AB 3255: Postsecondary education: omnibus bill.

(1)Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to maintain for public record certain enumerated information and authorizes the commission to disclose that information. Existing law generally prohibits the disclosure by the commission of information absent an order from a court of competent jurisdiction.

This bill would, for purposes of the ongoing evaluation of teacher preparation programs at the California State University, authorize the commission to provide to the Office of the Chancellor of the California State University or the State Department of Education any data it collects to the extent that the disclosure is permitted by state and federal privacy laws.

(2)Existing law requires a postsecondary educational institution that is a qualifying institution under the Cal Grant program to designate a staff member who is employed within the financial aid office, or another appropriate office or department, of the institution to serve as its homeless and foster student liaison.

Existing law requires the California State University and each community college district, and requests the University of California, with respect to each campus in their respective jurisdictions that administers a priority enrollment system, to grant priority for registration for enrollment to a foster youth or former foster youth, as defined, and, until January 1, 2020, to a homeless youth, as defined.

This bill would add homeless and foster student liaisons to the groups for whom priority for registration for enrollment is required or requested under that provision. Because the bill would amend the requirements relating to student eligibility for priority registration at community college campuses, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(3)Under existing law, the segments of the public postsecondary education system in the state include the University of California, which is administered by the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, which is administered by the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, which is administered by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

Existing law establishes uniform residency requirements for purposes of ascertaining the amount of tuition and fees to be paid by students of public postsecondary education institutions. Existing law entitles a student to resident classification for the purpose of determining tuition and fees if the student is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States stationed in the state on active duty, except as specified.

This bill would entitle a student to resident classification for that same purpose if the student is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States stationed in the state, regardless of whether the student is on active duty, subject to the same exception. The bill would define Armed Forces of the United States for this purpose. To the extent the bill would require community college districts to exempt more students from nonresident tuition, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(4)Existing law authorizes a community college district to accept the determination of another community college district as to a students residency classification, if certain conditions are satisfied relating to cross-enrollment in online education.

This bill would instead authorize a community college district to accept the determination of another community college district as to a students residency classification pursuant to a process established by the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, or if those conditions are satisfied.

(5)Existing law exempts a student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, from nonresident tuition at the California State University and the California Community Colleges if the student has a total of 3 or more years of attendance, or attainment of equivalent credits earned while in California, at California high schools, California adult schools, campuses of the California Community Colleges, or a combination of those schools, as specified, or if the student completes 3 or more years of full-time high school coursework, and a total of 3 or more years of attendance in California elementary schools, California secondary schools, or a combination of California elementary and secondary schools.

This bill would specify that the 3 or more years of full-time high school coursework referenced above as part of the requirements in existing law be in California.

(6)The Cal Grant Program establishes the Cal Grant A and Cal Grant B Entitlement awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C award, and the Cal Grant T award under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. For purposes of the Cal Grant Program, existing law defines access costs as living expenses, transportation expenses, supplies, and books.

This bill would include technology within the meaning of access costs for purposes of the Cal Grant Program and would make a related conforming change for purposes of Cal Grant C awards.

(7)Existing law requires the Student Aid Commission to establish a 12-member advisory panel, which includes one representative of the California Postsecondary Education Commission and one college campus financial aid officer appointed by the commission.

This bill would remove from the advisory panels membership the one representative of the California Postsecondary Education Commission and would add one additional campus financial aid officer appointed by the commission to the advisory panels membership.

(8)Existing law authorizes community college districts to admit nonresident students, and requires community college districts to charge a tuition fee to nonresident students, with specified exceptions. Existing law requires the governing board of each community college district to set the nonresident tuition fee not later than February 1 of each year for the succeeding fiscal year.

This bill would instead require the governing board of each community college district to set the nonresident tuition fee not later than March 1 of each year for the succeeding fiscal year.

(9)Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to provide instruction at the campuses they operate. Existing law requires the board of governors to appoint a chief executive officer, known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, and requires the chancellor to execute the duties and responsibilities delegated to him or her by the board of governors. The duties and responsibilities of the chancellor include the submission, on or before July 1 of each year, of a report to the Department of Finance and the Legislature including, among other information, the amount of full-time equivalent students claimed by each community college district for career development and college preparation courses and classes and the related specific certificate programs and course titles.

This bill would instead require this report to be submitted to the Department of Finance and the Legislature on or before November 1 of each year.

(10)Existing law states a finding and declaration of the Legislature relative to the California State Universitys Early Start Program and requires, on or before January 1, 2019, that the Legislative Analysts Office, in consultation with the university, submit a report to the Legislature including specified data relating to the California State University Early Start Program. Existing law makes these provisions inoperative on January 1, 2019, and repeals them on January 1, 2020.

This bill would (1) include a new finding and declaration of the Legislature regarding an August 2017 Executive order of the Trustees of the California State University that makes changes to the universitys assessment and placement policies and remediation-related strategies in mathematics and English, including the Early Start Program, (2) delete the report on the California State University Early Start Program, (3) require, by December 1, 2021, that the Legislative Analysts Office submit a report to the Legislature detailing the impact of policy changes required pursuant to the executive order relative to incoming freshmen identified as in need of remediation, and (4) make the operative and repeal dates for these provisions January 1, 2021, and January 1, 2022, respectively.

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.

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 the statutory provisions noted above.