SACRAMENTO – Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) commends Governor Jerry Brown for signing of AB 970 and Assemblymember Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) for putting forth the legislation that will ensure better transparency and accountability on student fees at the California State University and the University of California systems.

“We are living in a time of California history where middle class families are being squeezed out of higher education because of skyrocketing university fee increases, which threatens our state’s economic future,” said Speaker Pérez. “This legislation by Asssemblymember Fong will help improve affordability for these students and their families. We must continue to set higher education as a priority for our state, which will prepare future generations of Californians to be a part of the state’s workforce and help California stay a world economic leader.”

AB 970, known as the Working Families Student Fee Transparency & Accountability Act,  has numerous safeguards for students so they can have a stronger voice when the CSU Board of Trustees or the UC Regents consider a fee increase, and it allows for families to adequately prepare for potential increases. The bill will require a 30-day student consolation period prior to public notice for a proposed fee increase, does not allow student fees to be raised at the same meeting in which an increase is proposed, allowing for more public scrutiny, and mandates that a fee increase cannot go into effect until at least 90 days after it has been adopted by the CSU Board of Trustees or the UC Regents. The bill also calls for a clear justification by the Trustees or the Regents for a student fee increase, including how new revenues will be used and how the impacts will be mitigated, as well as requiring the Trustees or the Regents to consider alternative proposals.

CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2408