Amended in Assembly July 6, 2015

Amended in Assembly June 19, 2015

Senate Bill No. 786

Introduced by Senator Allen

February 27, 2015

An act to amend begin delete Section 84830 of end delete begin insert Sections 84907 and 84908 of, and to add Section 84908.5 to, end insert the Education Code, relating to adult education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 786, as amended, Allen. Adult education: begin delete regional consortia. end delete begin insert Adult Education Block Grant Program. end insert

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Existing law establishes the Adult Education Block Grant Program under the administration of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The program requires the chancellor and the Superintendent, with the advice of the Executive Director of the State Board of Education, to divide the state into adult education regions and approve one adult education consortium in each adult education region, as specified. The program also requires the chancellor and the Superintendent, with the advice of the executive director, to certify, no later than July 31, 2015, the amount of state funds required to be expended for adult education by a school district and county office of education, as specified. The program further requires the chancellor and the Superintendent to apportion funds appropriated for the program in the Budget Act of 2015 to each school district and county office of education by August 30, 2015, in accordance with a specified formula and, by October 30, 2015, to allocate the funds that remain after the apportionment to each consortium, as specified.

end insert begin insert

This bill would also provide that the chancellor and the Superintendent, with the advice of the executive director, (1) certify the amount of state funds required to be expended for adult education by joint powers authorities consisting of one or more community colleges, school districts, or county offices of education, or a combination of these, (2) apportion an amount to each of these joint powers authorities in accordance with the same formula, and (3) allocate to each consortium the funds that remain after this apportionment, as specified. In regard to these joint powers authorities, the deadlines in existing law would not apply.

end insert begin delete

Existing law, pursuant to funding made available in the annual Budget Act, requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the State Department of Education to jointly provide 2-year planning and implementation grants to regional consortia of community college districts and school districts for purposes of developing regional plans to better serve the educational needs of adults.

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This bill would authorize a county office of education and joint powers authority consisting of community college districts, school districts, county offices of education, or a combination of these, to join a regional consortium for these purposes.

end delete

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 84907 of the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert is amended
to read: end insert

84907.  

No later than July 31, 2015, the chancellor and the
Superintendent, with the advice of the executive director, shall
certify, for each school begin delete district and end delete begin insert district, end insert county office of
education, begin insert or joint powers authority consisting of one or more
community college districts, school districts, or county offices of
education, or a combination of these, end insert the amount of state funds
required to be expended for adult education pursuant to paragraph
(7) of subdivision (a) of Section 42238.03, and paragraph (3) of
subdivision (k) of Section 2575, respectively.

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 84908 of the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert is amended to
read: end insert

84908.  

(a) If the total amount certified for all school begin delete districts
and end delete begin insert districts, end insert county offices of begin delete education end delete begin insert education, and joint
powers authorities end insert pursuant to Section 84907 is less than three
hundred seventy-five million dollars ($375,000,000), the chancellor
and the Superintendent shall do both of the following:

(1) Apportion funds appropriated for the program in the Budget
Act of 2015, no later than August 30, 2015, to each school begin delete district
or end delete begin insert district, end insert county office of begin delete education end delete begin insert education, or joint powers
authority end insert in an amount equal to the amount certified for that school
begin delete district or end delete begin insert district, end insert county office of begin delete education end delete begin insert education, or joint
powers authority, end insert pursuant to Section 84907. As a condition of
receipt of an apportionment, a school begin delete district or end delete begin insert district, end insert county
office of begin delete education end delete begin insert education, or joint powers authority end insert is required
to be a member of a consortium.

(2) (A) (i) With the concurrence of the executive director,
approve a schedule of allocations to each consortium, no later than
October 30, 2015, of any funds appropriated for the program in
the Budget Act of 2015 that remain after funds have been
apportioned pursuant to paragraph (1).

(ii) The chancellor and the Superintendent shall determine the
amount to be allocated to each consortium pursuant to this
paragraph based on that adult education region’s share of the
statewide need for adult education.

(B) Using the schedule approved pursuant to subparagraph (A),
the chancellor and the Superintendent shall do one of the following
for each consortium:

(i) Apportion funds to a fund administrator designated by the
members of a consortium beginning no more than 30 days after
approval of the schedule pursuant to subparagraph (A).

(ii) Apportion funds to members of a consortium beginning no
more than 30 days after receipt of a final distribution schedule
from that consortium.

(b) If the total amount certified for all school begin delete districts and end delete
begin insert districts, end insert county offices of begin delete education end delete begin insert education, and joint powers
authorities end insert pursuant to Section 84907 equals or exceeds three
hundred seventy-five million dollars ($375,000,000), the chancellor
and the Superintendent shall do both of the following:

(1) Apportion funds appropriated for the program in the Budget
Act of 2015, no later than August 30, 2015, to each school begin delete district
or end delete begin insert district, end insert county office of begin delete education end delete begin insert education, or joint powers
authority end insert in an amount equal to the amount certified for that school
begin delete district or end delete begin insert district, end insert county office of begin delete education end delete begin insert education, or joint
powers authority end insert pursuant to Section 84907 multiplied by three
hundred seventy-five million dollars ($375,000,000), divided by
the total amount certified for all school begin delete districts and end delete begin insert districts, end insert
county offices of begin delete education end delete begin insert education, and joint powers authorities end insert
pursuant to Section 84907.

(2) (A) (i) With the concurrence of the executive director,
approve a schedule of allocations to each consortium, no later than
October 30, 2015, of any funds appropriated for this program in
the Budget Act of 2015 that remain after funds have been
apportioned pursuant to paragraph (1).

(ii) The chancellor and the Superintendent shall determine the
amount to be allocated to each consortium pursuant to this
paragraph based on that adult education region’s share of the
statewide need for adult education.

(B) Using the schedule approved pursuant to subparagraph (A),
the chancellor and the Superintendent shall do one of the following
for each consortium:

(i) Apportion funds to a fund administrator designated by the
members of a consortium beginning no more than 30 days after
approval of the schedule pursuant to subparagraph (A).

(ii) Apportion funds to members of a consortium beginning no
more than 30 days after receipt of a final distribution schedule
from that consortium.

(c) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2016, and,
as of January 1, 2017, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute,
that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2017, deletes or
extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 3. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 84908.5 is added to the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert , to
read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 84908.5. end insert   

The chancellor and the Superintendent may certify,
as required in Section 84907, and apportion, as required in Section
84908, funds after the dates enumerated in those sections for a
joint powers authority consisting of one or more community college
districts, school districts, county offices of education, or a
combination of these.

end insert

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

Section 84830 of the Education Code is amended
to read:

84830.  

(a) The Chancellor of the California Community
Colleges and the State Department of Education shall, pursuant to
funding made available in the annual Budget Act, jointly provide
two-year planning and implementation grants to regional consortia
for the purpose of developing regional plans to better serve the
educational needs of adults. A regional consortium may be
composed of community college districts, school districts, county
offices of education, or joint powers authorities, or a combination
of these, provided that any joint powers authority for this purpose
shall be composed of community college districts, school districts,
county offices of education, or a combination of these.

(1) Eligibility shall be limited to consortia consisting of at least
one community college district and at least one school district
within the boundaries of the community college district, either of
which may serve as the consortium’s fiscal agent, as determined
by the applicant consortium.

(2) If a community college district chooses not to participate in
a consortium, a neighboring community college district may form
a consortium with school districts within the boundaries of the
nonparticipating community college district.

(3) Consortia may include other entities providing adult
education courses, including, but not necessarily limited to,
correctional facilities, other local public entities, and
community-based organizations.

(b) Grant funds provided pursuant to this section shall be used
by each regional consortium to create and implement a plan to
better provide adults in its region with all of the following:

(1) Elementary and secondary basic skills, including classes
required for a high school diploma or high school equivalency
certificate.

(2) Classes and courses for immigrants eligible for educational
services in citizenship and English as a second language, and
workforce preparation classes in basic skills.

(3) Education programs for adults with disabilities.

(4) Short-term career technical education programs with high
employment potential.

(5) Programs for apprentices.

(c) (1) The classes and courses described in paragraphs (1) and
(2) of subdivision (b) shall distribute basic information on
American government and civics that includes, but is not limited
to, instruction on all of the following:

(A) Federal, state, and local government.

(B) The three branches of government.

(C) The importance of civic engagement.

(D) Registering to vote.

(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that, consistent with the
requirements of Sections 51225.3 and 52555, students enrolled in
classes and courses described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
subdivision (b) in which instruction in American government and
civics is appropriate shall receive instruction in American
government and civics.

(d) Each regional consortium’s plan shall include, at a minimum:

(1) An evaluation of current levels and types of adult education
programs within its region, including education for adults in
correctional facilities; credit, noncredit, and enhanced noncredit
adult education coursework; and programs funded through Title
II of the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998, known as the
Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (Public Law 105-220).

(2) An evaluation of current needs for adult education programs
within its region.

(3) Plans for parties that make up the consortium to integrate
their existing programs and create seamless transitions into
postsecondary education or the workforce.

(4) Plans to address the gaps identified pursuant to paragraphs
(1) and (2).

(5) Plans to employ approaches proven to accelerate a student’s
progress toward his or her academic or career goals, such as
contextualized basic skills and career technical education, and
other joint programming strategies between adult education and
career technical education.

(6) Plans to collaborate in the provision of ongoing professional
development opportunities for faculty and other staff to help them
achieve greater program integration and improve student outcomes.

(7) Plans to leverage existing regional structures, including, but
not necessarily limited to, local workforce investment areas.

(e) The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and
the State Department of Education may identify additional elements
that consortia must include in a plan.

(f) (1) On or before March 1, 2014, the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges and the State Department of
Education shall submit a joint report to the Legislature and the
Governor. This report shall include, but not necessarily be limited
to, both of the following:

(A) The status of developing regional consortia across the state,
including identification of unserved geographic areas or emerging
gaps in regional program delivery.

(B) The status and allocation of grant awards made to regional
consortia.

(2) The report shall be submitted to the Legislature as provided
in Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(g) (1) On or before March 1, 2015, the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges and the State Department of
Education shall submit a joint report to the Legislature and the
Governor. This report shall include, but is not limited to, both of
the following:

(A) The plans developed by regional consortia across the state.

(B) Recommendations for additional improvements in the
delivery system serving adult learners.

(2) The report shall be submitted to the Legislature as provided
in Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(h) It is the intent of the Legislature to work toward developing
common policies related to adult education affecting adult schools
at local educational agencies and community colleges, including
policies on fees and funding levels.

(i) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide additional funding
in the 2015-16 fiscal year to regional consortia to expand and
improve the provision of adult education.

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