Senate Standing Committee on Education

Senate Education Committee will come to order. Good morning. The Senate continues to welcome the public in person and via the teleconference service. For individuals wishing to provide public comment, today's participant number is 877-226-8163. Again, that's 877-226-8163. And the access code is 736-2836. Again, that's 736-2836. We are holding our committee hearings here in the Capitol. I ask all Members of the Committee, please be present in Room 112 so we can establish our quorum and begin our hearing.

I ask that testimony of main witnesses in support or opposition be limited to two people per side, with two minutes for each person. All others may add on and simply state your name, organization, and your position. We have one bill on today's agenda, AB 1291 by Assemblymember McCarty. We do not yet have a quorum, so we will start this committee as a subcommittee. Welcome. Assemblymember McCarty, you may present your bill.

Thank you, Mr. Chair and Committee Members. With you today to present AB 1291. This is a familiar topic. We had a robust hearing on the same issue about six or so weeks ago on the issue of student transfer streamlining, and make it easier to go from a community college to a CSU or UC. You currently have to have a PhD to understand sometimes the transfer process. That's why only two percent of students who actually transferred from community colleges to UC within two years.

So we have a game changing proposal here with you today, very similar to the one that you heard a few weeks ago. That one did have opposition from the UC. And I'm proud to report that with Committee Staff and Ms. Ogalilia and our team with the Governor's Office and the Assembly Leadership, we're able to form a compromise and bringing a policy with us today that has no institutional opposition and has the opportunity to really be a game changer for student access in California.

This wasn't the perfect ADT mirroring the CSU and UC, but it starts off with a pilot, with UCLA being the first campus and wrapping up to at least five campuses within the UC by the year 2829. Again, this is an opportunity to really make it easier for students to transfer from our community colleges to the university system. No opposition with us this morning, and thank you again for working with us and respectfully ask for your aye vote.

And thank you for your testimony. Are there any witnesses in opposition here today? Is there any witnesses here in support? Is there, there is? No. Somebody waved at me, but that was simply to say hello. Are there any witness here in opposition? Seeing none. Let's go to the teleconference line. Ms. Moderator, is there anybody on the teleconference line who'd like to speak either in opposition to or in support of AB 1291?

At this time, Mr. Chair, we have no one.

Very good. Let's come back here to the dais. To any of my colleagues, singular, would you like to speak to the bill or ask questions or anything? For my part, I do appreciate the work you've done. I want to make clear, as you have in our conversations, that this is sort of a special case.

This was a bill that your original bill did not make it out of the appropriations stage, but with the consent of everybody involved, that this vehicle was created and has no opposition at this point, including the UC, which has dropped their opposition. So I commend you for your work. We do not currently have a quorum, but if you'd like to close, please proceed.

Yeah. Thank you again for you and your Committee Staff for working with us. And this is the biggest transfer policy for UC that we've ever done in California. Mirrors what we did a decade ago for CSU. So this really will be a game changer for student access for higher education throughout California and respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Assemblymember. When we have a quorum, we will take the motion and have the vote. But thank you for your testimony.

Thank you.

And we will sit here patiently waiting for at least two more Members of this Committee to make their presence here in Room 112. But thank you very much, Assemblymember McCarty, and I'm going to recess the Committee for now until we have a quorum present. The Senate Education Committee. It looks like we have sufficient numbers to establish a quorum. Madam Consultant, please call the roll.

Newman?

Here.

Newman, here. Ochoa Bogh?

Here.

Ochoa Bogh, here. Cortese?

Here.

Cortese, here. Glazer? McGuire?

McGuire, here. Smallwood-Cuevas? Wilk?

Here.

A quorum has been established. Now we are seeking a motion on AB 1291 from Assemblymember McCarty.

So moved.

Senator Ochoa Bogh moves the bill. Madam Consultant, please call the roll.

File Item One, AB 1291, McCarty. The motion is do pass, but first, be we re-refer to the Committee on appropriations. Newman? Aye. Newman, aye. Ochoa Bogh? Aye. Ochoa Bogh, aye. Cortese? Aye. Cortese, aye. Glazer? McGuire? Aye. McGuire, aye. Smallwood-Cuevas? Wilk?

Excellent. That bill has four votes and no no votes. It will get out. We'll hold the roll open for a very short time. Allow for Senator Wilk to come and vote. Thank you, Senator Cortese. Thank you, Senator Ochoa Bogh. He does feel strongly. Senator Wilk, the vote is currently four to zero on AB 1291. Let's reopen the role. Madam Consultant, please call the absent members.

On AB 1291 McCarty, motion is do pass, but first, be re-referred to the Committee on appropriations. Glazer? Smallwood-Cuevas? Wilk?

Oh, I'm sorry, that was just a future reaction, sorry.

Wilk, yes.

Alright, that bill now has five aye votes to zero noes. Thank you, Senator Wilk. Nice tie, by the way. With that--so we're going to close the roll. So that bill is out five to zero. And with that, we will adjourn the Senate Committee Education. Thank you.