Bill Text: CA AB19 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Community colleges: California College Promise.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-10-13 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 735, Statutes of 2017. [AB19 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB19-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  September 01, 2017

Amended  IN  Senate  July 03, 2017

Amended  IN  Senate  June 27, 2017

Amended  IN  Assembly  May 30, 2017

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 30, 2017

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 16, 2017

Amended  IN  Assembly  February 28, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 19

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Introduced by Assembly Members Santiago, Chiu, and McCarty
(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, and Quirk-Silva)

December 05, 2016

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An act to amend Section 76300 of add Section 76300.6 to the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 19, as amended, Santiago. Community colleges: enrollment fee waiver.

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 authorizes the establishment of community college districts under the administration of community college governing boards, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction at community college campuses throughout the state. Existing law requires community college district governing boards to charge students an enrollment fee of $46 per unit per semester. Existing law requires the board of governors to waive this fee for students meeting prescribed requirements.

If

This bill, contingent upon the enactment of an appropriation for purposes of the bill in the annual Budget Act or another statute, and except as provided, would, in the event that the governing board of a community college district opts to participate and meets specified requirements, the bill would, except as provided, waive the enrollment fee, for one academic year, for first-time community college students at the district who enroll in 12 or more semester units or the equivalent, as specified, and complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application. The bill would require each participating community college district that has offsetting local revenues that exceed the funding calculated pursuant to the district’s budget formula to annually report to the chancellor Chancellor of the California Community Colleges the amount of these fee waivers granted for that fiscal year, as specified.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 76300.6 is added to the Education Code, to read:

76300.6.

 (a) (1) Contingent upon the enactment of an appropriation for purposes of this section in the annual Budget Act or another statute, if the governing board of a community college district meets the requirements of paragraph (5), that governing board shall waive the fee requirements of Section 76300 for any first-time community college student who is enrolled at the district full time, and completes and submits either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application. A fee waiver that a student receives pursuant to this section shall only be for one academic year, and shall only be waived for the summer term and each semester or quarter of that year in which the student maintains full-time status. A fee waiver provided pursuant to this section shall not be available to a student who is charged a tuition fee pursuant to Section 76140.

(2) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(A) “Full time” means 12 or more semester units or the equivalent.

(B) “One academic year” means the total of the summer term that immediately precedes the first semester or quarter of the fall term, and the two consecutive semesters or three quarters that immediately follow that summer term. Each semester or quarter is approximately the same length.

(3) Each participating community college district that has offsetting local revenues that exceed the funding calculated pursuant to the district’s budget formula shall annually report to the chancellor the amount of fee waivers granted for that fiscal year pursuant to this subdivision. In computing the amount of fee waivers, the district shall exclude fee waivers for all students who are eligible for a fee waiver pursuant to subdivisions (g) to (j), inclusive, of Section 76300.

(4) All community college districts, including districts described in paragraph (3), shall be eligible for state funds provided to support the implementation of this section. Notwithstanding any other law, if insufficient state funds are available to cover the additional cost of waivers provided pursuant to this subdivision, the shortfall shall be borne by all community college districts, including districts described in paragraph (3), based on the number of waivers provided pursuant to this section.

(5) In order for the fee requirements of Section 76300 to be waived for a student under this section, the governing board of the community college district shall partner with one or more school districts and one or more California State University or University of California campuses, if appropriate, to establish or expand a program that includes all of the following practices and principles:

(A) Partnering with one or more school districts to establish an Early Commitment to College Program that is consistent with the intent of Article 6.3 (commencing with Section 54710) of Chapter 9 of Part 29 of Division 4 of Title 2 to provide K–12 students and families assistance that includes, but is not limited to, learning about college opportunities, visiting campuses, taking and completing college preparatory courses, and applying for college and financial aid.

(B) Partnering with one or more school districts to support and improve high school student preparation for college and reduce postsecondary remediation through practices that may include, but are not limited to, small learning communities, concurrent enrollment, and other evidence-based practices.

(C) Utilizing evidence-based placement and student assessment indicators at the community college district that include multiple measures of student performance, which may include, among others, grades in high school courses, overall grade point averages, results from common assessments, and input from counselors.

(D) Providing students who are enrolled at the community college district with access to courses, including, but not limited to, priority registration, and allowing them to register for a full academic year of courses at once, in order to keep them on track to graduate, transfer to a public postsecondary university, or earn a career technical education certificate in California.

(E) Providing outreach to students who are enrolled at a community college within the community college district regarding the Associate Degrees for Transfer and the California Community College Transfer Entitlement Cal Grant program.

(6) The governing board of a community college district that opts to participate in the program established by this section shall submit to the chancellor’s office a plan for implementing a college promise program pursuant to this section. The chancellor’s office shall than make a determination as to whether the community college district has met the criteria set forth in paragraph (5).

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that sufficient funds be provided to support the provision of a fee waiver for every student who demonstrates eligibility pursuant to this section.