Bill Text: CA AB697 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Postsecondary education: reports: preferential treatment: students related to donors or alumni.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-10-04 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 514, Statutes of 2019. [AB697 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB697-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  August 19, 2019

Amended  IN  Senate  July 05, 2019

Amended  IN  Assembly  May 09, 2019

Amended  IN  Assembly  April 29, 2019

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 28, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 697

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Introduced by Assembly Members Ting and McCarty
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Blanca Rubio)(Coauthors: Assembly Members Boerner Horvath and Blanca Rubio)

February 19, 2019

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An act to add Section 66018.5 to the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 697, as amended, Ting. Postsecondary education: reports: preferential treatment: students related to donors or alumni.

Existing law establishes the California State University under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, the University of California under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, and independent institutions of higher education as 3 of the segments of postsecondary education in the state.

Existing law, the Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement Awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards, the Cal Grant C Awards, and the Cal Grant T Awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying postsecondary educational institutions. Existing law requires each participating postsecondary educational institution to annually report specified information regarding its undergraduate programs in order to be a qualifying institution.

For the 5 academic years commencing with the 2020–21 academic year, this

This bill would require require, on or before June 30, 2020, and on or before June 30 of every year thereafter through 2024, the trustees, the regents, and the appropriate governing bodies of each independent institution of higher education that is a qualifying institution as defined under the Cal Grant Program to report to the appropriate budget subcommittees and policy committees of the Legislature whether its institution provides their respective institutions provide any manner of preferential treatment in admission to applicants on the basis of their relationships to donors or alumni of the institution. If the institution provides such preferential treatment, the bill would require the institution to also report specified admissions and enrollment information regarding these applicants for the previous academic year. academic year commencing in the previous calendar year.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 66018.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:

66018.5.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The recent college admissions scandal highlights the need for fair and transparent admissions processes, and concern for what is referred to as “back door” admissions for legacy and donor-related applicants who collectively do not reflect the diversity of the state.

(2) Research has shown that legacy and donor admissions give an unfair advantage to wealthier students who benefit from having parents or other individuals in their lives who went to college.

(3) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to bring more fairness and transparency to college admissions in the state, especially at institutions of higher education that enroll students who receive state-funded financial aid.

(b) For the five academic years commencing with the 2020–21 academic year, On or before June 30, 2020, and on or before June 30 of each year from 2021 to 2024, inclusive, the Trustees of the California State University, the Regents of the University of California, and the appropriate governing bodies of each independent institution of higher education that is a “qualifying institution,” as defined in subdivision (l) of Section 69432.7, shall report to the appropriate budget subcommittees and policy committees of the Legislature whether its institution provides their respective institutions provide any manner of preferential treatment in admission to applicants on the basis of their relationships to donors or alumni of the institution.

(c) Each institution that provides preferential treatment as described in subdivision (b) shall include in its report pursuant to subdivision (b) all of the following for the previous academic year commencing in the previous calendar year pertaining to applicants described in subdivision (b):

(1) The number of applicants who did not meet the institution’s admission standards that apply to all applicants, but who were offered admission.

(2) The number of applicants reported pursuant to paragraph (1) who accepted admission to the institution.

(3) The number of applicants reported pursuant to paragraph (2) who enrolled at the institution.

(4) The number of applicants who met the institution’s admission standards that apply to all applicants and who were offered admission.

(5) The number of applicants reported pursuant to paragraph (4) who accepted admission to the institution.

(6) The number of applicants reported pursuant to paragraph (5) who enrolled at the institution.

(d) Information reported by the California State University and the University of California pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) shall be disaggregated by each campus of these segments.

(e) Notwithstanding Section 67400, this section shall apply to the University of California.