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SB-1222 Community colleges: study: Counties of Amador, Alpine, Mariposa, Modoc, and Sierra.(2023-2024)

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Date Published: 03/18/2024 09:00 PM
SB1222:v98#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Senate  March 18, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 1222

Introduced by Senator Alvarado-Gil

February 15, 2024

An act to amend Section 76000 of 74000 of, and to add and repeal Section 74000.5 of, the Education Code, relating to community colleges.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1222, as amended, Alvarado-Gil. Community colleges: admission of students. study: Counties of Amador, Alpine, Mariposa, Modoc, and Sierra.
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 350 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 postsecondary education programs and courses. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst’s Office to conduct a study and prepare a report evaluating the provision of postsecondary education 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 5 counties have opportunities to participate in both in-person and online postsecondary education 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 Legislative Analyst’s Office to convene and consult a working group that includes specified voluntary representatives, and would authorize the Legislative Analyst’s Office to request and receive information from specified entities. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst’s Office to provide the report and recommendations to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature and to the Governor on or before December 31, 2025. The bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2030.
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.

Existing law requires the governing board of a community college district to admit to the community college any California resident, and authorizes the governing board to admit any nonresident, possessing a high school diploma or the equivalent of a high school diploma. Existing law also authorizes the governing board of a community college district to admit to the community college certain other persons, as provided.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 74000 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, except that territory located within a county where the county residents accounted for fewer than 350 units of average daily attendance in the state’s community colleges during the preceding fiscal year. The territory located within such a county may be included within a community college district pursuant to the procedures prescribed by Article 2 (commencing with Section 74130) of Chapter 2. district or otherwise provided with equivalent opportunities for residents to participate in both in-person and online postsecondary education programs and courses.

SEC. 2.

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

74000.5.
 (a) The Legislative Analyst’s Office shall conduct a study and prepare a report evaluating the provision of postsecondary education 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 postsecondary education 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 consideration of 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), and the potential benefits of providing equivalent opportunities to these communities.
(2) An analysis of the current availability of, and opportunities to strengthen, dual enrollment and transfer pathways.
(3) 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.
(4) 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) Identification of opportunities and resources needed to provide in-person postsecondary education programs and courses in locations reasonably accessible to a majority of residents of the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a).
(6) Identification of opportunities for partnership with local educational agencies, public and private 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) An analysis of resource needs and potential funding sources for expanding postsecondary education services and opportunities to the residents of the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a).
(8) Identification of potential legislative and administrative actions that may be taken to ensure that residents of the five counties identified in subdivision (a) have opportunities to participate in both in-person and online postsecondary education 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 Legislative Analyst’s Office 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, 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 in the state.
(d) To assist with and inform the development of the report and recommendations required by this section, the Legislative Analyst’s Office shall convene and consult a working group that includes voluntary representatives from all of the following:
(1) One representative from each of the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a).
(2) One representative of an organization representing rural counties.
(3) Representatives from one or more of the community college districts adjacent to each of the five underserved counties identified in subdivision (a).
(4) One representative of the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
(5) One representative of the office of the Chancellor of the California State University.
(6) One representative of the office of the President of the University of California.
(7) One representative of an organization of independent, nonprofit colleges and universities in California.
(8) One representative of the State Department of Education.
(e) On or before December 31, 2025, the Legislative Analyst’s Office shall submit the report and recommendations required by this section to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature and the Governor.
(f) (1) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (e) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section is repealed on January 1, 2030.

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 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because the Counties of Amador, Alpine, Mariposa, Modoc, and Sierra are not within a community college district.
SECTION 1.Section 76000 of the Education Code is amended to read:
76000.

(a)The governing board of a community college district shall admit to the community college any California resident, and may admit any nonresident, possessing a high school diploma or the equivalent of a high school diploma.

(b)The governing board of a community college district may admit to the community college any apprentice, as defined in Section 3077 of the Labor Code, who, in the judgment of the governing board, is capable of profiting from the instruction offered.

(c)The governing board of a community college district may by rule determine whether there shall be admitted to the community college any other person who is over 18 years of age and who, in the judgment of the governing board, is capable of profiting from the instruction offered. If the governing board determines to admit other persons, those persons shall be admitted as provisional students and thereafter shall be required to comply with the rules and regulations prescribed by the board of governors pertaining to the scholastic achievement and other standards to be met by provisional or probationary students, as a condition to being readmitted in a succeeding semester. This subdivision shall not apply to persons in attendance in special classes and programs established for adults pursuant to Section 78401 or persons attending on a part-time basis only.