BILL ANALYSIS �
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 194|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 194
Author: Beall (D), et al
Amended: 8/30/11 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 10-0, 6/8/11
AYES: Lowenthal, Runner, Alquist, Blakeslee, Hancock,
Huff, Liu, Price, Simitian, Vargas
NO VOTE RECORDED: Vacancy
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 8-1, 8/25/11
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Emmerson, Lieu, Pavley, Price,
Runner, Steinberg
NOES: Walters
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 66-7, 4/11/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Public postsecondary education: priority
enrollment: foster
youth
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the California State
University and each community college district, and
requests the University of California to grant priority
enrollment for registration to a foster youth or former
foster youth. This bill sunsets on January 1, 2017.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires the California State
CONTINUED
AB 194
Page
2
University (CSU) and each community college district, and
requests the University of California (UC) to give priority
for registration for enrollment to any member the Armed
Services for any academic term attended at one of these
institutions within two years of leaving active duty, if
the institution already administers a priority enrollment
system.
This bill:
1. Requires the CSU and each community college district,
and requests the UC, by appropriate resolution, to grant
priority in the system for registration for enrollment
to a foster youth or former foster youth.
2. Defines "foster youth" to mean a person who is currently
in foster care, and "former foster youth" to mean any
person who is an emancipated foster youth and who is up
to 24 years of age.
Comments
Existing educational resources in higher education
1. CCC Tuition Assistance . The CCCs provide virtually free
tuition to former foster youth.
2. CCCs Foster Youth Success Initiative . Assists foster
youth by connecting students with support services and
financial aid to achieve educational goals.
3. Chafee Educational and Training Vouchers Program . This
program offers up to $5,000 per year to former foster
youth under age 22 for post- secondary training.
4. Guardian Scholars Programs . Available on many CCC and
CSU campuses, these programs offer housing, tuition, and
academic support to former foster youth.
5. Other Campus-Specific Supports . Some state college
campuses have designed local programs to support former
foster youth with comprehensive support services from
ensuring admission and retention to academic and
personal counseling.
CONTINUED
AB 194
Page
3
What is priority registration enrollment ? Students who
have priority enrollment registration status have an
advantage to select their classes before "open
registration" begins for the general student body.
Campuses have full discretion locally in how priority is
assigned. Each campus may designate certain student groups
with such priority registration such as athletes.
According to the Senate Education Committee analysis, some
foster youth may currently have priority enrollment for
registration status as a student of the Extended
Opportunity Programs and Services (a program designed for
low-income, underprepared students who are attending CCC
full-time). However, this program has been greatly
impacted due to budget reductions.
Related Legislation
AB 649 (Harkey), 2011-12 Session, extends the period of
time for priority class registration enrollment, from two
years to five years, to members or former members of the
Armed Services and requires that any member or former
member of the Armed Services be a California resident.
(Held in Senate Education Committee)
SB 813 (Senate Veterans Affairs Committee), 2011-12
Session, extends the period of time, from two years to four
years, that a former member of the Armed Forces can receive
priority registration enrollment at the CSU and the CCCs.
The bill requests that the UC comply with priority
enrollment as specified in this bill. (In Assembly Higher
Education Committee)
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
The Senate Appropriations Committee analysis states that
unlike the CSU and the UC, the CCCs can file mandate
reimbursement claims through the state mandates claims
process for requirements that constitute new duties or
higher levels of service for their campuses. Requiring
that an additional group of students be given priority
registration could constitute a significant reimbursable
CONTINUED
AB 194
Page
4
mandate. For example, the CCCs could claim the costs of any
reporting, database, or enrollment forms changes; any
additional time spent registering foster youth or verifying
former foster youth status; any costs associated with
training registration clerks or developing additional
processes.
The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office
(CCCCO) has indicated that it considers this bill's
requirements to be minor and implementation absorbable;
further, that CCC campuses would add queries to existing
forms, and any necessary updates would not incur additional
costs. If no mandate claim is sought, there would be no
additional state costs for this bill. Senate
Appropriations Committee staff also notes that the CCCs did
not file a mandate claim for the provisions of SB 272
(Runner, 2007) which set in statute the requirement to give
priority registration to specified veterans. The state has
not reimbursed the CCCs for any changes they may have made
to implement that similar system. The CCCs continue,
however, to sustain substantial budget reductions, and may
be more likely to file claims in the future. It is also
unclear how the costs could change in the future as
additional categories of underserved students are added to
priority registration groups. The specified subgroup of
veterans in existing law, and the specified subgroup of
(current and former) foster youth covered by this bill, are
both small populations in the CCCs. If additional groups
continue to be added in legislation, CCCs could eventually
incur significant costs to work through the interaction of
priority registration groups in a consistent way.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/30/11)
ACE Scholars Services, CSU San Marcos
Advancement Project California
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
Aspiranet
California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office
California Federation of Teachers
California State Association of Counties
California State PTA
California State University
CONTINUED
AB 194
Page
5
California State University Student Association
California Youth Connection
Career Ladders Project
Children's Advocacy Institute
City and County of San Francisco
Community College League of California
County Welfare Directors Association
Junior Leagues of California
Los Angeles City College Foundation
Public Counsel Law Center
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
The John Burton Foundation
The University of California
University of California Student Association
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, "former
foster youth face significant barriers to accessing higher
education. The challenges start early on, as multiple
foster care placements make it difficult for them to
achieve stability in their education. In fact, 70% of
youth in foster care desire to go to college, however, 20%
actually do attend college and only two to three percent
graduate with a four-year degree."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 66-7, 4/11/11
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Davis, Dickinson, Eng,
Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon,
Grove, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger Hern�ndez, Hill,
Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Lara, Logue, Bonnie
Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Mitchell, Monning, Nestande,
Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel P�rez,
Portantino, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson,
Torres, Valadao, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A.
P�rez
NOES: Donnelly, Jones, Knight, Mansoor, Miller, Morrell,
Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Cook, Fletcher, Garrick, Gorell, Hagman,
Halderman, Vacancy
CONTINUED
AB 194
Page
6
CPM/DLW:mw 8/30/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****
CONTINUED