BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
2047 (Hernandez)
Hearing Date: 08/02/2010 Amended: 04/28/2010
Consultant: Dan Troy Policy Vote: ED 6-2
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 2047 would authorize the University of
California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) to
consider geographic origin and household income in undergraduate
and graduate admissions. The bill would also authorize UC and
CSU to consider race, gender, ethnicity, and national origin in
undergraduate and graduate admissions, to the extent permitted
by the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of
the United States Constitution, as specified. CSU would be
required, and UC requested, to report to the Legislature and the
governor by November of 2012 on the implementation of the
provisions of this bill.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Fund
Reporting $150 $150
General
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STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
In regard to the standards and criteria for admissions to UC and
CSU, current law expresses legislative intent that the governing
boards to:
1) Develop processes that strive to be fair and easily
understandable.
2) Consider criteria and procedures that allow otherwise
eligible applicants to enroll who have course decisions sue
to circumstances beyond their control.
3) Consult broadly with California's diverse ethnic and
cultural communities.
Current law also expresses the intent of the Legislature that
the UC and the CSU seek to enroll a student body that meets high
academic standards and reflects the cultural, racial,
geographic, economic, and social diversity of California.
The CSU system all students who are California residents that
graduate from high school, have a grade point average above 3.0
and complete a 15-unit pattern of courses with a grade of C or
higher for admission as a first-time freshman. The CSU
authorizes undergraduate majors, programs or campuses to use
supplementary admission criteria to screen applications, if
impacted. Each major, program, or campus is authorized to
determine its own supplementary admissions criteria.
The University of California uses an admissions policy known as
Comprehensive Review, adopted in November 2001. Campuses use 14
selection criteria, ten based upon academic achievement and four
based on factors such as special talents and accomplishments,
creativity, tenacity, community service and leadership to make
admissions decisions. Campuses may employ their own weighting
factors.
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AB 2047 (Hernandez)
The California Constitution, pursuant to Proposition 209 (1996),
prohibits the state from discriminating against or granting
preferential treatment to anyone due to their race, sex, color,
ethnicity, or national origin. This bill states that UC and CSU
are authorized to consider race, among other factors, to the
extent permitted by the equal protection clause of the
Fourteenth Amendment. The U.S Supreme Court has ruled that a
university may use race in a "narrowly tailored" manner if the
purpose is in obtaining educational benefits that derive from
diversity.
Both CSU and UC indicate that implementing the new admission
requirements, to the extent they choose to do so, should not
lead to new costs. To the extent the segments choose to use
race in a manner that is inconsistent with the state or U.S.
Constitution, it is possible, though, that they may incur costs
for litigation. CSU does not currently collect comprehensive
data on household income and geographic location on student
applications, so complying with the bill's reporting
requirements would cost the system an estimated $150,000,
annually.