Under existing law, there are 4 segments of postsecondary education in this state: the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, and independent institutions of higher education. Existing law, the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009, regulates the operations of private postsecondary educational institutions, as defined, some of which are not accredited. Existing federal law, the Higher Education Opportunity Act, requires postsecondary institutions whose students receive certain federally funded, or federally insured or guaranteed, student loans to provide, among other services, entrance and exit counseling to students with specified information about these loans. This bill would require each campus of the 4 segments listed above, and private postsecondary educational institutions subject to the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009, to provide entrance and exit counseling, as specified, with respect to any student loans offered by the institution or a private lender or recommended to the student by the institution or segment. The bill would also allow an institution to assess a reasonable fee to the lender, not exceeding $50, in order to defray the cost of additional counseling. The bill would not apply to federally funded, federally insured, or federally guaranteed loans for which counseling is required by the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act.
Sponsored bills
This measure would designate that January 20, 2014, be observed as the official memorial of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birth and commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement in changing public policy in California and in the United States of America. This measure would also recognize the anniversaries of the Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington in connection with the advancement of civil rights.
Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to administer the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program. Under the program, moneys from the continuously appropriated Emergency Housing and Assistance Fund are available for the purposes of providing shelter, as specified, to homeless persons at as low a cost and as quickly as possible, without compromising the health and safety of shelter occupants, to encourage the move of homeless persons from shelters to a self-supporting environment as soon as possible, to encourage provision of services for as many persons at risk of homelessness as possible, to encourage compatible and effective funding of homeless services, and to encourage coordination among public agencies that fund or provide services to homeless individuals, as well as agencies that discharge people from their institutions. Existing law requires the department to distribute funds appropriated for activities providing for capital development programs, including acquisition, leasing, construction, and rehabilitation of sites for emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless persons, as grants in the form of forgivable deferred loans, as prescribed. Existing law requires the department to make funding available to each project as a loan with a term of 5 years for rehabilitation, 7 years for substantial rehabilitation, or 10 years for acquisition and rehabilitation or new construction. This bill would authorize the department to also make funding available as a loan with a term of 20 years for conversion to permanent supportive housing for homeless families and individuals. Existing law requires that grants awarded by the department pursuant to these provisions be used by a grant recipient to defray costs of eligible activities defined in department regulations. This bill would provide that these grants may also be awarded pursuant to department requirements and would authorize the department to develop requirements that are not subject to review by the Office of Administrative Law, as specified. The bill would also expand eligible activities to include capital development loans for the conversion of emergency shelter or transitional housing to permanent supportive housing for homeless families or individuals, and the provision of effective approaches to rapidly rehouse homeless clients, including homeless system assessments, street outreach and housing and services engagement efforts, coordinated care services, housing location and stabilization services, and rental assistance costs, including deposits and costs necessary for occupancy. The bill would require the department to give priority for capital development funds to applicants proposing capital development loans for the conversion of emergency shelter or transitional housing to permanent supportive housing for homeless families or individuals and to give priority for noncapital development funds to applicants that propose effective approaches to rapidly rehouse homeless clients and that leverage additional funding sources or focus on high-cost users of more than one system of care. The bill would require that the department, no later than June 30, 2015, transfer any unobligated Proposition 46 and Proposition 1C bond funds derived from bonds remaining in the Emergency Housing and Assistance Fund to the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Fund, less any funds needed for state operations to support outstanding awards as determined by the Department of Housing and Community Development, to be expended for the Multifamily Housing Program for supportive housing for a specified target population. By authorizing the use of continuously appropriated funds for new purposes, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would also incorporate changes in Section 50802 of the Health and Safety Code proposed by AB 1109, that would become operative on the date this bill becomes operative only if AB 1109 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2014, and this bill is chaptered last.
This measure would honor the California Council on Science and Technology for 25 years of service and unbiased advice to the State of California.
This measure would urge the Congress of the United States to enact President Barack Obama's budget proposal to increase funding for preschool and early learning. This measure would also urge the Superintendent of Public Instruction to prepare a plan for making California competitive for future increases in federal funding to preschool and early learning programs.
This measure would designate December 4, 2013, as Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court Day.
This measure would proclaim October 5, 2013, as California Firefighters Memorial Day.
This measure would recognize September 2013 as Hmong History Month, urge all citizens to join in celebrating the accomplishments of the Hmong people during Hmong History Month, and encourage the people of California to recognize the many talents, achievements, and contributions that the Hmong people make to their communities.
This measure would formally endorse the invaluable work of California's Africana studies programs, and their faculty, staff, and students. The measure would recognize the leadership provided by the beneficiaries of those programs, and would support the continuation of Africana studies programs in California's institutions of higher education.