In order to further the lively discussion of funding of the California College and University system I have posted the exact text of Senate Bill 969 which was INTRODUCED by California State Senator Dean Florez on February 5, 2010.
The bill is to be known as: The California College and University Fee Stabilization Act of 2010
Florez, a former UCLA Student Body President and Candidate for California Lt. Governor, by introduction of this bill, provides for the stabilization of fees and allows those paying for an eduction in the CA College and University system some reasonable idea of what the tuition/fees for a four year degree will cost–The Cost The First Year Remains The Same Through Ones Senior Year.
It should be pointed out to those reading the text of this bill, or any bill, proposed legislation goes through a process in which modifications are proposed and/or made to a bill, and in a prefect world, make the proposed law “better.” Senator Florez, by introducing the bill has started the process in which interested/effected parties provide input to CA State Legislators to, as necessary, strengthen the bill and let them know of YOUR SUPPORT of the goal of the Legislation introduced. It is more common than not that a bill of any size or significance does not becomes law with the exact language and provisions that are present when a bill is introduced.
Another way of saying this is: Former UCLA Student Body President Florez has “opened the door for the public to provide input and support.” Just getting a bill introduced is often the biggest hurdle to new laws! Senator Florez has “thrown the ball” and it is up to the public to “catch the ball and run with it.” The introduction of the California College and University Fee Stabilization Act of 2010 is OUR TIME, OUR OPPORTUNITY. We have the opportunity to, to paraphrase President Obama: BE THE CHANGE WE ARE LOOKING FOR WHEN IT COMES TO HIGHER EDUCATION COSTS.
BILL NUMBER: SB 969 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXTINTRODUCED BY Senator Florez
(Principal coauthor: Senator Price)FEBRUARY 5, 2010
An act to add Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 66150) to Part
40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to public
postsecondary education.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
SB 969, as introduced, Florez. Public postsecondary education:
California College and University Fee Stabilization Act of 2010.
Existing law, known as the Donahoe Higher Education Act, provides
for a public postsecondary education system in this state. The 3
segments of the public postsecondary education system are the
University of California, which is administered by the Regents of the
University of California, the California State University, which is
administered by the Trustees of the California State University, and
the California Community Colleges, which are administered by the
Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and the
community college district governing boards. The provisions of the
Donahoe Higher Education Act apply to the University of California
only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California
act by resolution to make them applicable.
Existing law authorizes the Trustees of the California State
University to require that fees, among other charges, be paid by
students at that institution. Existing law requires the governing
board of each community college district to charge each student a fee
of $26 per unit per semester, effective with the fall term of the
2009-10 academic year. Existing provisions of the California
Constitution require the Regents of the University of California to
have all powers necessary or convenient for the effective
administration of the university.
This bill would enact the California College and University Fee
Stabilization Act of 2010, which would place limits on increases in
mandatory systemwide fees, as defined, charged to students enrolled
in the 3 segments of public postsecondary education. The bill would
limit mandatory systemwide fees that are charged to resident
undergraduate students enrolled in the University of California, the
California State University, or the California Community Colleges to
a specified amount, based on the average total cost of education, as
defined, at the respective segment. The bill would prohibit each of
the 3 segments from charging a resident undergraduate student who
commences enrollment in an undergraduate degree program at that
segment for the fall term of the 2011-12 academic year, or any
academic term thereafter, mandatory systemwide fees in an amount that
is greater than the amount of the fees in effect at the time the
student commenced enrollment in the undergraduate degree program. The
bill would prohibit mandatory systemwide fees charged to resident
undergraduate students enrolled in the University of California and
the California State University from being increased, in any academic
year, by an amount exceeding 5% of the fees charged for the
immediately preceding academic year. With respect to the per unit per
semester fees that community college districts are required to
charge to students enrolled in the California Community Colleges, the
bill would declare legislative intent that those fees not be
increased by an amount exceeding 5% of the fees charged for the
immediately preceding academic year. The bill would prohibit an
increase in mandatory systemwide fees charged to resident
undergraduate students enrolled in any of the 3 segments that is
adopted on or after January 1, 2011, from becoming effective before 6
months have elapsed after the date on which fee increase is adopted.The bill would provide that the act does not apply to the
University of California, except to the extent that the Regents of
the University of California adopt a resolution making it applicable.
The bill would request the regents to adopt policies that are
consistent with the act.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 66150) is added to
Part 40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:
CHAPTER 3.5. STUDENT FEES66150. This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the
California College and University Fee Stabilization Act of 2010.
66151. As used in this chapter, the following terms have the
following meanings:
(a) (1) “Average total cost of education” means the amount
calculated by dividing the total cost of education for the University
of California, the California State University, or the California
Community Colleges, whichever is applicable, by the total number of
full-time equivalent students enrolled at that segment.
(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), “total cost of education” means
the following with respect to each of the following segments of
public postsecondary education:
(A) For the University of California and the California State
University, the sum of appropriations and projected revenues from all
of the following:
(i) The General Fund.
(ii) Higher education fees and income.
(iii) The California State Lottery Education Fund.
(iv) Reimbursements.
(B) For the California Community Colleges, the sum of
appropriations and projected revenues from all of the following:
(i) The General Fund, including appropriations pursuant to Section
8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.
(ii) The State School Fund.
(iii) The California Lottery Education Fund.
(iv) Reimbursements.
(b) “Mandatory systemwide fees” means the fees that all students
enrolled in the California State University or the University of
California are required to pay in order to enroll in courses for the
academic term pursuant to any law or any policy adopted by its
governing board. With respect to the California Community Colleges,
“mandatory systemwide fees” means the fees specified in paragraph (1)
of subdivision (b) of Section 76300.
(c) “Regents” means the Regents of the University of California.
(d) “Resident” means a student who is exempt from paying
nonresident tuition pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section
68000) of Part 41.
(e) “Trustees” means the Trustees of the California State
University.
66152. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Fees at California’s public postsecondary educational
institutions, including the University of California, the California
State University, and the California Community Colleges, have
undergone steep increases in recent years.
(b) Over time, fee levels have been erratic and unpredictable, and
have left families unable to realistically plan for the future.
(c) Recent fee increases demonstrate a trend toward the state
shifting a greater share of the costs of attaining higher education
onto students and families.
(d) Students and families face the increased challenge of paying
higher fees and an increased share of educational costs at a time
when state unemployment rates continue to soar and as families
continue to struggle to make ends meet.
(e) Barriers to attaining higher education posed by skyrocketing,
erratic, and unpredictable fee levels come at a time when experts
warn that California needs to produce more college graduates to meet
the state’s workforce and economic needs.
(f) If the state does not take action to ensure that more
individuals attain a college university education, California will
have one million fewer college graduates than it needs in 2025.
(g) As of 2025, only 35 percent of working-age adults will have a
college degree in an economy that would otherwise require 41 percent
of workers to have a college degree.
(h) Failure to address this shortage by, in part, ensuring that
skyrocketing, erratic, and unpredictable fees do not continue to
serve as a barrier to attaining higher education will hamper the
state’s economic recovery and threaten California’s ability to remain
competitive in the increasingly global economy.
66154. By enacting this chapter, it is the intent of the
Legislature to do all of the following:
(a) Limit the increases in student fees at the state’s public
postsecondary educational institutions and help students and families
plan for the future by bringing predictability and consistency to
fee levels over time.
(b) Enact a rational, moderate, and predictable fee policy that
recognizes the partnership between students, families, and the state
in preparing California’s future workforce.
(c) Ensure that the share of costs that students and families pay
at the state’s public postsecondary educational institutions remains
below the national average and reflects a reasonable contribution to
expect from students and families.
66156. (a) For each of the following segments of public
postsecondary education, the mandatory systemwide fees charged to
resident undergraduate students for any academic year shall not
exceed the following amounts:
(1) For the University of California, 40 percent of the average
total cost of education for that academic year.
(2) For the California State University, 30 percent of the average
total cost of education for that academic year.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that, for any academic
year, the mandatory systemwide fees charged to resident students
enrolled in the California Community Colleges, pursuant to paragraph
(1) of subdivision (b) of Section 76300, should not exceed 10 percent
of the average total cost of education for that academic year.
66158. Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of
Section 76300 or any other law, a community college district, the
trustees, and the regents shall not charge mandatory systemwide fees
to a resident undergraduate student who commences enrollment in an
undergraduate degree program at the respective segment during the
fall term of the 2011-12 academic year, or any academic term
thereafter, in an amount that is greater than the amount of the
mandatory systemwide fees that are in effect for the academic term at
the time he or she commenced enrollment in the undergraduate degree
program.
66160. (a) In any academic year, the trustees and the regents
shall not increase the mandatory systemwide fees charged to resident
undergraduate students enrolled in the respective institutions by an
amount exceeding 5 percent of the mandatory systemwide fees charged
to those students for the immediately preceding academic year. The
total amount of mandatory systemwide fees, as increased, shall not
exceed the limits in subdivision (a) of Section 66156.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the fees charged to
students enrolled in the California Community Colleges, as set forth
in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 76300, should not be
increased by an amount exceeding 5 percent of the fees charged to
those students for the immediately preceding academic year and, as
increased, should not exceed the limit in subdivision (b) of Section
66156.
66162. (a) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of
Section 76300 or any other law, any increase in the mandatory
systemwide fees charged to a resident undergraduate student enrolled
in the University of California, California State University, or a
community college district that is adopted on or after January 1,
2011, shall not become effective before six months have elapsed after
the date on which the fee increase is adopted.
(b) This section is subject to the restrictions on charging
mandatory systemwide fees set forth in Section 66158. This section is
not intended to permit an institution to charge fees in an amount
greater than permitted pursuant to Section 66158.
66165. (a) This chapter shall not apply to the University of
California, except to the extent that the regents, by appropriate
resolution, make this chapter applicable.
(b) The regents are requested to adopt policies for increases in
mandatory systemwide fees that are consistent with this chapter.
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I hope the introduction and exact text of this legislation is helpful.
Note: I am a private, totally disabled, retired citizen with an interest in the betterment of California.
This post was made without consultation or approval of Senator/Lt.Governor Candidate Florez, his Capitol staff nor Senator Florez for Lt. Governor campaign staff.