This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Every Kid Counts (EKC) Act.
The Every Kid Counts (ekc) Act
Section § 99100
This law is named the Every Kid Counts (EKC) Act, indicating what it should be called when referenced.
Every Kid Counts Act EKC Act children's programs
Section § 99101
This section highlights the importance of savings accounts for children's education. It states that children with even small college savings are likelier to attend and graduate from college. It also points out a significant gap in college enrollment rates between low-income and higher-income students. Finally, it mentions that incentive programs have shown that low-income people can save money when provided with the right incentives and tools.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)CA Government Code § 99101(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)CA Government Code § 99101(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)CA Government Code § 99101(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.
college savings accounts college attendance graduation likelihood
Section § 99102
This law establishes the Every Kid Counts (EKC) College Savings Program to help families, especially those with young children and low incomes, start and maintain college savings accounts. The Student Aid Commission is responsible for managing a grant program supporting citywide or regional children's savings account initiatives run by local governments and other entities.
Grants are distributed based on community needs, the number of students to be served, and local income levels, with a minimum grant amount of $100,000. To be eligible, entities must have an existing or planned savings program targeting kids in kindergarten to grade 6 and agree to participate in program evaluation.
Funding can be used for seed and incentive grants, outreach efforts, program evaluation, and administrative costs. The commission also handles the procedures and requirements necessary for implementing the program.
(a)CA Government Code § 99102(a) There is hereby established the Every Kid Counts (EKC) College Savings Program.
(b)CA Government Code § 99102(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)CA Government Code § 99102(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)CA Government Code § 99102(d) A qualifying entity shall meet all of the following requirements in order to receive a grant under this title:
(1)CA Government Code § 99102(d)(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)CA Government Code § 99102(d)(2) Have moneys, in addition to funding allocated pursuant to this title, to support its college savings program.
(3)CA Government Code § 99102(d)(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)CA Government Code § 99102(e) Funding allocated to participating entities pursuant to this title may be used for any of the following purposes:
(1)CA Government Code § 99102(e)(1) To award seed, matching, or incentive grants for individual family college savings accounts.
(2)CA Government Code § 99102(e)(2) For outreach efforts to educate families about local college savings programs that are in operation or development.
(3)CA Government Code § 99102(e)(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)CA Government Code § 99102(e)(3)(A) Data collection and evaluation of college savings account creation and activity.
(B)CA Government Code § 99102(e)(3)(B) Data collection and evaluation of the postsecondary aspirations, enrollment, and degree completion for beneficiaries of college savings accounts.
(C)CA Government Code § 99102(e)(3)(C) Efforts to help beneficiaries of college savings accounts receive high school diplomas, or the equivalent.
(4)CA Government Code § 99102(e)(4) To fund one-time administrative costs related to the Every Kid Counts (EKC) College Savings Program.
(f)CA Government Code § 99102(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.
Every Kid Counts college savings accounts Student Aid Commission
Section § 99106
This section allows the commission to create regulations to implement and manage the laws in this title. These regulations can be established as emergency rules, meaning they bypass the usual process and are immediately effective if needed for urgent public welfare, peace, or safety.
(a)CA Government Code § 99106(a) The commission shall adopt regulations as it deems necessary to implement and administer this title.
(b)CA Government Code § 99106(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.
commission regulations emergency regulations rulemaking provisions
Section § 99108
This law allows the commission to spend up to 3% of the funds provided by a legislative appropriation for managing and running the program associated with this part.
The commission may use up to 3 percent of any legislative appropriation for this part for administration of the program.
commission budget program administration legislative appropriation
Section § 99109
This section allows the commission to evaluate programs by checking if they effectively encourage families to open and contribute to college savings accounts, and ultimately help children attend and graduate from college. It suggests using evaluation methods like experimental studies to assess these outcomes. Furthermore, it permits the commission to make relevant data available for conducting such assessments, as long as it complies with other laws.
(a)CA Government Code § 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)CA Government Code § 99109(a)(1) Families to open a college savings account.
(2)CA Government Code § 99109(a)(2) Families to make college savings account contributions.
(3)CA Government Code § 99109(a)(3) Children to attend college.
(4)CA Government Code § 99109(a)(4) Children to graduate from college.
(b)CA Government Code § 99109(b) Consistent with other laws, the commission may make data available to allow for the rigorous evaluation described in subdivision (a).
college savings accounts program evaluation experimental methods
