Homeless students will be able to sleep in their cars overnight at De Anza and other community college campuses if California Assembly Bill 302 passes.

Decision-makers on campus are already talking about plans to put in place before the bill becomes law.

My ideas:

• Since heat can build up in a vehicle quickly, the best shady place could be a lower level of a parking garage; then they are out of the rain at least as they get in and out of their vehicles.

• We will need a pet’s policy and an easily available supply of feces cleanup bags and gloves.

• We might want to have a separate area for students living in their vehicle with their children.

• A quiet hours policy should be developed, with maybe longer hours in a separate parking area for people who want it.

• We should have restrooms available overnight, but some would not be appropriate, including the P.E. swimming pool area restrooms where there would be a safety risk.

• A.B. 302 specifies that enrolled students who have paid fees and are in good standing during any given quarter can stay overnight.

But would they be allowed to stay over a break between quarters or during the lengthy time between summer and fall quarters?

• Since we have quite a few classes all over campus that start at 7:30 a.m., people parked overnight could expect to be awakened early by early-arriving students and staff.

The FIT Camp P.E. class starts at 6 a.m. and on Flea Market Saturdays some of the vendors come quite early, making the Flint Center garage a better choice than the Stelling parking garage to allow the students their sleep.

• A Mercury News article about local churches accommodating homeless student parking mentioned “an agreement with rules of behavior that must be signed by our guests . . . The rules prohibit alcohol and drugs, weapons and cooking and camping equipment.

Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., when music and loud voices must cease. The agreement also prohibits cursing, hitting, intimidation and abusive language.”

• The churches pre-screen people and give them a placard for their dashboard.

One mentioned a keypad being set up for restrooms, which could also be a good idea at De Anza.

My questions:

• What hours are the various rooms with microwaves available for people to use open? Are these hours sufficient, or could one of those locations be open longer hours?

• Should people be required to move out each morning and what policy for the potential towing of disabled vehicles should be developed?

• Since smoke can stay trapped in a covered area, could we perhaps have a smoking-in-your-vehicle (and expecting windows open some of the time) section, and away from it, a non-smoking section?