BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 960
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 8, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                    SB 960 (Rubio) - As Amended:  August 6, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                              Higher 
          EducationVote:9-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill limits the reallocation of student-approved, 
          campus-based mandatory fees that are enacted at the California 
          State University (CSU) after January 1, 2013. Specifically, this 
          bill, for such fees established through a majority vote of the 
          students participating in that vote, but not authorized by 
          statute: 

          1)Prohibits reallocation of the fee without an affirmative vote 
            of either a majority of students participating in the vote or 
            a majority of the campus fee advisory committee participating 
            in the vote.

          2)Allows reallocation of the fee without an affirmative voter as 
            in (1) if the vote that established the fee authorized an 
            alternative or automatic reallocation mechanism for that fee.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          CSU will incur minor and absorbable costs to modify current CSU 
          fee policies. If reallocation of a campus-based fee, enacted 
          after the effective date of this bill, required a vote of the 
          campus student body, the one-time cost would be about $25,000. 
          The more likely, and less costly approach, would be to seek a 
          reallocation vote of the campus fee advisory committee.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Background  .  Campus-based mandatory fees are used to support 
            on-campus activities such as health facilities and services, 
            student university unions, athletic programs, 








                                                                  SB 960
                                                                  Page  2

            transit/transportation systems, and recreational 
            opportunities. State funding is not provided to support these 
            activities.  There is no statutory guiding policy on mandatory 
            systemwide tuition and fees beyond the current fiscal 
            condition and the stated needs of CSU and UC, as negotiated in 
            budget deliberations.  Campus-based fees at CSU currently 
            average $1,047 per year.

           2)Purpose  . Under its policy, CSU presidents have the authority 
            to use an alternate consultation process to divert funds 
            and/or establish campus-based mandatory and 
            instruction-related fees without consulting the student body.  
            The author states, "This executive language overrides the 
            rights of students to self-govern and allocate fees that the 
            student-body itself established and voted on through a 
            referendum process.  Several student bodies throughout the CSU 
            system have had their existing fees reallocated or new fees 
            established without a vote from the student body."

           3)Recommended Amendment  . The bill should clarify that the 
            subsequent vote is in regards to the reallocation of the fee. 
            On page 2, line 11, after "fee" insert "reallocation".

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081