California Assembly Bill AB2494 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2494AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Roger Hernndez  (   Coauthors:   Assembly Members   Alejo,  Brown,   Gonzalez,   Irwin,   and Mathis   )  FEBRUARY 19, 2016 An act to add  and repeal  Part 52.7 (commencing with Section 88670)  to  of  Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2494, as amended, Roger Hernndez. Veteran Resource Centers Grant Program. Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing law requires the board of governors to appoint a chief executive officer, to be known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. This bill would establish the Veteran Resource Centers Grant Program, which would authorize the governing board of a community college district and a community college campus at which a veterans resource center has been or is intended to be established to jointly apply to the chancellor for a grant for purposes of providing resources to veterans and active duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States enrolled at the campus. The bill would establish the Veteran Resource Centers Grant Fund in the State Treasury. The bill would allocate moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act, to the chancellor for, among other things, administration of the program and distribution of awards to recipient community college districts and campuses.  The bill would also require the chancellor to submit a report to the Legislature on the progress of the program by May 31, 2019.   The bill would repeal the program on January 1, 2023.  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. The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) More than 60,000 veterans and active duty service members were enrolled at campuses of the California Community Colleges in the 2013-14 academic year. (b) Education is a tool for community college students to achieve economic success. (c) Veterans face unique challenges in achieving professional success, including  posttraumatic-stress   post-traumatic stress  disorder and assimilation to civilian life during and after serving on active duty. (d) The intent of the Veteran Resource Centers Grant Program is to help veterans and active duty service members enrolled at campuses of the California Community Colleges achieve academic and professional success. SEC. 2. Part 52.7 (commencing with Section 88670) is added to Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read: PART 52.7. Veteran Resource Centers Grant Program 88670. This part shall be known, and may be  cited as,   cited, as  the Veteran Resource Centers Grant Program. 88671. The Veteran Resource Centers Grant Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury. Moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act, shall be allocated to the chancellor for the implementation and administration of this part. 88672. A governing board of a community college district and a community college campus at which a veterans resource center has been or is intended to be established may jointly apply to the chancellor for a grant  for purposes of providing   to provide  resources to veterans and active duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States enrolled at the campus to help them succeed academically. 88673. (a) The chancellor shall do  both of  the following: (1) Administer the program and distribute awards to recipient community college districts and campuses. (2) Develop application criteria, administrative guidelines, and other requirements, by May 26, 2017, through a stakeholder process and public meetings, for  purposes of  administering the program.  Those requirements may include the chancellor awarding funding priority to community college district and campus applicants that commit to contributing an amount of funds in addition to the grant to develop, enhance, or maintain a veteran resource center at a community college campus.   (b) The chancellor shall submit a report to the Legislature on the progress of the program on or before May 31, 2019.   (c) (1) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under subdivision (b) is inoperative on June 1, 2023, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.   (2) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.   (b)     An applicant who receives a grant award in the first fiscal year that grants are awarded shall not be required to match the amount of the award. An applicant who receives a grant award in a fiscal yea  r that follows shall match the amount of the award dollar-for-dollar.  88674. This part shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2023, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2023, deletes or extends that date.