BILL NUMBER: AB 1918	CHAPTERED  07/24/00

	CHAPTER   187
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   JULY 24, 2000
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   JULY 21, 2000
	PASSED THE SENATE   JULY 6, 2000
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   MAY 11, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 24, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Romero
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Aroner, Firebaugh, Knox, Lowenthal,
Strom-Martin, and Washington)
   (Coauthor: Senator Solis)

                        FEBRUARY 11, 2000

   An act to add Section 66721.5 to the Education Code, relating to
public postsecondary education.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1918, Romero.  Public postsecondary education:  Access to
Transfer Information for Community College Students Act.
   (1) Existing law establishes the various segments of the higher
education system in the state.  These segments include the University
of California, which is administered by the Regents of the
University of California, the California State University, which is
administered by the Trustees of the California State University, the
California Community Colleges, which are administered by the Board of
Governors of the California Community Colleges, and various private
institutions of higher learning.
   This bill would enact the Access to Transfer Information for
Community College Students Act.  The bill would impose a
state-mandated local program by requiring the governing board of each
community college district to direct the appropriate officials at
their respective campuses to provide students with copies of the
transfer core curriculum, as defined to mean the lower-division,
general education transfer curriculum that is fully articulated
between the California Community Colleges and the California State
University and the University of California.  The bill would require
that  a copy of the current transfer core curriculum be distributed
to each newly admitted community college student, as prescribed, and
that the text of the current transfer core curriculum be included in
the published class schedule.  The bill would authorize copies of the
curriculum to be available at prescribed locations on community
college campuses.
  (2) 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, including the creation of a State Mandates Claims Fund
to pay the costs of mandates that do not exceed $1,000,000 statewide
and other procedures for claims whose statewide costs exceed
$1,000,000.
   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 these
statutory provisions.


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


  SECTION 1.  This act shall be known, and may be cited as, the
"Access to Transfer Information for Community College Students Act."
  SEC. 2.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (a) Student matriculation, from community colleges through the
University of California and the California State University, is
recognized by the Governor, Legislature, and the governing boards of
each of the segments of California's system of public postsecondary
education as a central institutional priority of all segments of
higher education.
   (b) The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges,
with the cooperation of the Regents of the University of California
and Trustees of the California State University, should ensure that
all students are clearly and fully informed as to which community
college courses and units are transferable.
   (c) Knowledge of transfer agreements will improve a community
college student's opportunity to transfer.
   (d) The Master Plan for Higher Education establishes transfers as
a priority.  The California Community Colleges and the University of
California established the goal of a 33 percent increase in transfers
between the 1995-96 and the 2004-05 academic years.
   (e) According to recent reports by the California Postsecondary
Education Commission, the transfer rate to the University of
California system has decreased every year since 1995.  Given the
decreased transfer rates, there is no possibility of achieving the
goal of 33 percent.
  SEC. 3.  Section 66721.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:
   66721.5.  (a) (1) The governing board of each community college
district shall direct the appropriate officials at their respective
campuses to provide each of their students with a copy of the current
transfer core curriculum.
   (2) As used in this section, "transfer core curriculum" means the
lower-division, general education transfer curriculum that, pursuant
to Section 66720, is fully articulated between the California
Community Colleges and the California State University and University
of California.
   (b) A copy of the current transfer core curriculum shall be
distributed to each newly admitted community college student who is
enrolled in a degree or certification program and is physically in
attendance at the institution.
   (c) The governing board of a community college district shall
ensure that the text of the current transfer core curriculum is
included in the published class schedule for each academic term.
Copies of the transfer core curriculum may also be made available in
other locations on each campus, including, but not necessarily
limited to, all of the following:
   (1) The admissions office.
   (2) The bookstore.
   (3) The career counseling center.
   (4) The veteran's affairs office.
   (d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), the governing board of a
community college may, as an alternative to the methods of
distribution set forth in subdivision (c), distribute copies of the
current transfer core curriculum by any of the following means:
   (1) During the registration process.
   (2) By mail, with the registration materials or the enrollment
materials, or both, or with other items sent to students.
   (3) During the issuance of student identification cards.
   (4) During student orientation programs.
   (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the
distribution of the transfer core curriculum to community college
students.
  SEC. 4.  Notwithstanding Section 17610 of the Government Code, 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.  If the statewide cost of the claim for
reimbursement does not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000),
reimbursement shall be made from the State Mandates Claims Fund.