CA SB 117
Title: Higher education trailer bill.
Author: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
Summary
SB 117, as amended, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review. Higher education trailer bill. (1) Existing law establishes the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program to provide one-time grants for the construction of student housing or for the acquisition and renovation of commercial properties into student housing for the purpose of providing affordable, low-cost housing options for students enrolled in public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law appropriates $1,434,133,000 for the 2022–23 fiscal year from the General Fund for the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program for purposes of the one-time grants described above.This bill, commencing with the 2023–24 fiscal year, would require specified funding previously allocated, or planned to be allocated, to the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges for those construction grants to instead be funded by revenue bonds issued by the University of California and the California State University, and local revenue bonds issued by community college districts. The bill would require any General Fund support for those grants provided to the campuses of the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges to revert to the General Fund. The bill would eliminate the 2022–23 fiscal year General Fund appropriation for the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program.(2) Existing law appropriates $650,000,000 from the General Fund to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for transfer to the Learning Recovery Emergency Fund. Existing law requires the chancellor’s office to allocate those funds to community college districts on the basis of actual reported full-time equivalent students, as provided. Existing law authorizes the funds to be expended for certain purposes related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including student supports, reengagement strategies, faculty grants, and professional development opportunities.This bill would authorize the funds in the Learning Recovery Emergency Fund to be used for additional purposes, including scheduled maintenance and special repairs of facilities and efforts to increase student retention rates and enrollment by engaging former community college students who may have withdrawn due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.(3) Existing law, until June 30, 2023, authorizes the University of California to provide a scholarship as established by the university or a campus of the university, derived from nonstate funds received for that purpose, to any of its enrolled students who meet the eligibility requirements for that scholarship.This bill would extend that authorization by 4 years.(4) Existing federal law provides for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in California as CalFresh, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county.Existing law requires each campus of the California Community Colleges, no later than July 1, 2022, to establish the position of Basic Needs Coordinator to assist students with on- and off-campus housing, food, mental health, and other basic needs services and resources, among other responsibilities, and to establish a Basic Needs Center where basic needs services, resources, and staff are made available to students, as specified. Existing law requires each community college campus to report certain information to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges related to basic needs services and resources. Existing law requires the chancellor’s office to annually develop and submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature based on the data and information received from campuses and information on the use of funds made available to implement these provisions.This bill would require each community college camp
Status
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4:45 p.m.
Bill Documents
CA SB 117 - 06/26/23 - Amended Assembly
06/26/23 - CA SB 117 (06/26/23 - Amended Assembly)
CA SB 117 - 01/18/23 - Introduced
01/18/23 - CA SB 117 (01/18/23 - Introduced)