Bill Text: CA AB2200 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: School Employee Housing Assistance Grant Program.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From committee without further action. [AB2200 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB2200-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 2200	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 17, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Thurmond

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2016

   An act  relating to teachers.   to add
Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 51520) to Part 3 of Division 31
of the Health and Safety Code, relating to housing, and making an
appropriation therefor. 



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2200, as amended, Thurmond.  Teachers: recruitment and
retention.   School Employee Housing Assistance Grant
Program.  
   Existing law requires the California Housing Finance Agency to
administer various housing programs.  
   This bill would require the California Housing Finance Agency to
administer a grant program, as specified, to provide development
financing assistance to a qualified school district, as defined, for
the creation of affordable rental housing for school employees,
including teachers. The bill would transfer $100,000,000 from the
General Fund to the School Employee Housing Assistance Grant Fund,
which would be created by this bill, and would continuously
appropriate those moneys to the agency for the purposes described
above. The bill would require a qualified school district to apply
for grants, as provided, and to submit specified information to the
agency.  
   Existing law establishes various programs for the recruitment of
teachers.  
   This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that would guarantee that every pupil has access to
high-quality educators by ensuring that pupils' educators are able to
live in the communities in which they serve. The bill would also
state legislative findings and declarations relating to that purpose.

   Vote:  majority   2/3  . Appropriation:
 no   yes  . Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Chapter 12 (commencing with Section
51520) is added to Part 3 of Division 31 of the   Health and
Safety Code   , to read:  
      CHAPTER 12.  SCHOOL EMPLOYEE HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM


   51520.  For purposes of this chapter, a "qualified school district"
means a school district that satisfies all of the following:
   (a) Has acquired and designated surplus land from any of the
following:
   (1) A school district.
   (2) A special district.
   (3) A city.
   (b) Has a high average cost for the recruitment of teachers.
   (c) Has a low retention rate.
   (d) Has 60 percent of its students participating in the National
School Lunch Program.
   51521.  (a) The agency shall administer a grant program to provide
development financing assistance to qualified school districts for
the creation of affordable rental housing for school district
employees, including teachers. The agency shall do all of the
following:
   (1) Be responsible for overseeing the grant program.
   (2) Award grants to qualified school districts.
   (3) Determine the predevelopment grant amount and the development
grant amount for each qualified school district pursuant to Section
51523.
   (4) Publish deadlines and written procedures for a qualified
school district to apply for grants.
   (5) Provide technical assistance to a qualified school district
that is not eligible to receive a development grant in applying for
additional public funds.
   (b) A qualified school district seeking a grant shall do both of
the following:
   (1) Apply for a grant in the form and manner prescribed by the
agency.
   (2) Submit both of the following to the agency:
   (A) An eligible basis certification pursuant to Section 10322 of
Division 17 of Title 4 of the California Code of Regulations, as it
read on January 1, 2017.
   (B) An itemized list of funds from state and federal programs and
private funds used to cover projects costs.
   51522.  (a) There is hereby transferred from the General Fund to
the School Employee Housing Assistance Grant Fund, which is hereby
created in the State Treasury, the sum of one hundred million dollars
($100,000,000).
   (b) (1) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all
moneys in the fund shall be continuously appropriated to the agency
for the purposes of this chapter.
   (2) The agency shall use 5 percent of the moneys appropriated to
it pursuant to this section for predevelopment grants.
   51523.  (a) The agency shall determine both of the following for
each qualified school district to be awarded a grant:
   (1) (A) The predevelopment grant amount, which shall be equal to
the predevelopment costs of the project excluding any costs related
to the acquisition of the land.
   (B) In order to be eligible to receive a predevelopment grant, the
qualified school district must show a measurable degree of
incapacity to fund the predevelopment project costs.
   (2) The development grant amount, which shall be the difference
between the eligible basis as specified in the eligible basis
certification, excluding any costs related to the acquisition of the
land and any predevelopment project costs, and the total amount of
any public and private funds received for the development of the
project.
   (b) In order to be eligible to receive a development grant, the
qualified school district must show that the project is not eligible
for additional public funds as described in its eligible basis
certification and that the project is subject to a project labor
agreement and prevailing wage requirements.  
  SECTION 1.    (a) The Legislature finds and
declares all of the following:
   (1) The rising cost of housing in California is having a direct
impact on education.
   (2) Many school districts have difficulty retaining and recruiting
teachers and other employees due to low compensation and high living
and housing costs.
   (3) This teacher shortage results in greater inequities among
pupils, especially in communities serving high populations of
low-income pupils, English learners, and foster youth.
   (b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that would guarantee that every pupil has access to
high-quality educators by ensuring that pupils' educators are able to
live in the communities in which they serve.