the presentation of a passport, issued for 3 and 6 years
and costing between $74 and $101. The Matricula Consular
is commonly obtained by Mexican nationals residing in the
United States, particularly students, as it is available
in an ID size/format, can easily be kept in a wallet,
displays a current U.S. address, is widely accepted by
banks and law enforcement, and is issued for up to 5 years
for only $27. This bill would ensure that undocumented
students residing in California have an additional
identification option similar to those afforded all other
students who take standardized tests for the purpose of
pursuing postsecondary educational opportunities.
2) Matricula Consular de Alta Seguridad . The MCAS, also
referred to as the High Security Consular Registration
Document, is a water-sealed photo identification card that
has been issued by the Mexican Government through its
AB 2026
Page 3
consulate offices to Mexican nationals residing outside of
Mexico since 1871. The MCAS operates as a Mexican
citizen's primary identification and proof of residency in
Mexico and its purpose is to enable consular offices to
provide protection and access to consular services as well
as to help relatives and authorities to locate their
nationals overseas.
The MCAS is a numbered document which displays the date of
issuance and an expiration date. It includes a picture, a
signature, and a brief description of the individual it
identifies (name, date, place of birth, and the address of
the individual). Security features include lamination, a
watermark and a magnetic strip. It is normally valid for a
period of five years, but may be issued for lesser terms.
To obtain a MCAS card, a Mexican national must apply in
person at any of the 47 consulate offices of the
Government of Mexico within the United States. Applicants
must submit a certified copy of a birth certificate,
present an official picture ID issued by any Mexican or
U.S. authority, and show proof of residence in the
consular district by presenting a phone, rent or power
bill.
3) Enhanced security features . According to the Mexican
Consulate, as of March 2002 the MCAS has incorporated
several new security features. In addition to the
development of a national database to avoid duplicate
issuances and the creation of a "stop list" to identify
individuals who are not allowed to obtain documents issued
by the Mexican government, the new card has 13 security
features to prevent its forgery. These include optical
security devices used in U.S. Government high security
documents, encoded features, security stripes, and
ultraviolet logos, among other things. According to the
Consulate, as of 2007 all previously issued Matriculas
have been replaced with the new MCAS.
4) What is currently required by test sponsors ? The majority
of test sponsors indicate that acceptable forms of
identification for test administration include a passport,
government issued driver's license, and U.S. military
card. While the College Board indicates that it will
accept a school identification card or student ID form,
the Educational Testing Service, Law School Admission
AB 2026
Page 4
Council and the Association of American Medical Colleges
all clearly indicate that they will not accept a student
identification card. The ETS, which among other exams,
administers the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) indicates that
it does not currently accept the MCAS as a form of
government issued identification.
5) Other government uses of the Matricula . "Bank on
California," launched statewide by Governor Schwarzenegger
in 2008, is a program intended to help families to
establish their first bank accounts in order to encourage
them to begin saving, build a credit history, and to
access lower cost credit services. Participating banks and
credit unions accept several government issued
identification cards including, a California Driver's
License, California State ID, passport, permanent resident
card (Green Card/Alien Registration Card), military ID or
a Consular ID, such as the MCAS and the Guatemalan
Consular identification cards. Additionally, according to
the Sacramento office of the Consulate General of Mexico,
the MCAS is accepted as identification by most city and
county authorities and banks in California and other
states. However, the MCAS is not valid as a driver's
license nor can it be used as an immigration or travel
document.
SUPPORT
California State Student Association
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
The College Board
OPPOSITION
None received.