Copyright© 2000 by School Services of California, Inc.
2000 Chaptered and Vetoed Legislation-Part III
The following are additional bills impacting community colleges that have either been signed or vetoed by the Governor through September 27, 2000. Bills that contain an urgency clause are effective upon the Governor's signature. All other bills become effective January 1, 2001, or later, as specified. Bills that were tracked in Bills at a Glance are preceded by an asterisk. Governor Davis has until September 30th to act on the remaining bills sent to him at the end of the 2000 legislative session. Part IV of this series of chapter and vetoed legislation, which will cover the Governor's final actions, will be on SSC's website sometime during the week of October 2nd (as soon as all actions are known) and will be printed in the October 13th Update.
* AB 1009 (Correa, D-Anaheim), Chapter 483/00: PERS Purchasing Power Protection
This bill increases the Purchasing Power Protection Allowance (PPPA) benefit to a guaranteed level of 80 percent, instead of the current non-guaranteed benefit limit of 75 percent, for local public agencies. It requires each employer (State, local public agencies, or schools) to fund the PPPA benefits of its own retirees rather than maintain the cost sharing mechanism allowed under current law. The employer must also provide a one-time retroactive payment to eligible parties for increased benefits that would have been paid had the bill been enacted on January 1, 2000.
Urgency, effective September 16, 2000
AB 1123 (Cardoza, D-Merced), Chapter 467/00: Distance Learning: The California Distance Learning Policy
This bill requires the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) to review and evaluate the state's policy on distance learning in cooperation with the state's higher education institutions and the Governor's Office of Education. It also requires the CPEC to make recommendations to the Legislature every three years beginning in 2001. Governor Davis signed the bill with the understanding that the CPEC's recommendations are "to be considered suggested programmatic priorities for the use of distance learning technology, and that any funding decisions will be made through the annual budget process."
* AB 1346 (Runner, R-Lancster), Chapter 571/00: Resident Classification
This bill provides permanent residency status for active-duty members of the armed forces stationed in California and their dependents for purposes of paying undergraduate student fees at the California Community Colleges and the California State University.
AB 1509 (Machado, D-Linden), Chapter 74/00: State Teachers' Retirement: Defined Benefit Supplement Program
This bill creates the Defined benefit supplement program, which diverts 25 percent of an employee's STRS contributions into a tax-deferred account that will be available to the teacher upon retirement.
* AB 1773 (Romero, D-Los Angeles), Chapter 574/00: STRS: Postretirement Earnings
This bill prohibits the commercial sale or distribution of contemporaneous recordings (lecture notes) of an academic presentation given by an instructor at the University of California (UC), the California State University (CSU), the California Community Colleges (CCC), or any private post-secondary institutions.
* AB 2159 (Pacheco (R-Walnut), Chapter 460/00: Loan Assumption Program for Community College Faculty
This bill expands the eligibility for students to participate in the Graduate Assumption Program of Loans for Education (Grad-APLE). The Grad-APLE program, established in 1998-99 and administered by the Student Aid Commission, provides loan assumption benefits of up to $6,000 to recipients who provide three years of service as a full-time faculty member at a California college or university.
AB 2182 (Mazzoni, D-Novato), Chapter 292/00: Bidding Procedures: Alternative Bids
This bill outlines guidelines for a public entity to include alternatives that may be added or deleted from the final bid award for a public works project, and specifies how those alternatives are to be considered in awarding the contract.
AB 2323 (Ducheny, D-San Diego), Chapter 462/00: Joint Powers Authority: Center for International Education Synergy
This bill declares the Legislature's intent to provide general funds through the annual budget act to support the proposed Center for International Education Synergy (CIES). The CIES is a joint-use campus to be established by San Diego State University, the Southwestern Community College District, and the Sweetwater Union High School District to meet the growing demand for educational programs.
AB 2472 (Romero, D-Los Angeles), Chapter 531/00: Public school employees: disclosure of improper governmental activities
This bill establishes the Reporting by Public School Employees of Improper Governmental Activities Act and the Reporting by Community College Employees of Improper Governmental Activities Act. These acts provide protections to public school employees who report improper governmental activities.
AB 2791 (Alquist,D-Santa Clara), Chapter 463/00: School and Essential Services Facilities: Stop Work Notice
This bill grants the State Department of General Services the authority to issue a stop work order for construction on a K-12 school, community college, or any essential services facility if the project is not conforming to structural safety design requirements. It also stipulates that school districts shall not be held liable for any action filed for stopping work or for any delays caused by compliance with the stop work order.
* SB 1347 (Vasconcellos, D-Santa Clara), Chapter 390/00: Board of Governors: Student Member
This bill would add one non-voting student member to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, thereby increasing its student representation to two members serving staggered two-year terms. The bill would further require the governor to appoint each student member from lists of names furnished by the California Student Association of the Community Colleges.
SB 1644 (Ortiz, D-Sacramento), Chapter 403/00: Student Financial Aid: Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program
This bill expands Cal Grants and guarantees nearly one out of three California high school graduates awards under the Cal Grant program.
Amounts of the awards range from full tuition at California Community Colleges, State Universities, and the University of California, to $9,700 for tuition support at private universities in California. For community college students, awards of $1,551 may be used for books and living expenses.
Urgency, effective September 11, 2000
* SB 1898 (Solis, D-El Monte), Chapter 588/00: Student Financial Aid: Student Opportunity and Access Program
This bill expands the California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP) to include community college students. It requires the California Student Aid Commission to develop and establish a pilot program entitled "Transfer: Making It Happen." The goal of the pilot program is to encourage educationally disadvantaged community college students to transfer to four-year institutions of higher education.
SB 2122 (Ortiz, D-Sacramento), Chapter 320/00: Retirement System: Investments: Information Sharing
This bill authorizes and encourages the Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) and the State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) to cooperate with each other and share information that may assist both systems in developing and implementing investment strategies.
Vetoed Legislation
* AB 8 (Cardenas, D-Panorama City): Election of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District
This bill would have required the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District to establish seven trustee areas in the district, and would have required members of the governing board to be elected by trustee area.
The Governor's veto message stated:
"The decision to create single-member trustee areas is best made at the local level, not by the state. Furthermore, current law allows registered voters residing in the Los Angeles Community College District to petition for the creation of trustee areas."
* AB 383 (Cardoza, D-Merced): Schedule of Salaries for Temporary Academic Employees
This bill would have required that a uniform salary schedule be adopted for a part-time faculty. All community college districts now have a salary schedule that is developed either through collective bargaining or the meet and confer process. This bill mandates part-time salary requirements that are items negotiated through the collective bargaining process.
The Governor's veto message stated:
"This bill would limit the ability of districts to negotiate for the compensation of their employees, particularly those part-time faculty who have skills in high-demand fields.
"For this reason I cannot support this bill."
* AB 1922 (Romero, D-Los Angeles): College Faculty Diversity Reporting
This bill would have required the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to report to the Legislature regarding changes in the diversity makeup of the faculty and the progress made in meeting district and systemwide goals.
The Governor's veto message stated:
"While I strongly support having a diverse workplace, this bill is unnecessary and duplicative. Current law already provides that all community college districts report demographic data on their employees. This information is available to the public and the state Legislature and is regularly used by community college administrators and faculty."
SB 338 (Wright, R- Simi Valley): College Notification Requirements
This bill would have required the public segments of higher education to comply with specified notification requirements prior to the elimination of intercollegiate athletic programs, to honor scholarships for affected students, and to make efforts to place affected students in similar programs at other universities.
The Governor's veto message stated:
"Currently, each of the public segments of higher education has administrative flexibility to make decisions regarding continuation, expansion, or elimination of academic and athletic programs. This bill would reduce that flexibility with regard to athletic programs. In addition, the measure's notification requirements would result in reimbursable state-mandated local costs to the California Community College districts.
"Furthermore, the University of California and the California State University have already committed to honoring scholarships for affected students and to helping place those students in similar athletic programs in other institutions. It is not necessary to codify these practices, nor to remove their administrative flexibility to manage their programs, academic or otherwise."
SB 576 (McPherson, R-Santa Cruz): CPEC: Contracts for Language Development
This bill would have appropriated $90,000 from the General Fund to the California Postsecondary Education Commission for the purpose of funding a strategic action plan for language development, teaching and learning. The bill also requires the Commission to contract with the Center for Intensive Language and Culture, in Monterey, California, when specified conditions are met.
The Governor's veto message stated:
"While I support the promotion and expansion of foreign language teaching and learning at all grade levels, I am opposed to this measure because of its prescriptive contracting provisions and requirements and because it would make an appropriation that is not supported in the 2000 Budget Act."
* SB 796 (Dunn, D-Santa Ana): Public Postsecondary Education: Credit Card marketing
This bill would have requested the regents and the governing body of each accredited private or independent college or university in the state, and require the trustees and the board of governors, to adopt policies to regulate the marketing practices used on campuses by credit card companies.
The Governor's veto message stated:
"Personal responsibility can not be mandated by government. The answer lies first and foremost with parental guidance.
"The majority of California private and public colleges and universities
presently limit credit card marketing practices on their campuses. In addition,
all colleges and universities are required by federal law to provide debt
education and counseling to students who participate in the federal student
loan program."
--Arnold Bray and Kim Seitz