BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2026
Page 1
GOVERNOR'S VETO
AB 2026 (Arambula)
As Amended May 11, 2010
2/3 vote
HIGHER EDUCATION 7-1 JUDICIARY 7-2
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|Ayes:|Block, Adams, Chesbro, |Ayes:|Feuer, Brownley, Evans, |
| |Fong, Galgiani, | |Jones, Monning, Nava, |
| |Portantino, Ruskin | |Skinner |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Fuller |Nays:|Hagman, Knight |
| | | | |
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|ASSEMBLY: |47-27|(May 13, 2010) |SENATE: |22-11|(June 28, |
| | | | | |2010) |
| | | | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires a test sponsor to accept the Matricula
Consular de Alta Seguridad (MCAS) issued by the government of
Mexico through one of its consular offices within the last five
years as a valid form of identification for purposes of
admitting a test subject to take a standardized test and
provides that no other identification shall be required for
persons who present a valid Matricula Consular.
EXISTING LAW establishes various requirements and procedures for
test sponsors to follow in administering standardized tests for
admission to, or placement in, postsecondary educational
institutions and programs; and subjects any test sponsor who
violates the requirements or procedures of administering
standardized tests to a civil penalty of up to $750 per
violation.
AB 2026
Page 2
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill has been keyed non-fiscal by
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : Purpose of this bill: Undocumented students
attempting to take standardized tests to enter postsecondary
education graduate programs find that they cannot meet the
identification requirements of test sponsors. This bill would
require test sponsors to accept the MCAS as a valid form of
identification; thereby ensuring undocumented students who wish
to pursue graduate school the opportunity to take the tests
required for admittance into these programs.
Current requirements: There are numerous test sponsors
conducting testing services in California. Test subject
identification requirements are established by test sponsors.
Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administers the
Graduate Record Examinations, requires test subjects testing
outside of their country of citizenship to present a valid
passport as primary identification. The Law School Admissions
Council (LSAC), which administers the Law School Admissions
Test, requires a valid passport or government issued
identification from test subjects. ETS and LSAC do not accept
the MCAS as a valid form of identification.
Background on MCAS: Mexican Consulates have legally issued
matricula consular documents since 1871. Generally, the purpose
of consular registration is to enable consular officers to
provide protection and access to consular services, as well as
to help relatives and Mexican authorities to locate their
nationals abroad. In 2002, the Government of Mexico, through
the Mexican Consulates in the United States (U.S.), began
issuing the MCAS, a new high security consular identification.
The MCAS includes an official Government of Mexico-issued ID
number and bears a photograph and address of the Mexican
National to whom it is issued. Additionally, the MCAS has
various visible and hidden security features.
Acceptance of MCAS as valid identification: The MCAS is
recognized in California as valid identification for some local
government purposes. In 2003, at least 12 counties, 25 cities,
and dozens of police and sheriff's departments in California
AB 2026
Page 3
accepted the MCAS as a valid form of identification.
Additionally, increasingly U.S. banking institutions are
accepting the MCAS. According to data from the Mexican
Consulate, as of July 2004, over 175 banks in the U.S. accepted
the Matricula Consular as a form of identification.
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE :
"Current law already allows individual entities, such as a test
sponsor specified in this bill, to accept the Matricula Consular
de Alta Seguridad as a valid form of identification. The State
should not have to require any entity to accept it. Testing
sponsors should have the freedom to decide whether the Matricula
Consular de Alta Seguridad is a valid form of identification for
its purposes."
Analysis Prepared by: Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0005286