Public postsecondary education: priority registration: Armed Forces and State Military Reserve service.

(1) Existing law requires the California State University and each community college district, and requests the University of California, with respect to each campus in their respective jurisdictions that administers a priority enrollment system, to grant priority for registration for enrollment to any member or former member of the Armed Forces of the United States for any academic term attended at one of these institutions within 2 years of leaving active duty. This bill would specify that these priority registration provisions apply to any member or former member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has received an honorable discharge, a general discharge, or an other than honorable discharge; and to any member or former member of the State Military Reserve, but not to those who have received either a dishonorable discharge or bad conduct discharge. The bill also would define "Armed Forces of the United States" for purposes of the priority registration provisions. By establishing revised requirements relating to student eligibility for priority registration for community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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 these statutory provisions.