BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                          AB 668 (Block)
          
          Hearing Date: 08/25/2011        Amended: 08/15/2011
          Consultant: Jacqueline Wong-HernandezPolicy Vote: Education 8-0
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          ____
          BILL SUMMARY: AB 668 defines an "undue hardship" on the 
          California State University (CSU), for the purpose of denying a 
          request to reschedule a test or examination by a student for 
          whom the test time violates the student's religious creed. 
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          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions          2011-12      2012-13      2013-14     Fund
                                                                      
          CSU exam reschedule policy       ------Minor and 
          absorbable------                  General
          _________________________________________________________________
          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: SUSPENSE FILE.

          Existing law requires CSU campuses, in administering any test or 
          exam, to permit any student to take the test or exam without 
          penalty, at a time when that activity would not violate the 
          student's religious creed. Existing law provides an exception to 
          the accommodation requirement if administering the test or exam 
          at an alternate time would impose an "undue hardship" on the 
          university. Under existing law, should there be a legal 
          challenge, the burden of proof is on the institution to prove an 
          undue hardship.

          This bill defines an undue hardship as an action requiring 
          significant difficulty or expense, when considered in light of 
          the following factors: 

             1)   The nature and cost of the accommodation needed. 

             2)   The overall financial resources of the facilities 
               involved in the provision of the reasonable accommodations, 
               the number of persons employed at the facility, and the 
               effect on expenses and resources or the impact otherwise of 








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               these accommodations upon the operation of the facility.

             3)   The overall financial resources of the covered entity, 
               the overall size of the business of a covered entity with 
               respect to the number of employees, and the number, type, 
               and location of its facilities. 

             4)   The type of operations, including the composition, 
               structure, and functions of the workforce of the entity.

             5)   The geographic separateness, administrative, or fiscal 
               relationship of the facility or facilities. 

          The CSU has indicated that this is largely consistent with 
          existing policies, and any additional costs would be minor and 
          absorbable.