Bill Text: CA SB1275 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Senate Bill 1275 (Prior Session Legislation)

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

Bill Title: Public postsecondary education: Plan Against College Hunger Act of 2018.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-05-25 - May 25 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB1275 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB1275-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1275

Introduced by Senator Stern

February 16, 2018

An act to add Article 16 (commencing with Section 69820) to Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1275, as introduced, Stern. Public postsecondary education: Plan Against College Hunger Act of 2018.

Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. Under existing law, the commission, among other things, administers the Cal Grant Program, the Student Opportunity and Access Program, the Assumption Program of Loans for Education, the Graduate Assumption Program of Loans for Education, the Public Interest Attorney Loan Repayment Program, and the California State Work-Study Program.

This bill would enact the Plan Against College Hunger Act of 2018. The act would establish the Plan Against College Hunger Program under the administration of the commission for the purpose of reimbursing public postsecondary educational institutions, as defined, that provide student meal plans at no cost to students attending more than part time and who are Cal Grant recipients. The bill would impose requirements on the student meal plans that may be reimbursed under the program. The act would create the Plan Against College Hunger Fund in the State Treasury, and would provide that moneys in the fund are required to be expended by the commission, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purposes of the program and to reimburse the commission for its administrative costs related to administering the program. The bill would authorize the commission to seek grants and accept donations from private and public organizations and agencies for the purposes of the program for deposit in the fund. The bill would require the commission to inform, to the extent possible, Cal Grant award recipients of public postsecondary educational institutions electing to participate in the program and of their eligibility under the program. The bill, notwithstanding any other law, would prohibit a student meal plan received pursuant to these provisions from being considered as income for the purpose of determining eligibility in any state needs-tested financial aid or public benefit.

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

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

SECTION 1.

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Plan Against College Hunger Act of 2018.

SEC. 2.

Article 16 (commencing with Section 69820) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:

Article 16. Plan Against College Hunger Program

69820.

(a) (1) The Plan Against College Hunger Program is hereby established under the administration of the Student Aid Commission.

(2) The purpose of the program is to reimburse public postsecondary educational institutions that provide student meal plans at no cost to students attending more than part time and who are Cal Grant recipients.

(3) Participation in the program by a public postsecondary educational institution is voluntary. This article does not require a public postsecondary educational institution to provide a student meal plan to any student.

(b) (1) The Plan Against College Hunger Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. Moneys in the fund shall be expended by the commission, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purposes of the program and to reimburse the commission for its administrative costs related to administering the program.

(2) The commission may seek grants and accept donations from private and public organizations and agencies for the purposes of this article for deposit in the fund.

69821.

For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meaning:

(a) “Commission” means the Student Aid Commission.

(b) “Fund” means the Plan Against College Hunger Fund.

(d) “Public postsecondary educational institution” means the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges.

69822.

(a) The commission shall develop an application process with criteria consistent with requirements of this article, and may adopt rules and regulations for the implementation of the program consistent with this article.

(b) A public postsecondary educational institution may apply pursuant to subdivision (a) for each student meal plan it provides to a student that meets the conditions in subdivision (c) and any other conditions required by the commission.

(1) The student is a current recipient of a Cal Grant award pursuant to Chapter 1.7 (commencing with Section 69430).

(2) The student is attending the public postsecondary educational institution more than part time.

(3) The student meal plan was provided free of charge to the student.

(4) No additional fees were charged to the student as a condition of receiving meals allocated through the student meal plan.

(5) The student meal plan provides the student with at least 10 meals per week or the cash equivalent of at least 10 meals per week.

(6) The public postsecondary educational institution may not receive more reimbursement than the retail price of the student meal plan charged to other students.

(d) The commission shall prioritize reimbursements under the program for student meal plans provided to students who have the greatest financial need, as calculated pursuant to Section 69432.9.

(e) The commission shall inform, to the extent possible, Cal Grant award recipients, pursuant to Chapter 1.7 (commencing with Section 69430), of public postsecondary educational institutions participating in the program and of their eligibility under the program.

69823.

Notwithstanding any other law, a student meal plan received pursuant to this article shall not be considered as income for the purpose of determining eligibility in any state needs-tested financial aid or public benefit.