AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 21, 2016

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2016

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2015–2016 REGULAR SESSION

95

CHAPTER 351

Statutes of 2016

[ Approved by Governor September 14, 2016. Filed with Secretary of State September 14, 2016. ]

Introduced by Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia

February 17, 2016

An act to amend Section 69432.92 of the Education Code, relating to student financial aid.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

The Cal Grant Program establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C award, and the Cal Grant T award under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. As part of these eligibility requirements, existing law authorizes the commission to require the verification of high school graduation or its equivalent to be electronically submitted to the commission for all former grade 12 pupils who graduated from public schools, including charter schools, in the prior academic year, except for pupils who have opted out, as specified. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that high schools or high school districts verify the graduation of their pupils in time to meet specified deadlines.

This bill would require the commission, if it requires the verification of high school graduation or its equivalent, to provide guidance to high schools or high school districts to ensure that high schools and high school districts verify the graduation of their pupils as soon as possible upon a pupil’s graduation and no later than August 31 of the academic year following the pupils’ graduation, as specified.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 69432.92 of the Education Code is amended to read:

69432.92.

(a) The commission may require verification of high school graduation or its equivalent to be electronically submitted for all former grade 12 pupils who graduated from public schools, including charter schools, in the prior academic year, except for pupils who have opted out as provided in subdivision (d) of Section 69432.9.

(b) If the commission requires verification of high school graduation or its equivalent pursuant to subdivision (a), the commission shall provide guidance to high schools or high school districts to ensure that high schools and high school districts verify the graduation of their pupils as soon as possible upon a pupil’s graduation and no later than August 31 of the academic year following the pupils’ graduation. This subdivision also applies to pupils who graduate during the summer following the grade 12 academic year.