Bill Text: CA AB746 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Learning-Aligned Employment Program: eligibility.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2024-01-29 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB746 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB746-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  May 18, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 746

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Introduced by Assembly Member Sanchez

February 13, 2023

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An act to amend Sections Section 69954 and 69956 of the Education Code, relating to student financial aid.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 746, as amended, Sanchez. Learning-Aligned Employment Program: eligibility and priority. eligibility.

Existing law establishes the Learning-Aligned Employment Program under the administration of the Student Aid Commission to provide University of California, California State University, and California Community College students meeting certain criteria with the opportunity to earn money to help defray their educational costs, while gaining educationally aligned, career-related experience.

Existing law requires a student to be from an underrepresented background and satisfy certain criteria to be eligible to participate in the program. Existing law requires participating campuses to prioritize available learning-aligned employment positions for eligible students who are first-generation college students, current or former foster youth, homeless, or at risk of being homeless. Existing law authorizes, among other entities, research centers and institutions operated by public postsecondary educational institutions to employ participating students if the learning-aligned employment opportunities provide those students with direct opportunities to participate in the research.

This bill would delete the requirement that a student be from an underrepresented background to be eligible to participate in the program. The bill would delete the prioritization for positions described above and instead would require participating campuses to prioritize eligible students from underrepresented backgrounds, as defined by the commission, for learning-aligned employment positions. The bill also would delete the authorization for research centers and institutions, as described above, and instead would authorize public postsecondary institutions to employ participating students if their learning-aligned employment opportunities provide participating students with employment experience related to the student’s major or provide opportunities for skill attainment necessary for employment within their areas of study after graduation.

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 69954 of the Education Code is amended to read:

69954.

 All of the following entities shall be eligible to employ students participating in the program:

(a) Public postsecondary educational institutions, if their learning-aligned employment opportunities provide participating students with employment experience related to the student’s major or provide opportunities for skill attainment necessary for employment within their areas of study after graduation.

(b) Public schools operated by school districts, county superintendents of schools, the Department of the Youth Authority, or the department.

(c) Nonsectarian, nonpolitical organizations or corporations, whether nonprofit or for-profit enterprises licensed to conduct business in the state, if they are capable of providing participating students with full-time employment opportunities, or opportunities to connect with other employers capable of providing participating students with full-time employment opportunities, within their areas of study after graduation.

SEC. 2.Section 69956 of the Education Code is amended to read:

69956.

(a)A student satisfying all of the following criteria shall be eligible to participate in the program:

(1)Enrollment on at least a half-time basis at a participating public postsecondary educational institution.

(2)Resident classification pursuant to Part 41 (commencing with Section 68000).

(3)Demonstrated maintenance of satisfactory academic progress in a program leading to a degree or a certificate, as determined by the public postsecondary educational institution in which the student is enrolled, applying standards of eligibility for federal financial aid. For purposes of this determination, 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 unable to meet the requirements deemed to constitute “satisfactory academic progress” at that institution that may be considered by the institution to alter or excuse compliance with the progress requirements.

(4)Demonstrated financial need, as determined by the financial aid office of the institution in which the student is enrolled pursuant to the methodologies approved by the United States Department of Education for use in awarding funds provided under Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. If individual circumstances affect the ability of the student or the student’s family to contribute to the student’s total financial resources, the financial aid administrator may make reasonable individualized adjustments to the computed total applicant resources.

(b)Each participating public postsecondary educational institution shall prioritize for available learning-aligned employment opportunities under the program an eligible student from an underrepresented background, as defined by the commission. Each participating institution shall further prioritize for available learning-aligned employment opportunities an eligible student meeting this priority criteria who is also majoring in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics discipline.