For the first year of the 2007-08 legislative session the Board of Trustee’s legislative program includes two Assembly and two Senate Measures. While the CSU has worked with Assembly Member Hector De La Torre previously, this will be the first time the CSU has worked with Senator Mark Ridley Thomas or newly elected Assembly Member Mary Salas.

In addition to these 3 measures, Senator Jeff Denham has introduced a placeholder measure that may ultimately contain a remedy to the existing requirement of the Department of General Services purchasing vehicles for the CSU.

Assembly Bill 302 (Hector De La Torre) – Financial Aid: Cal Grant Program Revisions
Assembly Member, and the Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee, Hector De La Torre (D-50, South Gate) has introduced a jointly sponsored CSU/CSSA measure to provide all Cal Grant B high school entitlement award recipients who enroll at a four-year institution with funds to cover tuition and fees during the initial year of their award. This proposal would ensure consistency and equity for all students, whether recipients of Cal Grant A or B entitlement awards by covering fees and tuition from start to finish (i.e. B recipients will receive the same fee and tuition coverage currently provided to A recipients).

Assembly Bill 950 (Mary Salas) – Waiver of Non-Resident Fees for Military Personnel in Graduate Programs
Newly elected and incoming Chair of the Assembly’s Veteran’s Affairs Committee, Mary Salas (D-79, San Diego) has introduced this measure which revises current law providing non-resident waivers for graduate study from one to three years for military personnel and their spouses stationed in California. This would make the statutes guiding such waivers consistent for both undergraduate and graduate study, as well as support the goals of the veteran’s partnership. The fiscal impact of the waiver should be minimized with receipt of marginal cost for these students.

Senate Bill 855 (Mark Ridley Thomas) – Revenue Bonds
Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-26, Los Angeles) has agreed to author this technical proposal which is a reintroduction of last year’s AB 2597 by Assembly Member Fran Pavley with the deletion of the one contentious provision related to Dormitory Revenue Fund that concerned the Treasurer’s Office. This proposal will enhance the flexibility of the CSU’s Systemwide Revenue Bonds (SRB) program, resulting in lower interest costs for projects, particularly for student housing, parking facilities, and student union projects.

Senate Bill 496 (Jeff Denham) – Vehicle Purchasing
Senator Jeff Denham (R-12, Modesto) has agreed to continue discussions on addressing problems with purchasing vehicles through the Department of General Services, consistent with last year’s omnibus measure. To this end, he has introduced this spot measure as a placeholder for continued discussions on the subject.