Legislative Information
LEGISLATIVE INFO
Legislative Session 2010
Background: Governor Schwarzenegger in his last year of office is facing many of the same issues that he faced when he came into office, multi-billion dollar deficits, a polarized legislature, powerful special interests who disagree with his vision of California and a sluggish economy that refuses to improve.
The 2010 Legislative session, after the block-buster year in 2009 when AB 48, the California Private Postsecondary Act (CPPEA) of 2009 was passed and signed into law was expected to be relatively non-eventful. That expectation was blown out of the water when several things happened.
- Not discussed but very critical to our sector, the new Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) did not receive a budget allocation to fund its 60 requested positions in the 2009 budget. As a result the BPPE is vastly understaffed with about a half-dozen staff attempting to implement CPPEA and falling further behind each day
- The author of CA AB 48, Assembly Member Anthony Portantino introduced a technical "clean up" bill (AB 1889) which quickly became a substantive amendment bill which has drawn opposition from various parts of the sector. CAPPS opposed the following amendments:
- The bill was amended to change the definition of "graduates employed in the field," a definition by which all Institutions under CPPEA may claim placements in such a way that unless the student learned all of their skills used on their job, the Institution could not claim it as a placement.
- The bill was amended to prohibit non-accredited Institutions from offering Doctoral programs
- The bill was amended to add new periods of time for plaintiffs attorney's to file lawsuits against institutions based on the expired Reform Act
- AB 2393 (Ammiano) is a bill that CAPPS has opposed from its introduction. It imposes the old 60 days employment standard within six months of graduation that pertained to non-degree schools in the expired Reform Act. This bill also has a twist in that it made it applicable to "apprenticeable" occupations. This bill is sponsored by plaintiffs attorney's which historically look to insert language into legislation affecting our sector that makes filing a lawsuit against our Institutions more advantageous to win or settle.
- SB957 (Price) is legislation that changes how Cal Grant C's are awarded. It essentially advances Cal C eligible recipients in the pool to the "head of the list" if the student selects an occupation that has been determined a "green job" by a selected group of interests.
After working with the Author and other concerned parties, CAPPS Lobbyists Joe Ackler and Matt Back of Ackler & Associates were successful in mitigating the damaging language in the above provisions.
The Governor still opposes AB 1889 and unless his objections are met, it is unlikely that the bill will be signed.
CAPPS and the Governor oppose this legislation.
Besides being terribly expensive to administer, the bill curtails access by eligible students if they choose a different occupation to be educated in and the green job determination process will clearly create a lag between current need and prior demand.
CAPPS has met with the Author and is working to resolve the above issues.
CAPPS follows dozens of bills in the Legislative process because any of those and hundreds of others could be gutted and amended in a flash to negatively affect your Institution and your students. CAPPS member Institutions are welcome to call or email info@cappsonline.org or call the CAPPS office at (916) 447-5500 should they have any questions or concerns on any Legislative bill or action.