20250AB__024098AMD INTRODUCED 2025-01-14 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-03-10 2025 AB AMD Introduced by Assembly Members Alanis, Hadwick, and Tangipa (Coauthors: Assembly Members Flora, Ortega, Schiavo, and Wallis) <caml:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</caml:Contribution><caml:House>ASSEMBLY</caml:House><caml:Name>Alanis</caml:Name></caml:Legislator>"?> LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Alanis LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hadwick LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Tangipa COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Flora COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ortega COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schiavo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wallis

An act to amend

Section of, and to add and repeal

Section 74000.5 of, the Education Code, relating to community colleges. community colleges Community colleges: study: Counties of Amador, Alpine, Mariposa, Modoc, and Sierra.

Existing law establishes the Milton Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy (Little Hoover Commission) for purposes of securing assistance for the Governor and the Legislature in promoting economy, efficiency, and improved service in the transaction of the public business in the various departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the executive branch of the state government, and in making the operation of all state departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, and all expenditures of public funds, more directly responsive to the wishes of the people as expressed by their elected representatives, as provided.</xhtml:p>"?> Existing law establishes the California State Library, which includes the California Research Bureau, under the control of an executive known as the “State Librarian.” Existing law authorizes the California State Library to serve as the central reference and research library for the departments of state government and to, among other things, maintain adequate legislative reference and research library services for the Legislature.

Existing law declares as legislative policy that all of the territory of the state shall be included within a community college district, except that territory located within a county where the county residents accounted for fewer than units of average daily attendance in the state’s community colleges during the preceding fiscal year, and that territory located within such a county may be included within a community college district pursuant to prescribed procedures.

This bill instead would declare as legislative policy that all of the territory of the state shall be included within a community college district or otherwise provided with equivalent opportunities for residents to participate in both in-person and online community college programs and courses.

This bill would require the California Research Bureau to conduct a study and prepare a report evaluating the provision of community college services and opportunities to residents of the underserved Counties of Amador, Alpine, Mariposa, Modoc, and Sierra that are not fully included within the territory of a community college district, and would require the report to include policy recommendations regarding how the state can ensure that residents of those counties have opportunities to participate in both in-person and online community college programs and courses equivalent to those of similarly sized communities that are fully included within the territory of a community college district, as provided.

To assist with and inform the development of the report and recommendations, the bill would require the California Research bureau to convene and consult a working group that includes specified voluntary representatives, and would authorize the bureau to request and receive information from specified entities. The bill would require the California Research bureau to submit the report and recommendations to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, the Senate Committee on Education, and the Governor on or before December 31, 2027. The bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2032.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Amador, Alpine, Mariposa, Modoc, and Sierra. MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section of the Education Code is amended to read: 74000. The Legislature hereby declares as its policy that all of the territory of the state shall be included within a community college district or otherwise provided with equivalent opportunities for residents to participate in both in-person and online community college programs and courses.

SEC.

Section 74000.5 is added to the Education Code , to read: 74000.5. (

a) The California Research Bureau shall conduct a study and prepare a report evaluating the provision of community college services and opportunities to residents of the underserved Counties of Amador, Alpine, Mariposa, Modoc, and Sierra that are not fully included within the territory of a community college district. The report shall include policy recommendations regarding how the state can ensure that residents of these five counties have opportunities to participate in both in-person and online community college programs and courses equivalent to those of similarly sized communities that are fully included within the territory of a community college district. (

b) The report and recommendations required by subdivision (

a) shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) An analysis of the educational and economic impacts of the existing deficit of community college services and opportunities in the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a). (2) (

A) An analysis of the potential benefits of providing equivalent community college services and opportunities in the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a). (

B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), “equivalent community colleges services and opportunities” means community college services and opportunities offered in communities of a similar size to the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (

a) that are fully included within the territory of a community college district. (2)</xhtml:p>"?>

(3) An analysis of the current availability of, and opportunities to strengthen, dual enrollment opportunities with community colleges and transfer pathways to public postsecondary educational institutions. (3)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Identification of outreach and recruitment services in the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (

a) by public and private postsecondary educational institutions, and collaborations that are operating or in process to expand access to postsecondary education programs and services in other parts of the state.</xhtml:p>"?>

(4) Identification of existing community colleges, four-year public postsecondary educational institutions, and independent institutions of higher education that are conducting outreach, recruitment, and providing in-person or online postsecondary education programs and services within the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a). (4)</xhtml:p>"?>

(5) Identification of potential providers of both in-person and online postsecondary education programs and services within the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a), and options for implementing those programs and services. (5)</xhtml:p>"?>

(6) Identification of opportunities and resources needed to provide in-person community college programs and courses in locations reasonably accessible to a majority of residents of the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a). (6)</xhtml:p>"?>

(7) Identification of opportunities for partnership with local educational agencies, public postsecondary educational institutions, local governments, and nonprofit organizations to facilitate expanded community college opportunities to serve the residents of the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a). (7)</xhtml:p>"?>

(8) An analysis of resource needs and potential funding sources for expanding community college services and opportunities to the residents of the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a). (8)</xhtml:p>"?>

(9) Identification of potential legislative and administrative actions that may be taken to ensure that residents of the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (

a) have opportunities to participate in both in-person and online community college programs and courses equivalent to those of similarly sized communities that are fully included within the territory of a community college district. (

c) For purposes of this section, the bureau may request and receive, but not require, information from the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the State Department of Education, any community college district, any local educational agency, the office of the Chancellor of the California State University, the office of the President of the University of California, or any organization representing independent institutions of higher education. (d)

(1) To assist with and inform the development of the report and recommendations required by this section, the bureau shall convene and consult a working group that includes voluntary representatives from all of the following: (1)</xhtml:p>"?> (

A) One representative from each of the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a). (2)</xhtml:p>"?> (

B) One representative of an organization representing rural counties. (3)</xhtml:p>"?> (

C) Representatives from one or more of the community college districts adjacent to each of the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a). (4)</xhtml:p>"?> (

D) One representative of the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. (5)</xhtml:p>"?> (

E) One representative of the office of the Chancellor of the California State University. (6)</xhtml:p>"?> (

F) One representative of the office of the President of the University of California. (7)</xhtml:p>"?> (

G) One representative of an organization of independent, nonprofit colleges and universities in California. (8)</xhtml:p>"?> (

H) One representative of the State Department of Education. (9)</xhtml:p>"?> (

I) Representatives from one or more local educational agencies located within each of the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a).

(2) The working group established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with

Section 11120) of

Chapter of Part of Division of Title of the Government Code). (e)

(1) On or before December 31, 2027, the bureau shall submit the report and recommendations required by this

section to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, the Senate Committee on Education, and the Governor.

(2) The report and recommendations to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with

Section of the Government Code. (

f) For purposes of this

section the following

definitions apply: (1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>“Commission” means the Milton Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy.</xhtml:p>"?> (1) “Bureau” means the California Research Bureau. (2) “Independent institutions of higher education” has the same meaning as specified in

Section 66010. (2)</xhtml:p>"?> (3) “Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school. (

g) Pursuant to

Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this

section is repealed on January 1, 2031.

SEC. 3. The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of

Section of

Article IV of the California Constitution because the Counties of Amador, Alpine, Mariposa, Modoc, and Sierra are not within a community college district.