BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2164 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 4, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Lorena Gonzalez, Chair AB 2164 (O'Donnell) - As Amended April 18, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Higher Education |Vote:|13 - 0 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No SUMMARY: This bill expands an existing exemption from mandatory tuition and fees at the University of California (UC), the Hastings College of Law, the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges-for an eligible survivor of a firefighter or law enforcement officer who died in the line of duty-to also include the survivor of a firefighter or law enforcement officer who died as a result of an industrial injury or illness arising out of and in the course of active law enforcement or fire suppression and prevention duties. The bill also provides, for student survivors receiving the existing waiver, an additional waiver of mandatory campus-based fees. AB 2164 Page 2 FISCAL EFFECT: Expanding the circumstances under which the survivor of a firefighter or law enforcement officer would be eligible for tuition and fee waivers would result in losses of revenue at UC, CSU, and the CCC. UC indicates less than 20 current students are receiving the current waiver. The total is 36 students at CSU and was about 350 at the community colleges in 2014-15. The numbers of additional students at each segment who would become eligible for a waiver under this bill is unknown, but assuming it is one-half the above numbers, the annual revenue losses would be about $134,000 at UC, $123,000 at CSU and $160,000 at the CCC. In addition, since the bill waives mandatory campus-based fees, there would be additional revenue losses of $11,000 at UC and $48,000 at CSU. COMMENTS: Background and Purpose. The Alan Pattee Scholarship Act of 1970 was created in order to assist surviving family members of firefighters and law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. The Act waives all mandatory tuition and fees at UC, Hastings, and CSU for these survivors. By reference to the Act in Education Code Section 76300, fees are also waived at the CCC. Since 1970, California's workers' compensation laws have been amended to reflect other serious occupational hazards firefighters and law enforcement officers face. Today these laws provide for benefits to these public safety officers who also endure the cumulative effect of exposure to toxic materials. The Act has never been updated to reflect these changes, which AB 2164 would accomplish. AB 2164 Page 3 Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081