Bill Text: CA ACR65 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Joint Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2009-09-23 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 106, Statutes of 2009. [ACR65 Detail]
Download: California-2009-ACR65-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: ACR 65 CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 106 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 ADOPTED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 8, 2009 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 5, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ruskin APRIL 22, 2009 Relative to higher education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 65, Ruskin. Joint Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education. This measure would establish the Joint Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education. The measure would provide that the joint committee would consist of a number of Assembly Members and Senators to be determined by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Committee on Rules. The committee would be established to review the Master Plan for Higher Education and create a framework to ensure that higher education continues to thrive, among other things. The measure would authorize the Assembly Committee on Rules to make money available to the joint committee from the Assembly Operating Fund. WHEREAS, Education is the most important function of the State of California and is essential to the cultural, political, and economic health of the state and the nation; and WHEREAS, California's population is rich in ethnic and cultural diversity, which is a resource that should continually be developed to ensure the ongoing success of the state and its residents; and WHEREAS, California has developed an extraordinary higher educational system with an unprecedented investment of public and private moneys and the energy and commitment of countless individuals; and WHEREAS, In 1960, California established a master plan for the development, expansion, and integration of the facilities, curriculum, and standards of higher education in junior colleges, the California State University system, the University of California system, and other institutions of higher education in the state to meet the needs of the state during the 10 years following the master plan's establishment; and WHEREAS, The 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education was a precedent-setting document that envisioned a place for every Californian, regardless of background or income, and the 2009-10 Master Plan review effort seeks to continue the wisdom and opportunity included by the original framers; and WHEREAS, The drafters of the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education foresaw a changing California and a postsecondary education system that would adapt to, meet, and overcome the demands inherent with change; and WHEREAS, Since the adoption of the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education, the master plan has been reviewed periodically by the Commission for the Review of the Master Plan for Higher Education, the Coordinating Council for Higher Education, the Joint Committee for Review of the Master Plan in Higher Education, and the California Postsecondary Education Commission; and WHEREAS, California is at a crossroad as our economy demands a highly skilled workforce, yet a significant number of our next generation are not being prepared to meet our economic demands; and WHEREAS, The recent economic downturn has taken a toll on the state's fiscal support for public higher education; however, the economy will revive, and this Master Plan review can set a framework for funding priorities when funds become available to restore and increase the state's support for its colleges and universities and invest in preparing its future workforce; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California hereby establishes the Joint Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education for the purposes of reviewing the Master Plan for Higher Education and creating a framework to ensure that our higher education system continues to thrive and contribute to a healthy and prosperous future for California and its students; and be it further Resolved, That the joint committee shall consist of as many members of the Assembly, including one co-chair, as are appointed to the committee by the Speaker of the Assembly, and as many members of the Senate, including one co-chair, as are appointed to the committee by the Senate Committee on Rules, provided that the members appointed from each house shall be appointed in equal number; and be it further Resolved, That the joint committee and its members shall have and exercise all of the rights, duties, and powers conferred upon investigating committees and their members by the Joint Rules of the Senate and the Assembly as they are adopted and amended from time to time, which provisions are incorporated herein and made applicable to this committee and its members; and be it further Resolved, That the Assembly Committee on Rules may make money available from the Assembly Operating Fund, as it deems necessary, for the expenses of the joint committee and its members. Any expenditure of money shall be made in compliance with policies set forth by the Assembly Committee on Rules, and shall be subject to the approval of the Assembly Committee on Rules; and be it further Resolved, That the joint committee is authorized to act until November 30, 2010, at which time the committee's existence shall terminate; and be it further Resolved, That the joint committee shall submit a report at the end of the legislative session to the Legislature on its activities; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly shall transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.