Public postsecondary education: disabled student services: assessments.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill requires funding through the annual Budget Act which is an unknown until the budget is passed.

Helping Disabled Students with Assessments

This law helps disabled college and university students by covering the cost of certain tests needed to prove their disabilities and get academic help, but only if funded by the state.

What This Bill Does

• Expands what counts as costs for ongoing assessments, required documentation, and individual or group assessments provided by schools or outside entities.
• Includes defining specific disabilities and providing proof for academic accommodations in the purpose of these assessments.
• Requires California State University to cover diagnostic assessment costs for learning disabilities if a student receives financial aid or is eligible for health/disability center assistance, starting July 1, 2027.
• Requests that the University of California do the same as California State University but does not make it mandatory.
• Reimburses educational institutions annually based on actual costs incurred for these assessments.

Who It Names or Affects

• Disabled students in public colleges and universities in California who need diagnostic assessments to prove their disabilities or get academic accommodations, starting July 1, 2027.
• California State University and the University of California, which must cover certain assessment costs if funded by state money.

Terms To Know

Diagnostic Assessment

A test that helps identify specific learning disabilities to provide appropriate academic support.

Academic Accommodations

Special arrangements or adjustments made by educational institutions to help students with disabilities succeed in their studies.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law only applies if the Legislature provides funding through the annual Budget Act.
• It does not cover costs if a student's health insurance plan already covers diagnostic assessments.
• The University of California is requested but not required to follow these rules like California State University.

Official Summary Text

SB 244, as amended, Grayson.
Public postsecondary education: disabled student services: assessments.
Existing law makes legislative findings and declarations that set forth the principles for public postsecondary institutions and budgetary control agencies to observe in providing postsecondary programs and services for students with disabilities, including the principle that state-funded activity is directly related to the functional limitations of the verifiable disabilities of the students to be served. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that, as appropriate for each postsecondary segment, funds for disabled student programs and services be based on 3 categories of costs, including a continuing variable costs category for services that vary in frequency depending on the needs of students, such as, among other services, diagnostic assessment, including both individual and group assessment not otherwise provided by the institution to determine functional, educational,
or employment levels or to certify specific disabilities.
Existing law requires the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to adopt rules and regulations for the administration and funding of educational programs and support services to be provided to disabled students by community college districts. Existing law requires those regulations to provide for the apportionment of funds to each community college district to offset the direct excess cost of providing specialized support services or instruction, or both, to disabled students enrolled in state-supported disabled student services programs or courses. Existing law describes those direct excess costs as those actual fixed, variable, and one-time costs, including those described above, that exceed the combined total of specified costs, revenues, and funds.
Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the
administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education.
This bill would revise the intent of the Legislature relating to diagnostic assessments by including costs for continuing assessments, required documentation, and individual and group assessments provided by the institution or by an outside entity, as provided. The bill would also expand the purpose of the assessments to include defining specific disabilities of the student and as proof for academic or institutional accommodations.
The
This
bill, commencing July 1, 2027,
and upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act,
would require the Trustees of the California State University, and would request the Regents of the University of California, to cover the costs of diagnostic assessments for learning disabilities as proof for academic accommodations for any student who receives student financial aid or who is eligible for financial assistance from the institution’s health or disability center,
as provided.
unless those diagnostic assessments are covered by the student’s health insurance plan, as provided.
The bill would require state funds to be provided annually for the cost of these services on an actual-cost basis and would require each institution to be responsible for documenting its costs to the Student Aid Commission. The bill
would require the commission to oversee reimbursements to institutions for their documented costs. The bill would require each educational institution to post on its internet website that the educational institution will cover the costs of the diagnostic assessments for such students.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF