On October 4, 2019, California Governor, Gavin Newsom, signed AB 1313 into law. Effective January 1, 2020, AB 1313 extends to private postsecondary institutions and prohibits schools from the following:
- Refusing to provide a transcript for a current or former student on the grounds that the student owes a debt;
- Conditioning the provision of a transcript on the payment of a debt;
- Charging a higher fee for obtaining a transcript or providing less favorable treatment of a transcript request because a student owes a debt; or
- Using a transcript issuance as a tool for debt collection.
Colleges should evaluate their current Transcripts/Records on Hold policies to ensure that California campuses do not restrict a student from obtaining their transcript on the basis of a debt owed.