AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 15, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

95

CHAPTER 643

Statutes of 2023

[ Approved by Governor October 10, 2023. Filed with Secretary of State October 10, 2023. ]

Introduced by Assembly Member Alanis

January 19, 2023

An act to add Section 66025.82 to the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. 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 registration for enrollment to specified individuals, including, among others, a member or former member of the Armed Forces of the United States, as specified.

This bill would require the California State University, and request the University of California, with respect to each campus in their respective jurisdictions that administers a priority enrollment system, commencing with the 2025–26 academic year, to grant priority for registration for enrollment to first responders, as defined.

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

SECTION 1.

Section 66025.82 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 66025.81, to read:

66025.82.

(a) Commencing with the 2025–26 academic year, the California State University shall, and the University of California is requested to, with respect to each campus in their respective jurisdictions that administers a priority enrollment system, grant priority in that system for registration for enrollment to a first responder.

(b) (1) The priority registration for enrollment provided pursuant to this section shall apply to enrollment for all baccalaureate degree and certificate programs offered by the institution after the employment of the student as a first responder has been verified by the institution the student attends.

(2) A student requesting priority registration pursuant to this section shall provide the institution with documentation that shows proof of employment as a first responder upon an initial request for priority registration and annually upon the start of each subsequent academic year if priority registration is requested.

(c) For purposes of this section, “first responder” means an employee of the state or a local public agency who provides emergency response services, including any of the following:

(1) A peace officer.

(2) A firefighter who is a member of a fire department of cities, counties, cities and counties, districts, or other public or municipal corporations or political subdivisions, whether the members are volunteer, partly paid, or fully paid, excepting those whose principal duties are clerical, such as stenographers, telephone operators, and other workers not engaged in fire suppression or rescue operations or the protection or preservation of life or property.

(3) A paramedic.

(4) An emergency medical technician.

(5) A public safety dispatcher or public safety telecommunicator whose primary responsibility is to receive, process, transmit, or dispatch emergency and nonemergency calls for law enforcement, fire, emergency medical, and other public safety services by telephone, radio, or other communication device, and includes an individual who promotes from this position and supervises individuals who perform these functions.