91成人导航

91成人导航 McGeorge School of Law third-year and聽聽student Knarik Melkonyan recently gave testimony to the California Assembly鈥檚 Committee on Higher Education on Assembly Bill 1232. The bill was developed by Melkonyan and her partner in McGeorge鈥檚聽, Mo Roeckl-Navazio. The legislation would allow recent immigrants to access English as a Second Language (ESL) courses at California Community Colleges for in-state tuition rates.

鈥淢cGeorge鈥檚 unique Legislative & Public Policy Clinic provides students with the opportunity to develop legislation that can impact the lives of millions of Californians,鈥� said Adjunct Clinical Professor聽. 鈥淎B 1232 (McCarty) was developed through Knarik Melkonyan鈥檚 lived experience and reflects the important work the Clinic seeks to accomplish.鈥�

The inspiration for聽聽was drawn from Melkonyan and her parents鈥� experience immigrating to the United States from Armenia five and half years ago.

鈥淲hen my family first arrived in the United States, we immediately realized that being proficient in English was essential for us to support ourselves and have the life we came to America to pursue,鈥� Melkonyan told the Assembly Committee. 鈥淭he one year residency requirement for in-state tuition places a great burden on immigrants who upon entering the United States do not have the financial resources to enroll in ESL classes and pay the non-resident tuition. The non-resident tuition is approximately five times higher than the in-state tuition.鈥�

The goal of the bill is to make ESL courses accessible to immigrants at the in-tuition rate when they would otherwise have to pay the out-of-state rate. The cost difference is significant. In-state tuition at California Community Colleges聽. Out-of-state tuition costs $225 per unit, according to the California Community Colleges Chancellor鈥檚 Office.

The experience of working on the bill has been satisfying in many ways for Melkonyan and Roeckl-Navazio, both of whom are considering careers in public policy after graduating from McGeorge in May.

鈥淭he fantastic real-life experience I am gaining through the Legislative & Public Policy Clinic working on AB 1232 is personally satisfying because of the impact it will have on the immigrant community in California,鈥� Melkonyan said. 鈥淚t is also beneficial as I consider a career in public service.鈥�

鈥淧articipating in the Legislative & Public Policy Clinic and gaining the practical experience supporting a bill through the legislative process will be invaluable for me going into a career in public policy,鈥� Roeckl-Navazio said.

In prior legislative sessions student have worked on legislation聽,听, and聽.聽In 2021, a聽聽requiring hospitals to allow the use of cannabis for pain relief for terminally ill patients that Clinic students worked on was by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

鈥淲e are so proud of our students鈥� legislative accomplishments,鈥� said聽聽Director of McGeorge鈥檚 Capital Center for Law and Policy. 鈥淢cGeorge鈥檚 Legislative & Public Policy Clinic provides our students with an unparalleled opportunity to not only study the law, but shape it. It is exciting to be able to prepare students like Knarik and Mo for meaningful careers at the intersection of law and public policy.鈥�