Public postsecondary education: waiver of campus-based fees: veterans.

Assembly Member Patterson's proposal to expand fee waivers at California's public colleges and universities would prohibit charging mandatory campus-based fees to veterans' dependents, Medal of Honor recipients and their children, and certain California National Guard family members. The measure builds upon current law that already waives mandatory systemwide tuition and fees for these groups at University of California, California State University, and California Community College campuses.

The bill establishes specific eligibility criteria for different beneficiary categories. Children of veterans must have a parent with a service-connected disability or who died in service, and meet state poverty level income requirements. Medal of Honor recipients' children must be undergraduate students age 27 or younger who meet income thresholds and whose recipient parent maintained California residency. For California National Guard families, the member must have died or become permanently disabled while on active state service.

The Department of Veterans Affairs would determine eligibility for certain categories, while public institutions would verify other qualifying criteria like income levels and residency status. The University of California campuses would only implement these provisions if approved by the UC Regents through formal resolution. The measure includes provisions for state reimbursement of costs to local agencies and community college districts if determined necessary by the Commission on State Mandates.