Bill Text: CA AB3158 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Bill 3158

Bill Title: Community colleges: West Valley-Mission Community College District.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-09-22 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 435, Statutes of 2024. [AB3158 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB3158-Chaptered.html

Assembly Bill No. 3158

CHAPTER 435

An act to add and repeal Section 76303 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges.

[ Approved by Governor September 22, 2024. Filed with Secretary of State September 22, 2024. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 3158, Berman. Community colleges: West Valley-Mission Community College District.

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 requires community college districts to charge students an enrollment fee of $46 per unit per semester, except as provided.

Existing law authorizes, until July 1, 2028, the governing board of the San Mateo County Community College District to, among other things, adopt a policy that uses local unrestricted general funds to provide fee waivers to students with the greatest financial need when other fee waivers are not provided to those students, and to provide assistance to students for the total cost of attendance.

This bill would authorize the governing board of the West Valley-Mission Community College District to adopt a policy that uses local unrestricted general funds to provide fee waivers to students with the greatest financial need when other fee waivers are not provided to those students, and would require the policy to include a requirement to prepare a fiscal impact statement, including a 3-year projection of the fiscal impact of the fee waiver on the community college district, as specified.

Existing law establishes the California College Promise, to be administered by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. Existing law requires the chancellor to distribute funding, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to community college districts to fund colleges that meet prescribed requirements. Existing law authorizes a community college that receives funding under the program to, among other things, waive some or all of the fees for up to 2 academic years for first-time students and returning students who are enrolled in 12 or more semester units or the equivalent at the college and complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application.

This bill would authorize the West Valley-Mission Community College District to use local unrestricted general funds, in addition to funding received under the California College Promise, to provide assistance to students for the total cost of attendance, as defined.

This bill would require the West Valley-Mission Community College District to use local unrestricted general funds for purposes of these provisions only for students who reside within the boundary of the community college district.

This bill would require the governing board of the West Valley-Mission Community College District, on or before March 1, 2028, to submit a report to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the Department of Finance, and the appropriate committees of the Legislature on the implementation of these provisions, as specified.

This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2030, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2031.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for West Valley-Mission Community College District.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Section 76303 is added to the Education Code, to read:

76303.

(a) The governing board of the West Valley-Mission Community College District may adopt a policy that uses local unrestricted general funds to provide fee waivers to students with the greatest financial need, as determined by the community college district, when other fee waivers are not provided to those students. The policy shall include a requirement to prepare a fiscal impact statement, including a three-year projection of fiscal impact of the fee waiver on the community college district. The fiscal impact statement shall be presented at a public meeting of the governing board of the community college district and made available to the public.

(b) In addition to funding received pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 76396, the West Valley-Mission Community College District may use local unrestricted general funds to provide assistance to students for the total cost of attendance.

(c) The West Valley-Mission Community College District may use local unrestricted general funds for the purposes described in this section only for students who reside within the boundary of the community college district.

(d) On or before March 1, 2028, the governing board of the West Valley-Mission Community College District shall submit a report to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the Department of Finance, and the appropriate committees of the Legislature on the implementation of this section. The report shall include all of the following:

(1) How the district has determined to use local unrestricted general funds to support implementation of the California College Promise.

(2) How the district has determined to use local unrestricted general funds to assist students with the total cost of attendance.

(3) How the district has determined to use California College Promise funds to assist students with the total cost of attendance.

(4) A copy of the policy adopted by the governing board of the West Valley-Mission Community College District pursuant to subdivision (a).

(5) A copy of the fiscal impact statement prepared pursuant to subdivision (a).

(6) The number and percentage of students receiving a fee waiver pursuant to this section, disaggregated by age, race and ethnicity, unit load, and income level.

(7) The number and percentage of students receiving a California Promise Grant, disaggregated by age, race and ethnicity, unit load, and income level.

(8) The number and percentage of students receiving other forms of institutional aid, including scholarships and grants, disaggregated by age, race and ethnicity, unit load, and income level.

(9) The services and programs that were limited or eliminated due to the implementation of this section.

(e) For purposes of this section, the total cost of attendance for a student attending a community college shall be defined to include the student’s tuition and fees, books and supplies, living expenses, transportation expenses, and any other student expenses used to calculate a student’s financial need for purposes of federal Title IV student aid programs.

(f) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2030, and, as of January 1, 2031, is repealed.

SEC. 2.

The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances of the West Valley-Mission Community College District that necessitate greater flexibility in the use of local resources to support students’ basic needs and removal of financial barriers for students to access higher education in a high cost-of-living region.