Cal. Government Code - GOV 19. — TITLE 19. The Every Kid Counts (EKC) Act [99100. - 99109.] | Government Code - GOV — California

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 99100. Section 99100.

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Every Kid Counts (EKC) Act.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 99101. Section 99101.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Children who have even small savings accounts for college are three times more likely to attend, and four times more likely to graduate from, college. (b) College enrollment among low-income students has risen but significantly lags behind the enrollment of middle- and high-income students. In 2012, about 51 percent of recent low-income high school graduates and equivalency holders were enrolled in college, while enrollment among middle- and high-income students had risen to nearly 65 percent and 81 percent, respectively. (c) Recent pilot programs in California and throughout the nation have proven that low-income people can save if they have incentives and mechanisms encouraging them to do so.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 99102. Section 99102.

(a) There is hereby established the Every Kid Counts (EKC) College Savings Program. (b) The Student Aid Commission shall implement and administer a grant program that supports local governments and other entities that sponsor one or more comprehensive citywide or regional children’s savings account programs to help families, especially low-income families with young children, establish and maintain college savings accounts. (c) The commission shall distribute grants to qualifying entities determined pursuant to subdivision (d) based on how many of these entities are eligible to receive grants pursuant to subdivision (d), the amount of available funding to award grants under the Every Kid Counts (EKC) College Savings Program, the number of students that each participating entity intends to serve under the program, and the percentage of low-income families residing in the community served by each participating entity. The amount of each grant award to a participating entity shall be, at minimum, one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). (d) A qualifying entity shall meet all of the following requirements in order to receive a grant under this title: (1) Have a college savings program in operation or development that primarily targets pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 6, inclusive, on or before December 31, 2018. (2) Have moneys, in addition to funding allocated pursuant to this title, to support its college savings program. (3) Agree to enter into an evaluation consortium that allows for independent research and evaluation of activities and outcomes associated with its college savings program. (e) Funding allocated to participating entities pursuant to this title may be used for any of the following purposes: (1) To award seed, matching, or incentive grants for individual family college savings accounts. (2) For outreach efforts to educate families about local college savings programs that are in operation or development. (3) To support an established evaluation consortium that monitors, collects data on, and provides analysis on short-term and long-term college savings program trends and the development of best practices. Support under this paragraph may include any of the following: (A) Data collection and evaluation of college savings account creation and activity. (B) Data collection and evaluation of the postsecondary aspirations, enrollment, and degree completion for beneficiaries of college savings accounts. (C) Efforts to help beneficiaries of college savings accounts receive high school diplomas, or the equivalent. (4) To fund one-time administrative costs related to the Every Kid Counts (EKC) College Savings Program. (f) The commission shall adopt, as necessary, application procedures, forms, administrative guidelines, and other requirements for purposes of implementing and administering the Every Kid Counts (EKC) College Savings Program.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 99106. Section 99106.

(a) The commission shall adopt regulations as it deems necessary to implement and administer this title. (b) The commission may adopt regulations to implement and administer this title as emergency regulations in accordance with the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2). The adoption of the regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 99108. Section 99108.

The commission may use up to 3 percent of any legislative appropriation for this part for administration of the program.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 99109. Section 99109.

(a) The commission may, in implementing and administering this title, consider whether and how proposed actions allow for rigorous evaluation, such as through experimental or quasi-experimental methods, of the effects of a program established pursuant to this title, including whether the program causes each of the following: (1) Families to open a college savings account. (2) Families to make college savings account contributions. (3) Children to attend college. (4) Children to graduate from college. (b) Consistent with other laws, the commission may make data available to allow for the rigorous evaluation described in subdivision (a).