BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2155
Page 1
GOVERNOR'S VETO
AB
2155 (Ridley-Thomas)
As Enrolled August 25, 2016
2/3 vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+---------------------+---------------------|
|Public |6-0 |Bonta, Cooley, | |
|Employees, | |Cooper, Cristina | |
|Retirement, and | |Garcia, O'Donnell, | |
|Social Security | |Wagner | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+---------------------+---------------------|
|Appropriations |16-0 |Gonzalez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bloom, Bonilla, | |
| | |Bonta, Calderon, | |
| | |Chang, Daly, Eggman, | |
| | |Gallagher, Roger | |
| | |Hernández, | |
| | |Obernolte, Quirk, | |
| | |Santiago, Wagner, | |
| | |Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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AB 2155
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|ASSEMBLY: |76-0 |(April 28, |SENATE: |23-13 |(August 19, |
| | |2016) | | |2016) |
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| | | | | | |
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SUMMARY: Requires that collective bargaining agreements or
employment agreements that apply to adult education instructors
specify the courses for which those members are adult education
instructors thereby allowing Career Development and College
Preparation (CPCP) courses to be subject to a lower
instructional hour requirement for purposes of determining
service credit under the California State Teachers' Retirement
System (CalSTRS). This bill affects agreements that are entered
into, extended, renewed or amended on or after January 1, 2017.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes minimum standards for full-time employment for the
purpose of crediting service under the California State
Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS).
2)Specifies that the minimum standard, generally, for full time
instructors in community colleges is 175 days per year or
1,050 hours per year.
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3)Specifies that for community college instructors employed on a
part-time basis, the minimum standard for full time is 525
instructional hours.
4)Specifies that for community college instructors employed in
adult education programs the minimum standard for full time is
875 instructional hours.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.
COMMENTS: According to the author, SB 361 (Scott), Chapter 514,
Statutes of 2008, "?established three levels of funding for
community colleges. Credit courses were funded at the highest
level and noncredit (adult education) courses were funded at the
lowest level. In between those two levels was a third level for
Career Development and College Preparation (CDCP) courses, which
are also considered noncredit courses. CDCP courses, however,
are different from traditional noncredit courses in that they
are a series of courses that lead to a certificate of completion
that is designed to improve employment prospects and increase
transfer opportunities to four-year institutions."
"Many community colleges offer what could be CDCP curriculum in
the credit format because the funding level for CDCP courses was
lower than courses offered for credit. Last year's budget
created funding parity between CDCP courses and courses offered
for credit. Many community colleges find that offering CDCP
courses in the noncredit format is better for students because
there are no student fees for noncredit courses and it allows
faculty to accelerate coursework to better fit the needs of
students."
"A barrier that community colleges must overcome to take
advantage of offering CDCP courses in the noncredit format is
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the requirement that faculty teaching noncredit courses are
required to provide at least 25 instructional hours per week
while faculty teaching courses for credit are required to
provide 15 instructional hours per week. Because of the
instructional hour requirement for CDCP courses, the state could
miss out on an opportunity to increase student readiness for
employment and college-level work."
According to the sponsor, "This measure would authorize, not
require, community college districts to equalize the minimum
instructional hour requirements for credit courses and CDCP
courses. Districts would be authorized to establish, through
bargaining, a lower instructional hour requirement,
specifically, 15 instructional hours per week, for CDCP courses.
Under the legislation, districts would specifically identify
which courses are adult education courses for the purposes of
service credit allowing CDCP courses to be identified as courses
that are not adult education."
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE:
This bill functionally allows a community college
district and its employees to lower the minimum
instructional hours that certain part-time community
college district instructors would be required to work
to earn creditable service under the State Teachers'
Retirement System.
I am concerned this bill, by authorizing districts to
bargain for a lower instructional hour requirement
that would qualify as pensionable service credit, will
only increase state pension costs. This is not
prudent, especially in light of STRS' massive unfunded
liabilities.
AB 2155
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Analysis Prepared by:
Karon Green / P.E.,R., & S.S. / (916) 319-3957
FN:
0005148