California Senate Bill SB1357 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: SB 1357AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 29, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Senator Block FEBRUARY 19, 2016 An act to  amend Section 76300   add Article 5.5 (commencing with Section 69438) to Chapter 1.7 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3  of the Education Code, relating to community colleges. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1357, as amended, Block. Community colleges:  enrollment fees.   Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Act: California Community Colleges Assistance Grant Program.  Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law requires community college district governing boards to charge students an enrollment fee of $46 per unit per semester.  Existing law provides for the waiver of this fee under certain circumstances.   Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards, the California Community College Transfer Cal Grant 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 institutions.  This bill would  make a nonsubstantive change in this law by deleting an obsolete provision.   establish the California Community Colleges Assistance Grant Program. Commencing with the 2017-18 award year, the bill would require the Student Aid Commission to annually augment the awards of all recipients of Cal Grant B Entitlement awards and Competitive Cal Grant B awards who are enrolled as students at campuses   of the California Community Colleges by $1,500. The bill would specify that the amounts awarded under the bill would supplement, and not supplant, the   Cal Grant B awards and other student financial aid received by those community college students. The bill would further specify that these awards would be funded by appropriations from the General Fund in the annual Budget Act.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Article 5.5 (commencing with Section 69438) is added to Chapter 1.7 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the   Education Code   , to read:   Article 5.5. California Community Colleges Assistance Grant Program 69438. Notwithstanding any other law: (a) The California Community Colleges Assistance Grant Program is hereby established. Commencing with the 2017-18 award year, the commission shall annually augment the awards of all recipients of Cal Grant B Entitlement awards and Competitive Cal Grant B awards who are enrolled as students at campuses of the California Community Colleges by the amount of one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500). The amounts awarded under this article shall supplement, and not supplant, the Cal Grant B awards and other student financial aid received by those community college students. (b) The awards made under this article shall be funded by an appropriation from the General Fund made in the annual Budget Act.  All matter omitted in this version of the bill appears in the bill as introduced in the Senate, February 19, 2016. (JR11)