8-3-07 Update on Community College Legislation

Volume 20 For Publication Date: August 3, 2007 No. 17

Update on Community College Legislation

Following is an update on community college legislation:

SB 139 (Scott, D-Pasadena): Nursing Education
Status: Assembly Appropriations Committee

This bill, as amended July 17, 2007, makes minor and technical revisions to bring it closer in line with AB 1559 (Berryhill, R-Modesto).

The bill would add to the Donahoe Higher Education Act a provision prohibiting campuses of the California Community Colleges (CCC) and California State University (CSU) that operate a registered nursing program from requiring a student who has been admitted to the program and already has a BA from completing general education requirements prior to entering the program. The bill would require students to complete only the coursework that is necessary to prepare him or her for licensing as a registered nurse.

The bill would require that, if a provision is added to the program and the commission deems it necessary to adopt a rule or regulation to implement that provision, the commission develop and adopt that rule or regulation no later than six months after the operative date of the statute that adds the provision.

This program is repealed on January 1, 2013.

The bill would authorize a community college registered nursing program to use additional multicriteria screening measures if it determines that the number of applicants to that program exceeds its capacity. The bill would prohibit a community college district from excluding an applicant to a registered nursing program on the sole basis that the applicant is not a resident of that district or has not completed prerequisite courses in that district.

SB 166 (Negrete McLeod, D-Chino): Emergency Preparedness: Community College Districts
Status: Assembly Floor

This bill would make various legislative findings and declarations regarding emergency preparedness plans. The bill would require, by January 1, 2009, the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Office of Homeland Security, to develop emergency preparedness standards and guidelines to assist community college districts and campuses in the event of a natural disaster, hazardous condition, or terrorist activity on or around a community college campus.

SB 325 (Scott, D-Pasadena): Postsecondary Education: California Postsecondary Education Accountability Act of 2007
Status: Assembly Higher Education—Two-Year Bill

Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and private, independent institutions of higher education as the four segments of postsecondary education in this state. This bill would require the state to establish an accountability framework for achieving prescribed educational and economic goals. The bill would require this framework to measure the collective performance of the state's system of higher education in successfully serving students by answering six statewide policy questions. The bill would require that the data collected in responding to these policy questions be reported to the Legislature and the Governor and made available to the public.

SB 413 (Scott, D-Pasadena): Community Colleges: Inmate Education Programs: Computation of Apportionments
Status: Assembly Appropriations Suspense File

This bill would require the open course provisions in statute or regulations of the Board of Governors (BOG) to be waived for any governing board of a community college district that provides those classes for inmates, including those of state correctional facilities, and would allow the BOG to include the units of full-time equivalent students generated in those classes for purposes of state apportionments.

SB 588 (Runner, R-Antelope Valley): Community Colleges: Education Facilities
Status: Assembly Appropriations Committee

This bill, as amended, would require the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to develop and report to the Legislature on the policies and procedures adopted to implement the requirement that construction projects be built according to the Field Act or the California Building Standards Code. This bill would require the report to be submitted to the Legislature at the earliest possible time.

SB 890 (Scott, D-Pasadena): Early College Commitment Program
Status: Assembly Appropriations Committee

This bill would establish, until January 1, 2020, the early college commitment program. Participation by pupils and school districts in the program would be voluntary. The Superintendent of Public Instruction would be required, among other program duties, to designate the 30% of school districts that operate middle and high schools with the highest proportion of low-income pupils, as defined, as college opportunity zones. A school that is designated as a college opportunity zone by the Superintendent would be required to give all pupils enrolled in grades 6 to 9, inclusive, and their parent or legal guardian, the opportunity to sign “Save Me a Spot in College” pledge cards developed by the Superintendent. Schools not designated as a college opportunity zone would be required to give pupils who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals and are enrolled in grades 6 to 9, inclusive, and their parent or legal guardian, and all foster youth and the appropriate adult responsible for that foster youth, the opportunity to sign a pledge card. Participating school districts would be required to provide college information and college preparation events targeted towards pupils who sign pledge cards.

—Kim Seitz