Section 70023.

(a) For each academic year, the commission shall determine an amount sufficient, when combined with Cal Grants, Pell Grants, and institutional need-based grants received by eligible students from other sources, to provide scholarships to eligible students in the amounts described in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 70022. The University of California and the California State University shall provide the commission with any financial aid data that are necessary for the determination of these amounts.

(b) The commission shall annually determine if the amounts appropriated under this section in each fiscal year are sufficient to cover the costs of the scholarships as projected to be awarded pursuant to the program. If those amounts are not sufficient for this purpose, the scholarships shall be reduced proportionately by an equal percentage for all recipients of scholarships under this article.

(c) The commission may adopt regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this article under subdivision (b) as emergency regulations in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. For purposes of the Administrative Procedure Act, including Section 11349.6 of the Government Code, the adoption of those regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare, notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code. Notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code, any regulation adopted pursuant to this section shall not remain in effect more than 180 days unless the commission complies with all provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, as required by subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code.

(d) The unencumbered balance, as of June 30 of each fiscal year, of the amount appropriated from the Middle Class Scholarship Fund pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) shall revert to the General Fund.

(e) (1) Upon order of the Director of Finance, the following amounts shall be transferred from the General Fund to the Middle Class Scholarship Fund, and are hereby appropriated to the commission for allocation pursuant to this article:

(A) For the 2014–15 fiscal year, one hundred seven million dollars ($107,000,000).

(B) For the 2015–16 fiscal year, one hundred fifty-two million dollars ($152,000,000).

(C) For the 2016–17 fiscal year, two hundred twenty-eight million dollars ($228,000,000).

(D) For the 2017–18 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter, three hundred five million dollars ($305,000,000).

(2) An annual appropriation to the commission is hereby established in the amounts and for the fiscal years described in paragraph (1) to carry out the purposes of this section and Section 70022.

(3) The funds transferred and appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall only be available for encumbrance in the fiscal year in which they are transferred, and the General Fund shall have no liability or any obligation beyond the transfers explicitly authorized in paragraph (1) unless a subsequent transfer or allocation is required pursuant to statute.

(4)  In any fiscal year, additional appropriations may be enacted pursuant to statute to carry out the purposes of this article.

(5) (A) Beginning with the Governor's Budget proposal for the 2014–15 fiscal year, and in the Governor's Budget for each fiscal year thereafter, the Department of Finance shall include a fund condition statement for the Middle Class Scholarship Fund for the fiscal year of the proposed budget and the two immediately preceding fiscal years prepared in accordance with existing law.

(B) Upon order of the Director of Finance and commencing with the 2013–14 fiscal year, if the May Revision projects a budget deficit for the next fiscal year, the amount specified in paragraph (1) for the fiscal year for which the budget deficit is projected may be reduced by up to 33 percent. Upon order of the Director of Finance, beginning with the 2016–17 fiscal year, and each year thereafter, if the May Revision projects a deficit for the next fiscal year, the amount specified in paragraph (1) may be reduced to an amount greater than or equal to two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000).

(f) Subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for its purposes, the commission may begin implementation of, and establish outreach services relating to, this article.

(Added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 50, Sec. 2. Effective July 1, 2013.)