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<ns0:Id>20250AB__185899INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-11</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Lowenthal</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Lowenthal</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add and repeal Section 66013.5 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>public postsecondary education</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>California Community Colleges and California State University: Joint Associate Degree Pilot Program.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law sets forth the missions and functions of California’s public and independent segments of higher education, and details the ways in which their respective institutions are to be differentiated. Existing law requires the California Community Colleges, as a primary mission, to offer academic and vocational instruction at the lower division level, and authorizes these institutions to grant the associate in arts and the associate in science degree. Existing law specifies that the California State University shall offer undergraduate and graduate instruction through the master’s degree in the liberal arts and sciences and professional education.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill, upon appropriation by the Legislature, would require the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Chancellor of the California State University to jointly establish a pilot
program to offer an associate degree in general education studies that is jointly conferred by a community college and a California State University campus to former California State University students who are no longer enrolled at a California State University campus but have successfully completed coursework equivalent to the requirements for an associate degree and not previously earned an associate degree. The bill would require the Long Beach Community College District and California State University, Long Beach, to participate in the pilot program and would authorize the chancellors to include 3 additional community college districts and California State University campuses in the pilot program. The bill would require the chancellors, on or before January 1, 2032, to jointly submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program, as provided. By requiring the Long Beach Community College District to participate in the pilot program, the bill would impose a state-mandated
local program. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on June 30, 2032, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2033.</html:p>
<html:p>The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.</html:p>
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<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 66013.5 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Education Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>66013.5.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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This section shall be known, and may be cited, as the Joint Associate Degree Pilot Program.
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<html:p>
(b)
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As used in this section, the following definitions apply:
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<html:p>
(1)
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“Eligible student” means a former student who has met the requirements of subdivision (c).
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<html:p>
(2)
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“Former student” means a student who is no longer enrolled at a California State University campus.
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(c)
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Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Chancellor of the California State University shall jointly establish a pilot program to offer an
associate degree that is jointly awarded by these segments of public postsecondary education to former students who meet both of the following requirements:
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<html:p>
(1)
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The former student successfully completed coursework equivalent to the requirements for an associate degree provided by the California Community Colleges.
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<html:p>
(2)
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The former student has not previously earned an associate degree from a community college or any other accredited postsecondary educational institution.
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<html:p>
(d)
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Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, the pilot program shall include all of the following:
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<html:p>
(1)
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The establishment of an associate degree in general education studies, which shall be the official name of an associate degree conferred pursuant to this section.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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A process to jointly confer the degree specified in paragraph (1) between a California State University campus and a community college district designated pursuant to this section.
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<html:p>
(3)
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A process for identifying eligible former students.
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<html:p>
(4)
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A mechanism for verifying an eligible former student’s completion of the requirements for the associate degree established pursuant to paragraph (1).
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(e)
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The Long Beach Community College District and California State University, Long Beach, shall participate in the pilot program. The pilot program may include three additional community college districts and local California State University campuses, as jointly determined by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Chancellor of the California
State University.
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(f)
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(1)
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On or before January 1, 2032, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and Chancellor of the California State University shall jointly submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program at their participating campuses. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the number of associate degrees awarded pursuant to this section disaggregated by student demographics, outcomes, and legislative recommendations.
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<html:p>
(2)
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A report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
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<html:p>
(g)
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Implementation of the pilot program shall commence on or before July 1, 2027.
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<html:p>
(h)
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This section shall only become operative upon
an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes.
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(i)
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This section shall become inoperative on June 30, 2032 and, as of January 1, 2033, is repealed.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.</html:p>
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