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AB-1040 Community colleges: ethnic studies.(2021-2022)

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Date Published: 07/05/2021 09:00 PM
AB1040:v96#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Senate  July 05, 2021
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 13, 2021
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 05, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1040

Introduced by Assembly Member Muratsuchi
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bryan, Chiu, Lorena Gonzalez, Low, Medina, and Lorena Gonzalez) Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas, and Santiago)
(Coauthors: Senators Durazo, Gonzalez, and Min)

February 18, 2021

An act to add Article 2.7 (commencing with Section 78240) to Chapter 2 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1040, as amended, Muratsuchi. Community colleges: ethnic studies.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The segment comprises 73 community college districts and a total of 116 campuses throughout the state.
This bill would, commencing with the 2022–23 academic year, require each community college district to offer courses in ethnic studies at each of its campuses. The bill would require that the units earned by students for successful completion of these courses would be eligible for transfer and, if applicable, would meet the ethnic studies general education graduation requirements at the California State University. The bill would also, commencing with the 2024–25 academic year, require each community college district to require the completion of at least one course in ethnic studies of at least 3 units as a requirement for a student to obtain an associate degree. The bill would require the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to develop and adopt appropriate regulations for the implementation of these provisions, and to develop and implement a plan to streamline the course and curriculum approval process, including an expedited state approval process and a process that enables ethnic studies courses to be portable among community college districts.
This bill would require the Legislative Analyst’s Office to conduct a study on the number of ethnic studies courses the California State University accepted from the community college districts to satisfy the ethnic studies graduation requirements established in existing law. The bill would require the California State University to provide specified information to the Legislative Analyst’s Office on or before January 1, 2023, and would require the Legislative Analyst’s Office to submit a report to the education and fiscal policy committees of the Legislature with findings and recommendations on or before April 30, 2023.
Because this bill would impose new duties on community college districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program.
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.
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 the statutory provisions noted above.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

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


SECTION 1.

 Article 2.7 (commencing with Section 78240) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:
Article  2.7. Ethnic Studies Courses

78240.
 (a) Commencing with the 2022–23 academic year, each community college district shall offer courses in ethnic studies at each of its campuses. The units earned by students for successful completion of these courses shall be eligible for transfer to count toward a baccalaureate degree and, if applicable, shall meet the ethnic studies general education graduation requirements at the California State University. Each community college district shall collaborate with its academic senate in the development of these courses.
(b) Commencing with the 2024–25 academic year, each community college district shall require the completion of at least one course in ethnic studies of at least three units as a requirement for a student to obtain an associate degree. A community college district shall not increase the number of units required to obtain an associate degree in order to implement this requirement.
(c) (1) The chancellor shall develop and adopt appropriate regulations for the implementation of this section. The chancellor shall also develop and implement a plan to streamline the course and curriculum approval process, both at the state and local levels. The plan shall reflect an expedited state approval process for ethnic studies courses, programs, and certificates, and may include the elimination of an existing state course and program approval process. The plan shall reflect one of the following two options:
(A) A process of course and curriculum approval that enables community college districts to develop a course or program within one academic year and to offer that course or program the subsequent academic year.
(B) A process of course and curriculum approval that enables community college districts to develop a course or program within one academic semester and to offer that course or program the subsequent academic semester.
(2) The plan described in paragraph (1) shall also reflect the creation of a process that enables ethnic studies courses and programs to be portable among community college districts. This process shall enable a community college district to adapt, adopt, or adapt and adopt another community college district’s approved ethnic studies courses, programs, and curriculum within one academic semester and to offer that course or program, or use that curriculum, the subsequent academic semester.

78241.
 (a) The Legislative Analyst’s Office shall conduct a study on the number of ethnic studies courses the California State University (CSU) accepted from the community college districts to satisfy the ethnic studies course graduation requirements pursuant to Section 89032. The analysis shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(1) Identifying the number of ethnic studies courses submitted by each community college district to the CSU that would satisfy the lower division ethnic studies requirement.
(2) Identifying the number of ethnic studies courses submitted by each community college district that were accepted and the number of ethnic studies courses that were rejected by the CSU. For each rejected ethnic studies course the CSU shall provide the Legislative Analyst’s Office with an explanation of why the course did not satisfy the ethnic studies course graduation requirement at the CSU.
(3) A description of the process used to approve community college ethnic studies courses related to the graduation requirement established by Section 89032.
(4) At a minimum, the data shall be disaggregated into the following disciplines:
(A) African American and Black studies.
(B) Asian American and Pacific Islander studies.
(C) Latino studies, including Chicano studies and Mexican American studies.
(D) Native American and indigenous peoples studies.
(E) Other academic departments or disciplines that could satisfy the CSU ethnic studies requirement, if applicable.
(b) The CSU shall provide the information described in subdivision (a) to the Legislative Analyst’s Office on or before January 1, 2023.
(c) The Legislative Analyst’s Office shall compile the information received pursuant to this section and submit a report with findings and recommendations to the education and fiscal policy committees of the Legislature on or before April 30, 2023.

SEC. 2.

  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.