S.B. 1115: COMMITTEE SUMMARY - STUDENT ADVOCATE PROGRAM


Senate Bill 1115 (as introduced 5-6-98)

Sponsor: Senator Loren Bennett

Committee: Government Operations


Date Completed: 5-12-98


CONTENT


The bill would create a new act that would create the position of higher education student advocate within the Department of Education. The advocate would have to review complaints from students who felt that their teaching assistant did not speak English well enough that a reasonable person was able to understand.


The advocate would have to establish procedures for receiving and processing a complaint from a student, conducting an investigation, and reporting findings resulting from his or her investigation to the department chair and dean of the university or college.


The advocate also could do all of the following: accept and review complaints from students regarding teaching assistants; decide, in his or her discretion, whether to investigate a complaint; and submit a report of his or her findings and recommendations to the department chair and dean of the university or college.


- Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim


FISCAL IMPACT


The creation of the position of higher education student advocate in the Department of Education would require the hiring of an education consultant for the position and one staff support person. The first-year cost is estimated at $130,000. The bill would have no fiscal impact on local government.


- Fiscal Analyst: J. Carrasco

S9798\S1115SA

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.