BILL NUMBER: AB 1455	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 23, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 7, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 22, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 13, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hill
    (   Coauthors:   Senators  
Alquist,   Liu,   Romero,  and Simitian
  ) 

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2009

   An act to add Section 78016.6 to the Education Code, relating to
the San Mateo County Community College District.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1455, as amended, Hill. San Mateo County Community College
District Baccalaureate Partnership Act.
   Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges under
the administration of the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges. Existing law authorizes the establishment of
community college districts under the administration of community
college district governing boards, and authorizes these districts to
provide instruction at community college campuses throughout the
state.
   Existing law establishes the California Community College
Baccalaureate Partnership Program to encourage baccalaureate
degree-granting institutions to partner with community colleges to
offer baccalaureate degree programs entirely on participating
community college campuses and provides for up to 2 grants, not to
exceed $50,000 each, to collaboratives formed for this purpose.
   This bill would establish the San Mateo  County 
Community College District Baccalaureate Partnership Program to
encourage baccalaureate degree-granting institutions to partner with
the San Mateo County Community College District to offer
baccalaureate degree programs on the district's community college
campuses.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (1) Since its adoption in 1960, the Master Plan for Higher
Education has served the state exceedingly well, allowing California
to create the largest and most distinguished higher education system
in the nation. A key component of the Master Plan for Higher
Education is the differentiation of mission and function among the
three systems of higher education in the state: the University of
California, the California State University, and the California
Community Colleges.
   (2) Until recently, this differentiation of function has allowed
California to provide universal access to postsecondary education
while preserving quality.
   (3) Due to current economic realities and a high unemployment rate
in the state, tens of thousands of unemployed or underemployed
Californians are entering or returning to college to improve job
skills or to train for new careers.
   (4) In the rapidly emerging "knowledge economy" of California, it
is more important than ever before that California have a
well-educated populace in order for the state to remain competitive
nationally and internationally. Several recent studies have concluded
that a college degree is now required for most of the highest paying
occupations and that, in many areas of the economy, the
baccalaureate degree is replacing the associate degree as the entry
level credential for 21st century jobs.
   (5) Community college students who want to transfer to public
four-year institutions face a number of challenges: students are
place bound and do not have the time or money to travel to four-year
colleges; students are accepted, but do not get the financial aid
packages that make enrollment possible; each four-year college or
university has different entrance requirements that limit student
options for transfer if they are not accepted into their first choice
university.
   (b) Because of these factors, the State of California supports the
increased use of "university centers" where the California State
University and the University of California partner with the
California Community Colleges to deliver baccalaureate degree
programs on community college campuses.
  SEC. 2.  Section 78016.6 is added to the Education Code, to read:
   78016.6.  (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the
San Mateo County Community College District Baccalaureate Partnership
Act. The San Mateo  County  Community College District
Baccalaureate Partnership Program is hereby established to do the
following:
   (1) To encourage baccalaureate degree-granting institutions to
partner with the San Mateo County Community College District to offer
baccalaureate degree programs that will offer instruction entirely
on the district's participating campuses.
   (2) To bring opportunities to earn baccalaureate degrees to San
Mateo County, especially within areas of the county with limited
access to baccalaureate degree-granting institutions.
   (b) The San Mateo County Community College District is hereby
authorized to seek collaborative partnerships with the University of
California and the California State University for purposes of
offering baccalaureate degree programs on campuses of the San Mateo
County Community College District. 
   (c) This section does not exempt any partnership program that may
be proposed pursuant to this section from review by the California
Postsecondary Education Commission pursuant to Section 66902 or any
other applicable law.