Amended in Assembly March 24, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1977

Introduced by Assembly Member Roger Hernández

begin insert

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Gonzalez and V. Manuel Pérez)

end insert begin insert

(Coauthors: Senators Lara and Padilla)

end insert

February 19, 2014

An act to add Article 1.7 (commencing with Section 66727) to Chapter 9.2 of Part 40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1977, as amended, Roger Hernández. Public postsecondary education: Student Academic Preparation and Educational Partnerships.

(1) Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools maintained and operated by local educational agencies throughout the state. Existing law establishes a system of public postsecondary education in this state, consisting of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California. The University of California administers Student Academic Preparation and Educational Partnerships with the goal of raising student achievement levels generally and to close achievement gaps among groups of students from kindergarten to the postgraduate level. Existing programs within the Student Academic Preparation and Educational Partnerships (SAPEP) include the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP), the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program, and the Puente program.

This bill would express legislative intent to provide increased financial support for SAPEP programs and to make it easier for SAPEP students to meet their educational goals. begin delete The bill would grant priority enrollment to students who are participants in a SAPEP program in the high school and college courses necessary for the student to graduate, and transfer when appropriate, in order to efficiently progress from high school to a baccalaureate degree. Because this provision would impose new duties on local educational agencies and community college districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. end delete

(2) This bill would appropriate begin delete an unspecified sum end delete begin insert $82,243,000 end insert from the General Fund to the Regents of the University of California for allocation, without regard to fiscal year, to Student Academic Preparation and Educational Partnerships. The bill would further provide that, of the amount appropriated under this provision, an unspecified amount would be allocated to the Puente program.

begin delete

(3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

end delete begin delete

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

end delete

Vote: ²⁄₃. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program:  begin delete yes end delete begin insert no end insert .

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Article 1.7 (commencing with Section 66727) is
added to Chapter 9.2 of Part 40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:

 

Article 1.7.  Student Academic Preparation and Educational
Partnerships

 

66727.  

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(1) The underrepresentation of certain groups of Californians
in the ranks of students seeking baccalaureate degrees has serious
consequences for our state’s ability to compete in a global
economy.

(2) Our state needs to create a statewide plan for higher
education through which our public postsecondary educational
segments can be funded to increase the enrollment numbers and
the success rate of the underrepresented groups.

(3) The coordination between our elementary and secondary
schools and our postsecondary educational institutions needs to
be improved so that more students can succeed.

(4) The programs within the Student Academic Preparation and
Educational Partnerships (SAPEP), especially the Early Academic
Outreach Program (EAOP), Mathematics, the Engineering, Science
Achievement (MESA) program, and the Puente program, have
been proven to be successful in assisting members of
underrepresented groups to excel while making the transition from
high school to university.

(b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to provide
increased financial support for SAPEP programs and to make it
easier for SAPEP students to meet their educational goals.

begin delete

66727.5.  

Notwithstanding any other law, a student who is a
participant in a SAPEP program shall be granted priority for
enrollment in the high school and college courses necessary for
the student to graduate, and transfer when appropriate, in order to
efficiently progress from high school to a baccalaureate degree.

end delete

SEC. 2.  

The sum of begin delete ____ end delete begin insert eighty-two million two hundred
forty-three thousand end insert dollars begin delete ($____) end delete begin insert ($82,243,000) end insert is hereby
appropriated from the General Fund to the Regents of the
University of California for allocation, without regard to fiscal
year, to Student Academic Preparation and Educational
Partnerships. Of the amount appropriated under this section, no
less than ____ dollars ($____) shall be allocated to the Puente
program.

begin delete

SEC. 3.  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

end delete