Bill Text: CA AB1393 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Student Aid Commission: California Dream Act: Food Support Pilot Program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-09-01 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB1393 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB1393-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  March 23, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1393

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Introduced by Assembly Member Calderon

February 17, 2023

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An act to amend Section 67306 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education. add and repeal Section 69520.5 of the Education Code, relating to student nutrition.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1393, as amended, Calderon. Students with disabilities: reader services. Student Aid Commission: California Dream Act applicants: Food Support Pilot Program.

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. Existing law requires a school district, county office of education, or charter school to ensure that a grade 12 pupil who has not opted out, as specified, completes and submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or, if the pupil is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under existing law, completes and submits a form for purposes of the California Dream Act.

Existing law also establishes the California Food Assistance Program and requires the State Department of Social Services to use state funds appropriated for that program to provide nutrition benefits to households that are ineligible for CalFresh benefits solely due to their immigration status.

This bill, until July 15, 2029, would require the Student Aid Commission to establish the Food Support Pilot Program for a 4-year period to provide food support grants to qualifying students who submit a California Dream Act application, as specified. The bill would require the commission to allocate the award on a semester or quarterly basis to a qualifying institution, as defined, if certain program eligibility requirements are met and would require a qualifying institution to provide the funds to the student, as specified. The bill would, for each year of the program, require an individual award to equal the maximum amount allocated to one CalFresh recipient during that year.

The bill would require the commission to conduct a student survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the Food Support Pilot Program and to report certain information to the Legislature, as specified. The bill would make its provisions operative only upon an appropriation of funds for its purposes. To the extent the bill imposes additional duties on community colleges, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Existing law provides for various programs and services for students with disabilities in higher education. Existing law requires the California State University’s systemwide policy for those services to require Disabled Student Services (DDS) directors to maintain a list of readers who meet specific standards. Existing law requires students who prefer a reader not on the campus list to file a written request on a form provided by the DSS director or their designee. Existing law requires notice to students regarding that option, as provided.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those requirements.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 69520.5 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 69519.3, to read:

69520.5.

 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the grants provided to students pursuant to this section shall be used to reduce the financial burden of the total cost of tuition by providing students with access to funds for food.

(b) Commencing with the 2024–25 academic year, the commission shall establish the Food Support Pilot Program for a four-year period to provide food support grants to qualifying students who submit a California Dream Act application. Each student who meets the Food Support Pilot Program eligibility requirements pursuant to subdivision (c) shall be guaranteed an award. For each year of the Food Support Pilot Program, an individual award shall equal the maximum amount allocated to one CalFresh recipient during that year.

(c) The commission shall allocate the award on a semester or quarterly basis to the qualifying institution if all of the following are met:

(1) The student has submitted a complete California Dream Act application, submitted or postmarked no later than March 2 of each year.

(2) The student demonstrates financial need by having an expected family contribution of equal to or less than the qualifying expected family contribution for the Federal Pell Grant Program (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070a).

(3) The student is pursuing an undergraduate academic program of at least two academic years that is offered by a qualifying institution.

(4) The student is enrolled at least part time.

(5) The student maintains good academic standing with the qualifying institution at which the student is enrolled.

(d) The commission shall notify students who meet the eligibility requirements pursuant to subdivision (c) of their receipt of the award.

(e) The food support grant may be renewed for a total of the equivalent of two years or four years of full-time attendance in an associate degree or undergraduate program, provided that the student still meets the Food Support Pilot Program eligibility requirements pursuant to subdivision (c).

(f) The commission shall disburse funds to qualifying institutions and each institution shall disburse the funds in accordance with the provisions set forth in the institutional agreement between the commission and the institution for Cal Grants pursuant to Section 69432.8.

(g) (1) A qualifying institution, upon the receipt of funds from the commission for purposes of this section, shall provide the funds to the student and shall not reduce the institutional aid offer of a student who receives a grant pursuant to this section unless the student’s gift aid exceeds the student’s annual cost of attendance.

(2) The institution may reduce the institutional financial aid offer of a student who is eligible to receive a grant pursuant to this section by no more than the amount of the student’s gift aid that is in excess of the student’s annual cost of attendance.

(h) Beginning on or before December 1, one year after moneys are appropriated by the Legislature for purposes of this section, and annually thereafter, the commission shall report to the Legislature the number of students who qualified for the funding disaggregated by qualifying institution, age, gender, and race/ethnicity.

(i) The commission shall conduct a student survey in the third year of the pilot program and upon completion of the pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of the Food Support Pilot Program. The survey shall address, at a minimum, all of the following:

(1) How students elected to use their grants received pursuant to this section.

(2) If qualifying institutions reduced institutional aid pursuant to subdivision (g) and if so, by how much.

(3) The barriers to administering the pilot program for either the commission or qualifying institutions.

(4) Any recommendations for the improvement of the pilot program so long as the recommendations further the intent of the pilot program.

(j) The commission shall report the results of the student survey described in subdivision (i) to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, the Assembly Committee on Budget, the Senate Committee on Education, and the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review on or before July 1, 2027, and on or before July 1, 2029. A report submitted pursuant to this section shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(k) This section shall become operative only upon an appropriation of funds for this purpose by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or in another statute.

(l) As used in this article the following definitions apply:

(1) “Academic year” means July 1 to June 30, inclusive. The start date of a session shall determine the academic year in which it is included.

(2) “Cost of attendance” means 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 student aid programs under Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070 et seq.).

(3) “Expected family contribution” means a student’s expected family contribution calculated according to 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.).

(4) “Institutional financial aid” means financial aid that is paid for by the institution of higher education from its funds and the recipient of the aid is selected by the institution.

(5) “Qualifying institutions” means any public postsecondary educational institution in the state that receives, or benefits from, state-funded financial assistance or enrolls students who receive state-funded student financial assistance.

(6) “Part time,” for purposes of eligibility, means 6 to 11 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent.

(m) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section shall become inoperative on July 15, 2029, and as of January 1, 2030, is repealed.

SEC. 2.

 If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

SECTION 1.Section 67306 of the Education Code is amended to read:

67306.

(a)California State University systemwide policy governing the provision of services to students with disabilities shall include a requirement that Disabled Student Services (DSS) directors maintain a list of readers who meet certain standards. These standards shall include some college education, a 3.0 grade point average, or the possession of equivalent skills. It is expected that most students will select a reader from this list.

(b)In addition, systemwide policy shall require that students and readers meet in a mutually agreeable public facility, either on campus or off campus, as appropriate to the student’s coursework and consistent with campus policy. Requests for, and explanation of, the need for exceptions to this regulation shall be made in writing by a student on a standardized form developed by the California State University and maintained on file.

(c)A student who prefers a reader not on the campus list or prefers alternative locations for services mutually agreed to by the reader and the student, shall file a written request on a standardized form provided by the DSS director, or the DSS director’s designee, and developed by the California State University, to be maintained on file.

(d)At the beginning of each term, students shall receive a notice informing them of the option to choose a reader not on the list and to choose a location for receiving reader services in a nonpublic facility. The notice shall be signed by both the student and the DSS director, or the DSS director’s designee, and shall be maintained on file.