Bill Text: CA AB1097 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Community colleges: California College Promise: fee waiver eligibility.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2022-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1097 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB1097-Introduced.html


CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1097


Introduced by Assembly Member Santiago

February 18, 2021


An act to amend Sections 69432, 69432.7, 69433.5, and 94874.9 of, and to add Section 69432.71 to, the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1097, as introduced, Santiago. Public institution of higher education: student financial aid: Cal Grants: fraud, abuse, and false advertising.
Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program, provides grant funding for California postsecondary students meeting eligibility requirements and attending qualifying institutions. Existing law provides that maximum award amounts for students at independent institutions of higher education shall be identified in the annual Budget Act. Existing law specifies the amounts of the maximum Cal Grant A and B awards for students attending independent institutions of higher education. Existing law authorizes community colleges to award an associate degree for transfer, and provides that the amount of Cal Grant A and B tuition awards for future years for students at independent institutions of higher education depends on the number of commitments those institutions make to accept associate degrees for transfer. Specifically, beginning with the 2021–22 award year, the maximum tuition award is either $9,084 or $8,056, depending upon whether the number of new unduplicated transfer students accepted by those institutions who have been given associate degree for transfer commitments in the prior award year exceeds statutory targets.
This bill would make postsecondary educational institutions that are public, established by a jurisdiction other than the state, and meeting certain requirements eligible, as qualifying institutions, to receive Cal Grant awards for California residents attending these institutions. The bill, without establishing target numbers of new unduplicated transfer students accepted by these institutions who have been given associate degree for transfer commitments, would fix the same maximum tuition award for new students attending these institutions at the same maximum tuition award set for new students attending independent institutions of higher education.
Existing law, the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009, provides, among other things, for student protections and regulatory oversight of private postsecondary institutions in the state. The act is enforced by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The act requires an independent institution of higher education that is exempt from the act to comply with laws relating to fraud, abuse, and false advertising. Existing law authorizes these institutions to execute contracts with the bureau for the bureau to review and, as appropriate, act on complaints concerning the institutions, as provided. The act is repealed on January 1, 2022.
This bill would apply these provisions relating to fraud, abuse, and false advertising to public institutions of higher education, as defined.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 69432 of the Education Code is amended to read:

69432.
 (a) (1) Cal Grant Program awards shall be known as “Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards,” “Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards,” “California Community College Transfer Entitlement Awards,” “Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards,” “Cal Grant C Awards,” and “Cal Grant T Awards.”
(2) For purposes of this section, “associate degree for transfer commitment” means a commitment by an independent institution of higher education that chooses to accept the California Community College associate degree for transfer pursuant to Section 66749.6.
(b) Maximum award amounts for students at independent institutions of higher education, private for-profit postsecondary educational institutions, and for Cal Grant C and T awards shall be identified in the annual Budget Act. Maximum award amounts for Cal Grant A and B awards for students attending public institutions shall be referenced in the annual Budget Act.
(c) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), and subdivision (c) of Section 66021.2, commencing with the 2013–14 award year, the maximum tuition award amounts for Cal Grant A and B awards for students attending private for-profit postsecondary educational institutions shall be four thousand dollars ($4,000).
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subdivision, subdivision (b) of this section, and subdivision (c) of Section 66021.2, commencing with the 2018–19 award year, the maximum tuition award amounts for Cal Grant A and B awards for students attending private for-profit postsecondary educational institutions accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall be nine thousand eighty-four dollars ($9,084) for new recipients, unless otherwise specified in the Budget Act of 2018.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of this section, and subdivision (c) of Section 66021.2, the maximum tuition award amounts for Cal Grant A and B awards for students attending independent institutions of higher education shall be as follows:
(1) For the 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, and 2020–21 award years, nine thousand eighty-four dollars ($9,084) for new recipients.
(2) For the 2021–22 award year:
(A) If the number of new unduplicated transfer students accepted by independent institutions of higher education who have been given associate degree for transfer commitments in the prior award year meets or exceeds a target of 3,000, nine thousand eighty-four dollars ($9,084) for new recipients.
(B) If the number of new unduplicated transfer students accepted by independent institutions of higher education who have been given associate degree for transfer commitments in the prior award year is fewer than 3,000, eight thousand fifty-six dollars ($8,056) for new recipients.
(3) For the 2022–23 award year:
(A) If the number of new unduplicated transfer students accepted by independent institutions of higher education who have been given associate degree for transfer commitments in the prior award year meets or exceeds a target of 3,500, nine thousand eighty-four dollars ($9,084) for new recipients.
(B) If the number of new unduplicated transfer students accepted by independent institutions of higher education who have been given associate degree for transfer commitments in the prior award year is fewer than 3,500, eight thousand fifty-six dollars ($8,056) for new recipients.
(4) For the 2023–24 award year and each award year thereafter:
(A) If the number of new unduplicated transfer students accepted by independent institutions of higher education who have been given associate degree for transfer commitments in the prior award year meets or exceeds the target specified in subdivision (h), nine thousand eighty-four dollars ($9,084) for new recipients.
(B) If the number of new unduplicated transfer students accepted by independent institutions of higher education who have been given associate degree for transfer commitments in the prior award year is less than the target specified in subdivision (h), eight thousand fifty-six dollars ($8,056) for new recipients.
(e) The renewal award amount for a student whose initial award is subject to a maximum award amount specified in this section shall be calculated pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 69433.
(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that independent institutions of higher education make a good faith effort to make the process for transferring from the California Community Colleges easier for resident students and a decision determining the maximum award amounts made pursuant to this section for students attending an independent institution of higher education will be made with consideration of the effort of the institution to make that process easier.
(g) The association representing the largest number of independent institutions of higher education shall submit a report relative to the implementation of this section to the Department of Finance and the Legislature, in conformity with Section 9795 of the Government Code, on or before April 15 of each year.
(h) For the 2023–24 award year and each award year thereafter, the target number of new unduplicated recipients accepted by independent institutions of higher education who have been given associate degree for transfer commitments shall be equal to the number of new transfer students attending independent institutions of higher education who were given associate degree for transfer commitments in the prior award year, adjusted by the percentage change in the total number of new transfer students from the year two years prior, compared to the prior year.
(i) For purposes of this section, “independent institution of higher education” has the same meaning as in Section 66010.
(j) For any given year, the maximum tuition award for a new student attending a public postsecondary educational institution established by a jurisdiction other than the State of California meeting the requirements of Section 69432.71 shall be the same as the maximum tuition award for a new student attending an independent institution of higher education.

SEC. 2.

 Section 69432.7 of the Education Code is amended to read:

69432.7.
 As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
(a) An “academic year” is July 1 to June 30, inclusive. The starting date of a session shall determine the academic year in which it is included.
(b) “Access costs” means living expenses and expenses for transportation, supplies, technology, and books.
(c) “Award year” means one academic year, or the equivalent, of attendance at a qualifying institution.
(d) “College grade point average” and “community college grade point average” mean a grade point average calculated on the basis of all college work completed, except for nontransferable units and courses not counted in the computation for admission to a California public institution of higher education that grants a baccalaureate degree.
(e) “Commission” means the Student Aid Commission.
(f) “Enrollment status” means part- or full-time status.
(1) “Part time,” for purposes of Cal Grant eligibility, means 6 to 11 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent.
(2) “Full time,” for purposes of Cal Grant eligibility, means 12 or more semester units or the equivalent.
(g) “Expected family contribution,” with respect to an applicant, shall be determined using the federal methodology pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 69506 (as established by Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070 et seq.)) and applicable rules and regulations adopted by the commission.
(h) “High school grade point average” means a grade point average calculated on a 4.0 scale, using all academic coursework, for the sophomore year, the summer following the sophomore year, the junior year, and the summer following the junior year, excluding physical education, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), and remedial courses, and computed pursuant to regulations of the commission. However, for high school graduates who apply after their senior year, “high school grade point average” includes senior year coursework.
(i) “Instructional program of not less than one academic year” means a program of study that results in the award of an associate or baccalaureate degree or certificate requiring at least 24 semester units or the equivalent, or that results in eligibility for transfer from a community college to a baccalaureate degree program.
(j) “Instructional program of not less than two academic years” means a program of study that results in the award of an associate or baccalaureate degree requiring at least 48 semester units or the equivalent, or that results in eligibility for transfer from a community college to a baccalaureate degree program.
(k) (1) “Maximum household income and asset levels” means the applicable household income and household asset levels for participants, including new applicants and renewing recipients, in the Cal Grant Program, as defined and adopted in regulations by the commission for the 2001–02 academic year, which shall be set pursuant to the following income and asset ceiling amounts:

CAL GRANT PROGRAM INCOME CEILINGS
Cal Grant A,
C, and T
Cal Grant B
Dependent and Independent students with dependents*
Family Size
 
 
Six or more
$74,100 
$40,700 
Five
$68,700 
$37,700 
Four
$64,100 
$33,700 
Three
$59,000 
$30,300 
Two
$57,600 
$26,900 

Independent

 
 
Single, no dependents
$23,500 
$23,500 
Married
$26,900 
$26,900 
*Applies to independent students with dependents other than a
spouse.
CAL GRANT PROGRAM ASSET CEILINGS
Cal Grant A,
C, and T
Cal Grant B

Dependent** _____ _____

$49,600 

$49,600 
Independent _____ _____
$23,600 
$23,600 
**Applies to independent students with dependents other than a
spouse.
 
(2) The commission shall annually adjust the maximum household income and asset levels based on the percentage change in the cost of living within the meaning of paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) of Section 8 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution. The maximum household income and asset levels applicable to a renewing recipient shall be the greater of the adjusted maximum household income and asset levels or the maximum household income and asset levels at the time of the renewing recipient’s initial Cal Grant award. For a recipient who was initially awarded a Cal Grant for an academic year before the 2011–12 academic year, the maximum household income and asset levels shall be the greater of the adjusted maximum household income and asset levels or the 2010–11 academic year maximum household income and asset levels. An applicant or renewal recipient who qualifies to be considered under the simplified needs test established by federal law for student assistance shall be presumed to meet the asset level test under this section. Before disbursing any Cal Grant funds, a qualifying institution shall be obligated, under the terms of its institutional participation agreement with the commission, to resolve any conflicts that may exist in the data the institution possesses relating to that individual.
(l) (1) “Qualifying institution” means an institution that complies with paragraphs (2) and (3) and is any of the following:
(A) A California private or independent postsecondary educational institution institution, or a public postsecondary educational institution established by a jurisdiction other than the State of California meeting the requirements of Section 69432.71, that participates in the Pell Grant Program and in at least two of the following federal student aid programs:
(i) Federal Work-Study Program.
(ii) Federal Stafford Loan Program.
(iii) Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program.
(B) A nonprofit institution headquartered and operating in California that certifies to the commission that 10 percent of the institution’s operating budget, as demonstrated in an audited financial statement, is expended for purposes of institutionally funded student financial aid in the form of grants, that demonstrates to the commission that it has the administrative capacity to administer the funds, that is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and that meets any other state-required criteria adopted by regulation by the commission in consultation with the Department of Finance. A regionally accredited institution that was deemed qualified by the commission to participate in the Cal Grant Program for the 2000–01 academic year shall retain its eligibility as long as it maintains its existing accreditation status.
(C) A California public postsecondary educational institution.
(2) (A) The institution shall provide information on where to access California license examination passage rates for the most recent available year from graduates of its undergraduate programs leading to employment for which passage of a California licensing examination is required, if that data is electronically available through the internet website of a California licensing or regulatory agency. For purposes of this paragraph, “provide” may exclusively include placement of an internet website address labeled as an access point for the data on the passage rates of recent program graduates on the internet website where enrollment information is also located, on an internet website that provides centralized admissions information for postsecondary educational systems with multiple campuses, or on applications for enrollment or other program information distributed to prospective students.
(B) The institution shall be responsible for certifying to the commission compliance with the requirements of subparagraph (A).
(3) (A) The commission shall certify by November 1 of each year the institution’s latest official three-year cohort default rate and graduation rate as most recently reported by the United States Department of Education. For purposes of this section, the graduation rate is the percentage of full-time, first-time degree or certificate-seeking undergraduate students who graduate in 150 percent or less of the expected time to complete degree requirements as most recently reported publicly in any format, including preliminary data records, by the United States Department of Education.
(B) For purposes of the 2011–12 academic year, an otherwise qualifying institution with a three-year cohort default rate reported by the United States Department of Education that is equal to or greater than 24.6 percent shall be ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution.
(C) For purposes of the 2012–13 academic year, and every academic year thereafter, an otherwise qualifying institution with a three-year cohort default rate that is equal to or greater than 15.5 percent, as certified by the commission on October 1, 2011, and every year thereafter, shall be ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution.
(D) (i) An otherwise qualifying institution that becomes ineligible under this paragraph for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards shall regain its eligibility for the academic year for which it satisfies the requirements established in subparagraph (B), (C), or (F), as applicable.
(ii) If the United States Department of Education corrects or revises an institution’s three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate that originally failed to satisfy the requirements established in subparagraph (B), (C), or (F), as applicable, and the correction or revision results in the institution’s three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate satisfying those requirements, that institution shall immediately regain its eligibility for the academic year to which the corrected or revised three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate would have been applied.
(E) An otherwise qualifying institution for which no three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate has been reported by the United States Department of Education shall be provisionally eligible to participate in the Cal Grant Program until a three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate has been reported for the institution by the United States Department of Education.
(F) For purposes of the 2012–13 academic year, and every academic year thereafter, an otherwise qualifying institution with a graduation rate of 30 percent or less, as certified by the commission pursuant to subparagraph (A), shall be ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution, except as provided for in subparagraph (H).
(G) Notwithstanding any other law, the requirements of this paragraph shall not apply to institutions with 40 percent or less of undergraduate students borrowing federal student loans, using information reported to the United States Department of Education for the academic year two years before the academic year in which the commission is certifying the three-year cohort default rate or graduation rate pursuant to subparagraph (A).
(H) Notwithstanding subparagraph (F), an otherwise qualifying institution that maintains a three-year cohort default rate that is less than 15.5 percent and a graduation rate above 20 percent for students taking 150 percent or less of the expected time to complete degree requirements, as certified by the commission pursuant to subparagraph (A), shall be eligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution through the 2016–17 academic year.
(I) The commission shall do all of the following:
(i) Notify initial Cal Grant recipients seeking to attend, or attending, an institution that is ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards under subparagraph (C) or (F) that the institution is ineligible for initial Cal Grant awards for the academic year for which the student received an initial Cal Grant award.
(ii) Notify renewal Cal Grant recipients attending an institution that is ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution under subparagraph (C) or (F) that the student’s Cal Grant award will be reduced by 20 percent, or eliminated, as appropriate, if the student attends the ineligible institution in an academic year in which the institution is ineligible.
(iii) Provide initial and renewal Cal Grant recipients seeking to attend, or attending, an institution that is ineligible for initial and renewal Cal Grant awards at the institution under subparagraph (C) or (F) with a complete list of all California postsecondary educational institutions at which the student would be eligible to receive an unreduced Cal Grant award.
(iv) (I) Establish an appeal process for an otherwise qualifying institution that fails to satisfy the three-year cohort default rate and graduation rate requirements in subparagraphs (C) and (F), respectively.
(II) The commission may grant an appeal for an academic year only if the commission has determined the institution has a cohort size of 20 individuals or less and the cohort is not representative of the overall institutional performance.
(m) “Satisfactory academic progress” means those criteria required by applicable federal standards published in Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The commission may adopt regulations defining “satisfactory academic progress” in a manner that is consistent with those federal standards. The regulations adopted by the commission under this subdivision shall, to the extent consistent with applicable federal standards, provide that homelessness, as defined as a “homeless individual” within the meaning of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11302(a)), or as defined as a “homeless child or youth,” as defined in subsection (2) of Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)), is an extenuating circumstance for students who are otherwise unable to meet the requirements deemed to constitute “satisfactory academic progress” at the institution they attend, and that extenuating circumstance may be considered by the institution to alter or excuse compliance with those progress requirements.

SEC. 3.

 Section 69432.71 is added to the Education Code, to read:

69432.71.
 For purposes of this chapter, a public postsecondary educational institution established by a jurisdiction other than the State of California shall meet the following requirements to be considered a qualifying institution pursuant to Section 69432.7:
(a) Operates a branch or other location that is physically located in the State of California.
(b) Is a public institution of higher education, as defined in Section 94858.5.
(c) Is accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.
(d) Accepts the associate degree for transfer subject to an agreement between the institution and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
(e) Does not transfer any funds received from this program to a third-party company as part of any service agreement for online program management.

SEC. 4.

 Section 69433.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:

69433.5.
 (a) (1) Only a resident of California, as determined by the commission pursuant to Part 41 (commencing with Section 68000), is eligible for an initial Cal Grant award. The recipient shall remain eligible for award renewal only if he or she the recipient is a California resident, in attendance, and making satisfactory academic progress at a qualifying institution, as determined by the commission.
(2) A student who is a California resident attending a public institution of higher education meeting the requirements of Section 69432.71 may receive an initial Cal Grant award only if the student is enrolled at a branch or other location of the institution that is physically located in the state. The recipient shall remain eligible for award renewal only if the student is a California resident, in attendance, and making satisfactory academic progress at a branch or other location of the institution physically located in the state, or at another qualifying institution, as determined by the commission.
(b) A part-time student shall not be discriminated against in the selection of Cal Grant Program award recipients, and an award to a part-time student shall be approximately proportional to the time the student spends in the instructional program, as determined by the commission. A first-time Cal Grant Program award recipient who is a part-time student shall be eligible for a full-time renewal award if he or she the recipient becomes a full-time student.
(c) Cal Grant Program awards shall be awarded without regard to race, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or age.
(d) An applicant shall not receive more than one type of Cal Grant Program award concurrently. An applicant shall not:
(1) Receive one or a combination of Cal Grant Program awards in excess of the amount equivalent to the award level for a total of four years of full-time attendance in an undergraduate program, except as provided in Section 69433.6.
(2) Have obtained a baccalaureate degree before receiving a Cal Grant Program award.
(e) A Cal Grant Program award, except as provided in Section 69440, may only be used for educational expenses of a program of study leading directly to an undergraduate degree or certificate, or for expenses of undergraduate coursework in a program of study leading directly to a first professional degree, but for which no baccalaureate degree is awarded.
(f) The commission shall, for students who accelerate college attendance, increase the amount of the award proportional to the period of additional attendance resulting from attendance in classes that fulfill requirements or electives for graduation during summer terms, sessions, or quarters. In the aggregate, the total amount a student may receive in a four-year period may not be increased as a result of accelerating his or her the student’s progress to a degree by attending summer terms, sessions, or quarters.
(g) The commission shall notify Cal Grant award recipients of the availability of funding for the summer term, session, or quarter through prominent notice in financial aid award letters, materials, guides, electronic information, and other means that may include, but not necessarily be limited to, surveys, newspaper articles, or attachments to communications from the commission and any other published documents.
(h) The commission may require, by the adoption of rules and regulations, the production of reports, accounting, documents, or other necessary statements from the award recipient and the college or university of attendance pertaining to the use or application of the award.
(i) A Cal Grant Program award may be utilized only at a qualifying institution.
(j) A recipient who initially qualified for both a Cal Grant A award and a Cal Grant B award, and received a Cal Grant B award, may be awarded a renewal Cal Grant A award if that recipient subsequently became ineligible for a renewal Cal Grant B award and meets the applicable Cal Grant A financial need and income and asset criteria.

SEC. 5.

 Section 94874.9 of the Education Code is amended to read:

94874.9.
 (a) An independent institution of higher education, as defined in Section 66010, that is exempt from this chapter pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 94874 94874, or a public institution of higher education, as defined in Section 94858.5, shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws, including laws relating to fraud, abuse, and false advertising.
(b) An institution described in subdivision (a) may execute a contract with the bureau for the bureau to review and, as appropriate, act on complaints concerning the institution, in accordance with Section 600.9 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(c) The execution of a contract by the bureau with an institution pursuant to subdivision (b) shall constitute establishment by the state of that institution to offer programs beyond secondary education, including programs leading to a degree or certificate, in accordance with Section 600.9 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(d) The bureau shall use a standard form contract for purposes of this section.
(e) A contract executed pursuant to this section shall, at a minimum, do all of the following:
(1) Require an institution to do all of the following:
(A) Cooperate with the bureau to resolve complaints received pursuant to this section.
(B) Provide the following disclosure notice in all written and Internet-based documentation in which the institution’s complaint process is described, including the student catalog, student handbook, and the institution’s Internet Web site: internet website.

“An individual may contact the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education for review of a complaint. The bureau may be contacted at (address), Sacramento, CA (ZIP Code), (Internet Web site (internet website address), (telephone and fax numbers).”

(C) Designate a person at the institution to act as a liaison to the bureau.
(D) Pay one thousand seventy-six dollars ($1,076) each year for costs incurred by the bureau to perform activities pursuant to the contract, unless another amount is determined by the bureau.
(2) (A) Authorize the bureau, for any complaint it receives, including any complaints related to the institution’s policies or procedures, or both, as determined by the bureau, to refer the complaint to the institution, an accrediting agency, or another appropriate entity for resolution.
(B) The bureau shall notify the complainant and the institution of a referral.
(C) This paragraph shall not be construed to relieve the bureau of its responsibility to ensure that a complaint it has referred for purposes of resolution is resolved by the receiving entity.
(f) The bureau may terminate a contract executed pursuant to this section if an institution is no longer an independent institution of higher education as defined in Section 66010 or fails to comply with the provisions of the contract.
(g) All moneys collected by the bureau that relate to a contract executed pursuant to this section, including payments collected in accordance with subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (e), shall be deposited in the Private Postsecondary Education Administration Fund.
(h) The bureau shall maintain, on its Internet Web site, internet website both of the following:
(1) The provisions of the standard form contract used for purposes of this section.
(2) A list of institutions with which the bureau has executed a contract pursuant to this section.
(i) On or before February 1, 2017, and each year thereafter, the bureau shall report to the Director of Finance and, in conformity with Section 9795 of the Government Code, to the Legislature regarding implementation of this section. The report shall include all of the following information:
(1) A list of institutions with which the bureau has executed a contract pursuant to this section.
(2) The total number of complaints received by the bureau relating to institutions listed in paragraph (1).
(3) The general nature of those complaints.
(4) The total number of those complaints referred to another entity, disaggregated by the entity to which each complaint was referred.
(5) The total number of complaints resolved, disaggregated by the entity that resolved each complaint.
(6) The total number of complaints pending, disaggregated by the entity to which each complaint was referred.
(j) Notwithstanding any other law, the Department of General Services, at the request of the bureau, may exempt contracts executed pursuant to this section from any laws, rules, resolutions, or procedures that are otherwise applicable to public contracts that the Department of General Services administers.

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