BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
ACR 119 (Muratsuchi) - Community Colleges: Career Technical
Education
Amended: June 2, 2014 Policy Vote: Education 6-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: June 30, 2014
Consultant: Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez
This resolution meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense
File.
Bill Summary: ACR 119 encourages the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges (CCC), in consultation with
affected stakeholders, as specified, to develop at least three
options to address the long-term funding needs of career
technical education (CTE) and other workforce and training
programs at the CCCs.
Fiscal Impact:
Potentially significant cost pressure to the CCC
Chancellor's Office to develop CTE funding options, and
present them to the Legislature by June 1, 2015.
Potentially substantial cost pressure for the
Legislature to "address the long-term funding needs" of
CTE and other workforce and training programs during the
2015-16 legislative session.
Background: The CCC system is the nation's largest system of
higher education, comprised of 112 colleges that serve more than
2.3 million students per year. Under the California Master Plan
for Higher Education, the primary mission of the CCC is to
provide low-cost post-secondary education for any interested
Californian. Its mission includes providing lower-division
academic coursework that could lead to transfer to four-year
colleges, CTE, basic skills education, and enrichment courses.
Proposed Law: This resolution makes numerous findings and
declarations, relative to CTE and the CCC. This resolution also
resolves:
1) That the Legislature encourages the Chancellor of the
CCC in consultation with affected stakeholders, including,
ACR 119 (Muratsuchi)
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but not limited to, experts in the field of CTE, business
and industry representatives, faculty, and organized labor
representatives to develop at least three options to
address the long-term funding needs of CTE and other
workforce and training programs at the CCC campuses, in a
manner that adequately funds the programs that regions deem
valuable to their economies, and to submit those options to
the Legislature before June 1, 2015; and
2) That it is the intent of the Legislature during the
2015-16 Regular Session to address the long-term funding
needs of CTE and other workforce and training programs at
the CCC.
Staff Comments: This resolution will not result in direct state
costs, because it does not have the force of law. It does,
however, create substantial new cost pressure to the General
Fund in two ways. First, it sets a deadline (of six months from
enactment) by which the CCC Chancellor is expected to consult
with stakeholders and develop three options to "address" CTE and
other workforce and training program funding issues. The CCC
Chancellor's office has opined that costs would likely be
absorbable but, if outside research is needed, contracting costs
could be up to $200,000 (General Fund). Second, it states
legislative intent to (ostensibly consider those ideas, and)
take action to address the long-term funding needs of those
programs. Considering the substantial reductions many programs
have undergone in recent years, "addressing long-term funding
needs" will likely involve providing substantial new funding.