SB 142 — Higher education trailer bill.

Summary

(1) Existing law establishes the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program to provide one-time grants for the construction of student housing, or for the acquisition and renovation of commercial properties into student housing for the purpose of providing affordable, low-cost housing options for students enrolled in public postsecondary education in the state. In addition to funding provided for purposes of the program, existing law requires the University of California and the California Community Colleges to fund construction grants using revenue bonds issued by the University of California or community college districts for specified intersegmental projects. Existing law requires General Fund support for certain grants provided to the California Community Colleges to revert to the General Fund and instead be funded with local revenue bonds issued by community college districts, as specified. This bill would make various changes to these provisions. Among these changes, the bill would (A) authorize instead of request the University of California to fund capital outlay planning and construction grants, (B) increase the amounts specified for 2 existing intersegmental projects, (C) authorize instead of require the California Community Colleges to fund construction grants using local financing issued by community college districts, and (D) delete 2 intersegmental projects between the California Community Colleges and the University of California. The bill would require a community college that has already received an allocation of resources to revert those General Fund resources by June 29, 2024, or upon the enactment of the Budget Act of 2024, whichever is later. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature that no later than the Budget Act of 2024, a statewide lease revenue bond or other statewide financing or fiscal approach be developed and included to support the community college affordable student housing projects that have been approved pursuant to the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program. (2) Existing law establishes the Golden State Teacher Grant Program under the administration of the Student Aid Commission to award grants to students enrolled in professional preparation programs leading to a preliminary teaching credential or a pupil personnel services credential who commit to work for 4 years at a priority school or a California preschool program, as provided. Existing law authorizes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to determine that a private postsecondary educational institution that offers a professional preparation program approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing qualifies for the program if the institution meets certain criteria, including that the institution is accredited by the Senior Colleges and Universities Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Existing law requires the Student Aid Commission to provide one-time grant funds of up to $10,000 to each enrolled student in a private postsecondary educational institution qualified for the program under these provisions, as specified. This bill would specify that the student be a California resident and that, of the funds appropriated in support of the Golden State Teacher Grant Program, no more than 8% of the total funding may be allocated for purposes of the one-time grants described above. The bill would require that the private postsecondary educational institution be accredited by either the Senior Colleges and Universities Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or regionally accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. If the institution has no physical presence in California, the bill would require the institution to contract with the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education to respond to California resident student complaints, as provided. (3) Existing law establishes the California Kids Investment and Development Savings (KIDS) Program, under the administration of the Scholarshare Investment Board (board) , for purposes of expanding access to higher education through savings. This bill would, for the 2023–24 and 2024–25 fiscal years, require the board to partner with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Riverside County Office of Education to explore ways to increase participation in the KIDS Program. The bill would require, as permissible under federal and state data privacy and data security laws, the board to provide specified local educational agencies with the statewide student identifiers of certain pupils who have not yet engaged with the KIDS Account established on their behalf. The bill would require, on or before September 30, 2025, the board, in collaboration with those local educational agencies, to report specified information to the Department of Finance and the Legislature. The bill would make conforming changes related to the reporting requirement. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2025. (4) Existing law establishes the Middle Class Scholarship Program (MCSP) under the administration of the Student Aid Commission. Existing law makes an undergraduate student eligible for a scholarship award under the MCSP if the student is enrolled at the University of California or the California State University, or enrolled in upper division coursework in a community college baccalaureate program, and meets certain eligibility requirements. Existing law generally sets the MCSP award at an amount that equals the difference between the student's cost of attendance and the sum of scholarships, grants, or fee waivers awarded to the student in excess of $7,898 in expected student contribution, and, for dependent students with a household income exceeding $100,000, a percentage of the parents' contribution, as specified. Existing law sets the maximum amount of a student's MCSP award based on a formula that considers the amount appropriated for the MCSP for the applicable award year. Existing law, for purposes of determining a student's MCSP award amount, includes the amount of institutionally awarded emergency housing funds and other basic needs emergency assistance awarded to the student as forms of financial aid, among others, awarded to the student. This bill, for purposes of determining a student's MCSP award amount, would specifically include emergency assistance awarded by an institution-based foster youth support program as a form of financial aid awarded to the student. (5) The Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA) provides that an employee or annuitant is eligible to enroll in an approved health benefit plan, as specified. PEMHCA excludes from the definition of "employee" a person employed on an intermittent, irregular, or less than half-time basis. This bill would authorize a contracting agency that is a community college district to provide benefits to part-time faculty employees who have an appointment of at least one semester and whose teaching assignment with one or more community college districts equals or exceeds 2 courses or 40% of the cumulative equivalent of a minimum full-time teaching assignment. (6) Existing law appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges for the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to enter into a memorandum of understanding with a third-party research institution to conduct a systematic study of online and hybrid course offerings at the California Community Colleges. This bill would require this systematic study to include strong empirical evidence on the effectiveness of online learning modalities at the California Community Colleges, and a research design that meets the standards of the Institute of Education Sciences' What Works Clearinghouse, as provided. The bill would require the study to also focus on equitable access and outcomes relating to online education for different student populations, as specified. (7) The Budget Act of 2021 made appropriations for the support of the University of California for the 2021–22 fiscal year, including a $10,000,000 appropriation to provide language surveys for residents of California that comprise less than 5% of the statewide population, as specified. The Budget Act of 2021 makes this $10,000,000 appropriation available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2024. This bill would extend that period of encumbrance or expenditure by 3 years. By extending the date by which previously appropriated funds may be encumbered or expended, the bill would make an appropriation. (8) The Budget Act of 2023 appropriated $22,765,000 for support of the Student Aid Commission. This bill would increase that appropriation by $206,000. (9) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 09/13/23 - Chaptered Current pdf September 13, 2023
• Enrolled 09/13/23 - Enrolled pdf September 13, 2023
• Amended 08/28/23 - Amended Assembly pdf August 28, 2023
• Introduced 01/18/23 - Introduced pdf January 18, 2023
• SB142 View text html

Action History

1. September 13, 2023

   Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 195, Statutes of 2023.

2. September 13, 2023

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 12, 2023

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11:30 a.m.

4. September 11, 2023

   Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 2572.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

5. September 08, 2023

   In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

6. September 08, 2023

   Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 61. Noes 7. Page 3107.) Ordered to the Senate.

7. September 07, 2023

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

8. September 06, 2023

   Ordered to second reading.

9. September 06, 2023

   Withdrawn from committee. (Ayes 61. Noes 17. Page 2953.)

10. September 06, 2023

    Assembly Rule 96 suspended.

11. August 28, 2023

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.

12. March 30, 2023

    Referred to Com. on BUDGET.

13. March 27, 2023

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

14. March 27, 2023

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 8. Page 499.) Ordered to the Assembly.

15. March 20, 2023

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

16. March 16, 2023

    Ordered to second reading.

17. March 16, 2023

    Withdrawn from committee. (Ayes 28. Noes 8. Page 357.)

18. January 25, 2023

    Referred to Com. on B. & F.R.

19. January 19, 2023

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 18.

20. January 18, 2023

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

• Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review · Primary

Votes

Subjects