An act to amend Sections 66019.3, 76010, 90001.5, and 92660 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

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


SECTION 1.
Section 66019.3 of the Education Code is amended to read:
66019.3.
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California to disseminate information to foster care agencies regarding admissions requirements and financial aid.
(b) The Legislature requests the Regents of the University of California and the Trustees of the California State University to explore methods of using the admissions-by-exemption category to assist the transition of students who are homeless youth or foster youth into four-year public institutions of higher education.
SEC. 2.
Section 76010 of the Education Code is amended to read:
76010.
(a) In order to ensure that current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth who are students at the campuses of the California Community Colleges have stable housing, each campus of the California Community Colleges that maintains student housing facilities is requested to give priority for housing to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth. In addition, each campus of the California Community Colleges that maintains student housing facilities open for occupation during school breaks, or on a year-round basis, is requested to give first priority to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth for residence in the housing facilities that are open for uninterrupted year-round occupation and provide this housing to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth at no extra cost during academic or campus breaks, and next give priority to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth for housing that is open for occupation during the most days in the calendar year.
(b) In addition, each campus of the California Community Colleges is requested to develop a plan to ensure that current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth can access housing resources as needed during and between academic terms, including during academic and campus breaks, regardless of whether the campus maintains student housing facilities.
(c) As used in this section, a “homeless youth” means a student under 25 years of age, who has been verified, in the case of a former homeless youth, at any time during the 24 months immediately preceding the receipt of his or her application for admission by a campus of the California Community Colleges, as a homeless child or youth, as defined in subsection (2) of Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)), by at least one of the following:
(1) A homeless services provider, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 103577 of the Health and Safety Code.
(2) The director, or his or her designee, of a federal TRIO program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs program.
(3) A financial aid administrator.
(d) For purposes of this section, a student who is verified as a former homeless youth pursuant to subdivision (c) shall retain that status for a period of six years from the date of admission.
SEC. 3.
Section 90001.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:
90001.5.
(a) In order to ensure that current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth who are students at campuses of the California State University have stable housing, each campus of the California State University that maintains student housing facilities shall give priority to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth. In addition, each campus of the California State University that maintains student housing facilities open for occupation during school breaks, or on a year-round basis, shall first give priority to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth for residence in the housing facilities that are open for uninterrupted year-round occupation and provide this housing to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth at no extra cost during academic or campus breaks, and next give priority to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth for housing that is open for occupation during the most days in the calendar year.
(b) In addition, each campus of the California State University is requested to develop a plan to ensure that current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth can access housing resources as needed during and between academic terms, including during academic and campus breaks, regardless of whether the campus maintains student housing facilities.
(c) As used in this section, a “homeless youth” means a student under 25 years of age, who has been verified, in the case of a former homeless youth, at any time during the 24 months immediately preceding the receipt of his or her application for admission by a campus of the California State University, as a homeless child or youth, as defined in subsection (2) of Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)), by at least one of the following:
(1) A homeless services provider, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 103577 of the Health and Safety Code.
(2) The director, or his or her designee, of a federal TRIO program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs program.
(3) A financial aid administrator.
(d) For purposes of this section, a student who is verified as a former homeless youth pursuant to subdivision (c) shall retain that status for a period of six years from the date of admission.
SEC. 4.
Section 92660 of the Education Code is amended to read:
92660.
(a) In order to ensure that current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth who are students at campuses of the University of California have stable housing, each campus of the University of California that maintains student housing facilities shall give priority to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth. In addition, each campus of the University of California that maintains student housing facilities open for occupation during school breaks, or on a year-round basis, shall first give priority to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth for residence in the housing facilities for which they are eligible that are open for uninterrupted year-round occupation and provide this housing to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth at no extra cost during academic or campus breaks, and next give priority to current or former homeless youth and current and former foster youth for residence in the housing facilities for which they are eligible that are open for occupation during the most days in the calendar year.
(b) In addition, a campus of the University of California is requested to develop a plan to ensure that current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth can access housing resources as needed during and between academic terms, including during academic and campus breaks, regardless of whether the campus maintains student housing facilities.
(c) As used in this section, a “homeless youth” means a student under 25 years of age, who has been verified, in the case of a former homeless youth, at any time during the 24 months immediately preceding the receipt of his or her application for admission by a campus of the University of California, as a homeless child or youth, as defined in subsection (2) of Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)), by at least one of the following:
(1) A homeless services provider, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 103577 of the Health and Safety Code.
(2) The director, or his or her designee, of a federal TRIO program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs program.
(3) A financial aid administrator.
(d) For purposes of this section, a student who is verified as a former homeless youth pursuant to subdivision (c) shall retain that status for a period of six years from the date of admission.
(e) This section shall not apply to the University of California except to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, make this section applicable.

Summary: Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to provide instruction to students at community college campuses. Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as the other 2 segments of public postsecondary education in this state.
Existing law requests the regents and the trustees to explore methods of using the admissions-by-exemption category to assist the transition of students in foster care into 4-year public institutions of higher education.
This bill would request the regents and the trustees to provide that assistance to students who are homeless youth.
Existing law requests campuses of the California Community Colleges, requires campuses of the California State University, and requires campuses of the University of California, subject to its agreement by resolution, to do all of the following: (1) give priority for housing to current and former foster youth, and (2) as to campuses that maintain student housing facilities open for occupation during school breaks, or on a year-round basis, give first priority to current and former foster youth for residence in housing facilities that are open for uninterrupted year-round occupation and next give priority to current and former foster youth for housing that is open for occupation during the most days in the calendar year.
This bill would provide priority for campus housing to current and former homeless youth that is identical to that priority extended to current and former foster youth under existing law. This bill would request the campuses of the California Community Colleges, and would require the campuses of the California State University, and of the University of California, subject to its agreement by resolution, if they maintain student housing facilities, to provide housing in housing facilities that are open for uninterrupted year-round occupation to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth at no extra cost during academic or campus breaks, and would request each campus of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California to develop a plan to ensure that current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth can access housing resources during and between academic terms, including during academic and campus breaks. This bill would define current and former homeless youth for each of these purposes.