BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 176|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 176
Author: Lara (D)
Amended: 6/15/11 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-3, 6/8/11
AYES: Lowenthal, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Price, Simitian,
Vargas
NOES: Runner, Blakeslee, Huff
NO VOTE RECORDED: Vacancy
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 58-2, 4/14/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Standardized testing: valid identification
SOURCE : California State Student Association
DIGEST : This bill requires a test sponsor to provide
alternative methods for verifying the identity of test
subjects who are unable to provide other required forms of
identification for purposes of admission to a standardized
test administered by the test sponsor.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Establishes various requirements and procedures for test
sponsors to follow in administering standardized tests
for admission to, or placement in, postsecondary
CONTINUED
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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.
2. Exempts specified nonresident students of California
from paying nonresident tuition at the California State
University (CSU) and the California Community Colleges
(CCC) under the provisions of AB 540 (Firebaugh),
Chapter 814, Statutes of 2001. The University of
California (UC), by resolution, complies with existing
law established by AB 540.
This bill:
1. Requires a test sponsor to provide alternative methods
to verify the identity of test subjects unable to
provide other required forms of identification for
purposes of admission to a standardized test
administration.
2. Specifies that a test sponsor shall clearly post on the
test sponsor's Internet Web site contact information for
test subjects who are unable to provide the required
identification and who need further assistance.
3. Authorizes a test sponsor to require test subjects
seeking admission to a test administration with an
alternate form of identification to obtain approval from
the test sponsor in advance of the test deadline.
Comments
AB 540 was enacted in part to address circumstances when a
student, who was brought to the United States as a child by
his/her parents, was deemed a nonresident for tuition
purposes when attending UC, CSU, or CCC. Often, these
students were unaware that they were not legal United
States residents, having spent most of their lives in this
country. AB 540 provides access to in-state tuition based
on high school attendance and other factors rather than
legal status, recognizing that the state and its economy
benefits from the educational successes of these students.
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Current Test Sponsor Requirements . There are numerous test
sponsors conducting testing services in California. Test
subject identification requirements are established by test
sponsors. Educational Testing Service, which administers
the Graduate Record Examinations, generally requires test
subjects testing outside of their country of citizenship to
present a valid passport as primary identification,
although some other identification documents, including
permanent and temporary residency cards and border crossing
cards, are also allowed when combined with supplementary
identification. The Law School Admissions Council, which
administers the Law School Admissions Test, requires a
valid passport or government-issued ID from test subjects.
College Board, which administers the Scholastic
Aptitude/Assessment Test required for college admissions in
the United States, requires acceptable identification to be
current, include a recognizable photo, bear the student's
name in English, and match the name shown on the student's
admission ticket. Acceptable identification includes a
driver's license or other state-issued identification,
school identification card, or valid passport. The College
Board has established an identification verification
process for home-schooled students who cannot meet the
identification requirements; the process involves the
student working with his/her local school district to
complete a Student Identification Form.
Requirements for Obtaining a University Identification and
Transcript . According to UC and CSU, there are no
systemwide standards for issuance of student identification
cards. According to UC, requirements at campuses generally
include the student providing their student identification
number, address, phone number, and signing a statement
certifying the accuracy of the information. Student
identification cards are generally valid as long as the
student is enrolled and has paid for the term.
Requirements for obtaining student transcripts also vary by
campus; however many campuses provide students the ability
to review and print unofficial transcripts as well as order
official transcripts online. This bill requires test
sponsors to accept university identification cards (up to
five years old) and university transcripts as proof of
identification. This provision would apply to any test
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subject, not just those students who are unable to obtain
currently required identification.
Prior legislation . AB 2026 (Arambula), 2009-10 Session,
would have required a test sponsor to accept the Matricula
Consular de Alta Seguridad (MCAS) as a valid form of
identification for purposes of admitting a test subject to
a standardized test. Passed the Senate with a vote of
22-11 on June 28, 2010. AB 2026 was ultimately vetoed by
the Governor whose veto message read, in pertinent part:
"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."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/15/11)
California State Student Association (source)
Bay Area Dream Act Coalition
California Immigrant Policy Center
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
University of California Student Association
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
undocumented students attempting to take standardized tests
to enter postsecondary education graduate programs often
find that they cannot meet the identification requirements
of test sponsors. This bill requires test sponsors to
establish an alternative ID verification process that
ensures undocumented students, who wish to pursue graduate
school, the opportunity to take the tests required for
admittance into these programs.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 58-2, 4/14/11
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AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley,
Buchanan, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter, Cedillo,
Chesbro, Cook, Davis, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher,
Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Gatto, Gordon, Hagman, Hall,
Hayashi, Roger Hern�ndez, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman,
Jeffries, Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mitchell, Monning,
Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel P�rez,
Portantino, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Torres,
Valadao, Wieckowski, Yamada, John A. P�rez
NOES: Donnelly, Miller
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bill Berryhill, Butler, Conway,
Galgiani, Garrick, Gorell, Grove, Halderman, Harkey,
Jones, Knight, Logue, Mansoor, Mendoza, Morrell, Olsen,
Silva, Wagner, Williams, Vacancy
CPM:mw 6/15/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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