AB 2972

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. An existing federal policy, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) , allows some individuals with unlawful presence in the United States after being brought to the country as children to receive a period of deferred action from deportation. Existing law exempts a student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, from paying nonresident tuition at the California State University and the California Community Colleges if the student has a total of 3 or more years of full-time attendance, or attainment of equivalent credits earned while in California, California high schools, California adult schools, campuses of the California Community Colleges, or a combination of those schools, as specified, or the student completes 3 or more years of full-time high school coursework, and a total of 3 or more years of attendance in California elementary schools, California secondary schools, or a combination of California elementary and secondary schools. Existing law also requires that the student graduate from a California high school or attain the equivalent, attain an associate degree from a campus of the California Community Colleges, or fulfill minimum transfer requirements established for the University of California or the California State University for students transferring from campuses of the California Community Colleges. This bill would require the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and the Trustees of the California State University, and encourage the Regents of the University of California, to create a systemwide training program, for the administrators, as defined, of those respective segments to complete annually, relating to undocumented students, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) , federal and state laws related to immigration generally, state law relating to exemption from nonresident tuition, and resources that the system or campus has for undocumented students. The bill would specify that these online training programs would be available to all faculty and staff of the segments, and would require the governing bodies of the segments to encourage faculty and staff, particularly advisors, counselors, and human resources specialists, to take the training. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on community college districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.