California SB 271

Existing law establishes the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law requires each community college campus and each California State University campus, and requests each University of California campus, to establish the position of the Basic Needs Coordinator to assist students, among other responsibilities, with basic needs services and resources, including childcare, and to establish a Basic Needs Center where basic needs services, resources, and staff are made available to students, as provided. Existing law requires each Basic Needs Center to, among other things, connect students to the financial aid department or financial aid office, as appropriate, to ensure that students are receiving all available financial aid. This bill would expand the definition of basic needs services and resources to include childcare services and resources, as defined, and would authorize that childcare services and support to include direct financial and service support. The bill would explicitly state that all available financial aid includes supplemental awards such as the Cal Grant award for students with dependent children. If a campus has an existing center or office that supports parenting students, the bill would authorize a Basic Needs Center to direct that student to the student parent center or office if the student would be better served by that center or office. Existing law requires each campus of the California State University and the California Community Colleges, and requests each campus of the University of California, to host on its internet website a student parent internet web page that contains information that clearly lists all on- and off-campus student parent services and resources, as specified. This bill would require the financial aid office of each campus of the California Community Colleges and the California State University, and request the financial aid office of each campus of the University of California, to provide students with dependent children information on the campus' childcare development center and childcare offerings, if applicable, a referral to the campus Basic Needs Center, and information on supplemental awards such as the Cal Grant award for students with dependent children, as provided. Existing law authorizes public postsecondary institutions to establish and maintain child development programs on or near their campuses. This bill would require child development programs or preschools established by the California Community Colleges and the California State University, and request child development programs or preschools established by the University of California, to provide students with dependent children seeking childcare with a referral to the campus Basic Needs Center and the campus' financial aid office, as specified. By imposing additional duties on community college districts, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 66023.5 of the Education Code proposed by SB 148 and AB 148 to be operative only if this bill and either SB 148 or AB 148 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. 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.