pérez introduced assembly bill 1500 and 1501 in january 2012, together known as the middle class scholarship act. these bills were double-joined and were crafted to lower the cost of tuition at state colleges and universities for middle-class families by up to 2/3rds. it also would have provided up to $150 million to california community colleges. as tax measures they were required to achieve a 2/3rds supermajority in order to pass as the california constitution requires due to proposition 13. ab 1500 and 1501 passed in the assembly with 54 votes in favor and 25 votes against with 1 not voting; in the senate the bills failed to pass, receiving 15 votes in favor and 22 votes against with 3 not voting.