BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
LOU CORREA, CHAIRMAN
Bill No: AB 2133
Author: Blumenfield and Silva
Version: As amended April 26, 2012
Hearing Date: June 12, 2012
Fiscal: Yes
Consultant: Donald E. Wilson
SUBJECT OF BILL
Veterans' priority registration
PROPOSED LAW
Give California resident student veterans 15 years of
priority registration for enrollment.
EXISTING LAW AND BACKGROUND
1. Existing law gives four years of priority registration
to student veterans.
2. Declares legislative intent regarding the categories of
priorities for purposes of enrollment planning and
admission at UC and CSU (described below) with one
exception: CSU must admit with junior status any CCC
student meeting the associate degree for transfer
requirements, who will receive priority over other CCC
transfers Education Code �66747 established by SB 1440
(Padilla), Chapter 428, Statutes of 2010.
3. Declares the Legislature's intent regarding the
categories of priority for purposes of undergraduate
resident student enrollment planning and admission at UC
and CSU, in the following order (Education Code � 66201):
a) Continuing undergraduate students in good
standing.
b) CCC students who have successfully
completed a course of study in an approved transfer
agreement program.
c) Other CCC students who have met all
requirements for transfer.
d) Other qualified transfer students.
e) California residents entering at the
freshman or sophomore levels.
4. Declares the Legislature's intent that within each of
the preceding categories, priority consideration for
admission be granted in the following order:
a) California residents who are recently
released veterans of the Armed Forces, with priority within
this group to be given to veterans who were enrolled in
good standing prior to military service.
b) CCC transfers, giving preference to
students from historically underrepresented or economically
disadvantaged families to the fullest extent possible in
transfer admissions decisions.
c) Previously enrolled applicants provided
they left the campus in good standing.
d) Applicants for a degree or credential
objective not generally offered at other public higher
education institutions in California.
e) Applicants for whom the distance to
attend another institution would create financial or other
hardship.
5. Requires UC and CSU maintain a student body comprised
of 60% upper division and 40% lower division students and
declares the Legislature's intent that this goal be reached
and maintained by instituting programs and policies that
increase the number of transfer students, rather than by
denying places to eligible freshmen applicants. (Education
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Code � 66201.5)
6. Requires CCC and CSU, and requests UC, to give priority
for registration for enrollment to any member or former
member of 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 Education Code � 66025.8,
established by SB 272 (Runner), Chapter 356, Statutes of
2007].
7. SB 272 of 2007 (Runner) gave veterans priority
registration for two years.
8. SB 813 of 2011 (Senate Veterans Affairs Committee)
extended priority registration to four years.
COMMENT
1. AB 549 of 2011 (Harkey) and SB 813 of 2011 (Senate
Veterans Affairs) both sought to increase priority
registration to five years, which was amended to four years
in SB 813, which the governor signed.
2. The priority registration clock starts ticking from the
moment of discharge. The extension of priority
registration was necessitated after it was found that SB
272 of 2007 (Runner) did not give a long enough
registration window since many veterans did not enroll in
school immediately upon discharge.
The example given in a committee analysis for SB 813 of
2011 clearly illustrated the answer to the question, why
four years instead of two?
E.g. - A veteran separates from service say in February
2011, gets home, looks for job, and applies for acceptance
to a university in April. This year admission is already
closed for the fall semester at some universities. So,
this veteran will not be admitted to school for a year
after separating from the military. One of the two
priority years is already consumed and the veteran is not
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even attending school."
3. Now the question is why 15 years instead of four?
Committee staff met with some community colleges last fall.
The problem is not that 15 years of priority registration
is needed, but that a veteran has 15 years under the new
G.I. Bill to attend classes.
E.g. - A veteran waits ten years to attend college after
discharge. He or she now has no priority registration and
has problems getting impacted classes, which may mean the
veteran does not finish within the four years of G.I. Bill
benefits.
The problem this bill seeks to solve is to make sure that
when a veteran goes to school, he or she is able to finish
within four years of G.I. Bill benefits. The answer to the
problem is to change when the clock starts ticking.
The legislature did not see fit to give 5 years of priority
registration much less 15. Since the intent of the bill is
to make sure any veteran finishes within the benefits
period, then keep the law at four years of priority
registration but have the clock start ticking from the time
of enrollment instead of at the time of discharge.
In discussions with the community college group, they
indicated the idea was good, but they did not have the
software available to implement the change in that manner.
RECOMMENDATION - Change the bill from 15 years of priority
enrollment to four years of priority enrollment beginning
from the day a veteran starts classes.
4. There has been some discussion with California State
University to add some clarifying language that priority is
only granted after verification of veteran status. E.g. -
"and after military or veterans status has been verified by
the institution."
5. Legislative Counsel advises that this bill is in
conflict with AB 649 (Harkey) and AB 1832 (Silva).
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SUPPORT
American Legion, Department of California
AMVETS, Department of California
California Association of County Veteran Service Officers
California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office
California State Commanders Veterans Council
Community College League of California
Coast Colleges
National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter
North Orange County Community College District
Orange County Community Colleges Legislative Task Force
Rancho Santiago Community College District
South Orange County Community College District
Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council
OPPOSE
None received
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