BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




          Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary

                                AB 798  (Wildman)

Hearing Date:8/16/99            Amended:7/8/99         
Consultant: Lisa Matocq         Policy Vote:Ed 14-0    
____________________________________________________________ 

BILL SUMMARY: 

AB 798 revises the funding formula for educational programs  
for adults in correctional facilities.

                         Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
  
Major Provisions                       1999-2000         2000-01        2001-02      
 Fund  
                         
Adult education                Unknown increased costs, probably at            
General*
                          least $1,400 annually

*Costs count toward meeting Prop. 98 minimum guarantee.

STAFF COMMENTS:  This bill meets the criteria to be placed  
on the Suspense File.  Under current law, county jail  
education programs are funded through a revenue limit  
formula that pays the county or district an amount per  
pupil based upon actual costs.  There are state-imposed  
growth limits that allow programs to claim funding for no  
more than 2 % more pupils (average daily attendance or  
ADA) than in the  prior year  .   This bill authorizes a  
county or district to claim current year funding for a  
program enrollment that does not exceed 102.5% of the  
program's ADA in any of the five previous years, rather  
than just the prior year.   According to the Senate  
Education Committee analysis, the "current growth cap on  
programs for adults in correctional facilities prevents  
individual programs from returning to full strength  
whenever a jail has to be closed or renovated and the  
prisoner population, and thus the program participant  
population, declines temporarily."  

There are unknown increased costs.  However, the 1998-99  
Budget Act contained $15.6 million to reimburse local  
agencies for adult education programs in correctional  










facilities, while the Department of Education (DOE)  
allocated only $14.2 million.  The discrepancy was  
apparently due to temporary facilities closures.  Using the  
1998-99 example, increased costs could be at least $1.4  
million annually.