2-2-07 Community College Legislation

Volume 20 For Publication Date: February 2, 2007 No. 3

Community College Legislation

AB 32 (Fuller, R-Bakersfield): Career-Technical Education: Work Certification Training

Would state the intent of the Legislature to provide, within the public school system, work certification training options to pupils who are between the ages of 16 and 18 years, have passed the high school exit examination, and have the consent of their parents or guardians, with particular emphasis on job specific skilled labor and technical training. The bill may be heard in committee after January 4, 2007.

AB 80 (Krekorian, D-Glendale): School Facilities

This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to require, as a condition of approval of state funding for new construction projects and large modernization projects for school districts and community college districts, compliance with building design standards for environmental quality and resource efficiency similar to those developed by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools. This bill may be heard in committee after January 4, 2007.

AB 145 (Coto, D-San Jose): California Center for Applied Research to Improve Latino Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Degree Programs and Professions

Assembly Member Joe Coto has introduced legislation to improve Latino participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics degree programs. Existing law establishes the California Science Project, administered by the University of California jointly with the Trustees of the California State University in cooperation with the State Department of Education. This bill would establish the California Center for Applied Research to Improve Latino Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Degree Programs and Professions as a three-year pilot project to be implemented by the National Hispanic University and San Jose State University as a public-private partnership with the purpose of increasing the number of Latino pupils in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties who complete the requirements for admission to California public institutions of higher education, and increasing the number of Latino students who enroll in the related majors listed above. In addition, the bill would require a report to the Legislature on the progress and outcomes on the program by August 15 annually during the life of the pilot. This bill may be heard or after February 17, 2007.

AB 152 (Beall, D-Campbell): Golden State Scholarshare Trust California Prepaid Tuition Program

Assembly Member Jim Beall has introduced legislation to provide a new California Prepaid Tuition Program. Existing law establishes the Golden State Scholarshare Trust Act, in which participants invest money in the Golden State Scholarshare Trust for a specific beneficiary to cover higher education expenses. The act also establishes the Scholarshare Investment Board as the trustee of the fund and all powers and duties of the trust. AB 152 would establish the California Prepaid Tuition Program, to be administered by the board in which eligible participants could purchase tuition units at a set value that could be redeemed at a future date for an equal number of tuition units at any institution of higher education for certain educational expenses of eligible beneficiaries. The bill would require the board to set the number of tuition units necessary to pay for a full year’s, full-time undergraduate tuition and fee charges at the University of California at the time of purchaser enters into a tuition unit contract.

AB 175 (Price, R-Chula Vista): Cal Grant B Awards Access and Costs

Assembly Member Curren Price has introduced legislation to increase Cal Grant B Awards. Existing law establishes the Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. The act prohibits the annual amount of an award for access costs from exceeding $1,551, as adjusted in the annual Budget Act. This bill would require the maximum award for access costs for the 2008-09 award year to be in an annual amount that equals at least $1,551. Commencing with the 2009-10 award year, the bill would require the maximum award for access costs to be increased by not less than 5% and not more than 10% per year until that amount equals at least 20% of the access costs for the budget category of a student living off campus.

SB 15 (Wyland, R-Del Mar): The Career-Technical Education Vision Council

This bill would create the Career Technical Education Vision Council to make recommendations regarding career-technical education, as specified, and to develop a workforce preparation and strategic plan on or before December 31, 2008. The bill would create the Career-Technical Education Vision Fund, fund of which would be continuously appropriated to the council, and would permit the council to accept private donations for these purposes. The bill would permit the council to employ staff on a contract basis, and would require the council to obtain certification from the Department of Finance that nongovernmental funds in an amount sufficient to fund the council’s activities have been deposited in the fund, before the council may incur any costs.

SB 18 (Perata, D-Oakland): Public Works: Labor Compliance Programs

This bill would add the Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2006 as a source of funds for a public works project that would require an awarding body, if it chooses to use those funds, to initiate and enforce, or contract with a third party to initiate and enforce, a labor compliance program.

SB 21 (Torlakson, D-Antioch): California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program

This bill would require the implementation strategy to ensure that each of specified regions is granted an allocation of funds based upon the total enrollment of high school pupils and other relevant needs identified within the region by a regional advisory committee. The bill would require at least 80% of the funds appropriated for the purposes of the assistance of economic and workforce regional development centers and consortia aspect of the program to be expended on efforts to develop and implement new and innovative programs that provide multiple pathways of learning for pupils to develop career skills that also maximize their number of future educational options.

SB 35 (Torlakson, D-Antioch): School Facilities: Joint-Use Facilities

This bill would authorize joint-use projects to construct facilities on property that is adjacent to a school site and is owned by the state.

SB 52 (Scott, D-Altadena): Teacher Credentialing: Designated Subjects: Career Technical Education

This would change the name of the credential to the designated subjects preliminary career-technical education teaching credential and would repeal the authority for the issuance and renewal of designated-subject teaching credentials for part-time service. The bill would require the commission to establish a list of authorized subjects for the designated subject preliminary and professional clear career-technical education teaching credential and would require the list to reflect the 15 industry sectors identified in the California career-technical education model curriculum standards adopted by the State Board of Education. The bill would require the commission to implement the authorized subjects list by September 30, 2007.

SB 133 (Aanestad, R-Grass Valley): Federal Forest Reserve Funds: Short-Term Loans

This bill would authorize the Controller, during the 2006-07 fiscal year, to issue loans from the General Fund to a school district, a county superintendent of schools on behalf of a school district, or a community college district that has requested that loan from the Superintendent of Public Instruction in order to provide short-term relief to the school district or community college district receiving a loan. The school district or community college district would be required to repay the loan in full, plus interest, on or before June 30, 2008.

SB 139 (Scott, D-Altadena): Nursing Education

Senator Jack Scott has introduced legislation regarding the Student Aid Commission and nursing students. Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. SB 139 would make a person who is currently employed as a registered nurse in a state-operated 24-hour facility ineligible to enter into an agreement for loan assumption under this program. The bill would also specify that, in any fiscal year, the Commission shall award no more than the number of warrants that are authorized by the Governor and the Legislature in the annual Budget Act for that year for the assumption of loans pursuant to the program.

SB 166 (Negrete McLeod, D-Pomona): Emergency Preparedness: Community College Districts

This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to require community college districts to implement the Standardized Emergency Management System and other emergency preparedness plans and conduct annual emergency preparedness training sessions for all classified staff.

—Jamillah Moore, Ed.D.