August, 2022

In this Issue:

  • Update on Legislation Impacting Your College
  • Engaging with Student Trustees
  • Save the Date for Undocumented Student Action Week
  • Federal Update
  • Join Us for our Next GR Webinar: Tuesday, September 20
  • Federal Grant Opportunities

Update on Legislation Impacting Your College

Of the close to 50 bills tracked by the League, most passed out of the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees, many with amendments and some were held in committee. One bill of note that was held was AB 1505 (Rodriguez). This piece of legislation would have artificially increased the minimum amount of full-time faculty a college must hire. The result of this bill would reduce flexibility for colleges in the future to meet both state and local priorities and therefore was opposed by the League. It appears that both the Department of Finance and the Senate Appropriations Committee agreed with the League’s concerns and thus the bill was held.

In addition, both committees acted on several other pieces of legislation ranging from basic needs to fiscal support of colleges. We have included a list of the most relevant pieces of legislation below, but for a full list of legislation, click here.

  • AB 1505 (Rodriguez) Full Time Faculty – HELD
  • AB 1746 (Medina) Cal Grant Reform – HELD but IMPLEMENTED VIA BUDGET
  • AB 1705 (Irwin) Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012: Matriculation: Assessment – PASSED
  • AB 1919 (Holden) Transit PASSED WITH AMENDMENTS
  • AB 2738 (Reyes) Public Postsecondary Education: Community Colleges: Matriculation: Assessment – HELD

AB 1505 (Rodriguez) Full-Time Faculty
Would have artificially set the minimum amount of full-time faculty members a district would have to hire regardless of the status of enrollment or changes in educational services relating to the pandemic.
League Position: Oppose
Action: HELD

AB 1746 (Medina) Cal Grant Reform
Would overhaul the state’s current Cal Grant Program by streamlining and consolidating the existing programs into a Cal Grant 2 Program for community college students and a Cal Grant 4 Program for students attending four-year colleges. Would remove the GPA, age, and time-out-of-high-school Cal Grant eligibility requirements for community college students. Provisions were enacted in the 2022-23 Budget implementing this legislation in future years if funding is available.
League Position: Support
Action: Hearing Canceled at the request of the bill’s author. Provisions were enacted in the 2022-23 Budget implementing this legislation in future years if funding is available.

AB 1705 (Irwin) Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012: Matriculation: Assessment
Requires that a high school transcript be used as the primary means for determining placement in transfer-level English and transfer-level mathematics courses and narrows the use of multiple measures by colleges in the placement and enrollment of students in transfer-level math and English courses.
League Position: Support if Amended
Action: PASSED

AB 1919 (Holden) Transit Passes
Upon an appropriation, this bill would create the Youth Transit Pass Pilot Program providing grants to transit agencies for the costs of creating a program to free youth transit passes to persons attending certain educational institutions, including community colleges.
League Position: Support
Action: PASSED with amendments clarifying the definition of transit agencies that would be eligible for funding authorized under legislation.

AB 2738 (Reyes) Public Postsecondary Education: Community Colleges: Matriculation: Assessment
This measure was intended to encourage the number of students who obtained an associate degree within two years by implementing various reporting measures for colleges, including requiring colleges to publish a schedule of courses that must be completed to obtain an associate degree or certificate, the length of time needed to follow that schedule, and further reporting requirements.
League Position: Watch
Action: HELD

Engaging with Student Trustees

Earlier this month, student trustees from across the state convened in San Francisco for the League’s annual Student Trustee Workshop (STW). The workshop provides newly elected student trustees with a 3-day training covering topics ranging from effective trusteeship to board engagement. The Student Trustee Workshop is one of the first opportunities students have to connect with their peers and learn about the unique challenges facing each district.

Every year, the League’s Government Relations Team leads a session on state issues and advocacy, outlining the legislative process and the importance of student advocacy. This year the session was led by former Pasadena City College Student Trustee Nune Garipian, who serves as the League’s Legislative Advocate. Ms. Garipian attended the Student Trustee Workshop in 2016, and recalls her favorite session being the state legislative process. Ms. Garipian brings a wealth of knowledge to our team as a former student trustee and community college graduate, highlighting the value of training our next generation of student leaders.

In the spirit of student advocacy, the League is excited to announce the formation of a new statewide committee, created specifically for student trustees. The Student Trustee Advisory Committee (STAC) will serve as an avenue for student trustees to convene, discuss, and engage on key legislative matters. Through regularly scheduled meetings, joint advocacy with the League, and discussions on current legislation, STAC will strengthen and elevate the voice of student trustees in the legislative process by advising the League in all student-related legislation and matters. Student trustees interested in STAC should apply now for the upcoming academic year. Applications are due Thursday, September 1st, but will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

In addition, the League’s government relations team would like to congratulate all the newly elected student trustees and looks forward to working together in the future.

Save the Date for Undocumented Student Action Week

Mark your calendars for the 6th annual California Community Colleges Undocumented Student Action Week: October 17-21, 2022. Join us for a series of daily webinars and on-campus activities designed to raise awareness about the challenges undocumented students continue to face and discuss solutions that support their educational dreams. Learn more about how you can advocate for the protection of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) Program and assist in building a strong ecosystem that breaks down silos and promotes a collaborative campus approach to support undocumented student success.

When: Monday, October 17 – Friday, October 21, 2022, daily 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Where: Virtual Systemwide Webinars. A link for attendees will be provided after registration.

Intended Outcomes: Participants will walk away with an understanding of how and why it is important to ensure strong cross-departmental collaboration for improving undocumented student outcomes, how campuses can use various funding streams to support undocumented student success, an understanding of where and whom to refer students to experts based on their needs, and an understanding of the various policies impacting undocumented students. Practitioners and administrators are highly recommended to attend each session.

Registration Fees: This is a free event. Stay tuned for additional information including details on how to register. We look forward to this year’s advocacy week. If you have any questions about Undocumented Student Action Week, please contact us at Govrelations@cccco.edu.

Federal Update

Status of Congressional Session
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are away for their summer recess. The Senate will return to voting session on September 6th, and the House will reconvene on September 13, 2022. When they return, the second session of the 117th Congress will be headed toward the home stretch. 

FY 2023 Appropriations Bills under Consideration
The House of Representatives has passed 6 of 12 appropriations bills required for the fiscal year beginning on October 1, 2022, with the remaining 6 bills approved by the House Appropriations Committee awaiting House floor consideration. The Senate Appropriations Committee has introduced its versions of all 12 bills.

House and Senate FY 2023 appropriations bills include Congressionally directed spending items (aka “earmarks”). Notably, the House Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill includes earmarks for 20 different California Community College projects. One-third of all earmarks for California projects included in the Senate Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill are for California Community Colleges.

“Chips and Science” Bill Signed into Law
A major domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing program has been combined with National Science Foundation (NSF) reauthorization in legislation President Biden has signed into law.  Significantly, the Chips and Science law reauthorizes and doubles the budget for the NSF Advanced Technological Education Program (ATE), from $75 million to $150 million annually.

Chips and Science also includes incentives to expand domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing – a top trade and manufacturing industry concern with only 12% of semiconductor chips manufactured in the United States, down from 37% during the 1990s.  These incentives are likely to spur expansion of advanced manufacturing programs at community colleges – especially in the Bay Area and Los Angeles County. 

Examples of community college semiconductor training programs can be found in other states.  In New York, Hudson Valley Community College offers an AAS degree in Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology and a Semiconductor Technology Certificate. In Arizona, Maricopa Community Colleges have a Semiconductor Technician Quick Start boot camp to prepare workers for fabrication plant jobs at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which is expanding in Phoenix.

Inflation Reduction Act Signed into Law
The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law and included climate related workforce training and education provisions. Things of note, include:

  • $200 million in grants to states for training and education of contractors involved in the installation of home energy efficiency and electrification improvements.
  • Funds for workforce development and training to support the maintenance, charging, fueling, and operation of zero-emission vehicles.
  • Funds for workforce development that helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Reauthorization Approved by the House of Representatives
This bill, awaiting consideration in the Senate, provides for an expanded role for community colleges under WIOA. Notably, the House-passed bill does the following:

  • Establishes a statutory authorization for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Strengthening Community College Training Grants.
  • Doubles annual funding for Strengthening Community College Training Grants – to $100 million in FY 2023, increasing to $161 million in FY 2028.
  • Increases the number of community college representatives on state workforce development boards and requires that community colleges be included in workforce development plans.

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) House
Passed provisions include:

  • Prioritizing community college and minority-serving institution students for Department of Defense STEM scholarships, fellowships, and research internships.
  • Authorizing $30 million annually in grants for community college maritime related training programs.

The NDAA awaits Senate floor consideration. Enactment of the NDAA is highly likely. Congress has passed and the president has signed the NDAA every year for the past 60 years.

Join Us for our Next GR Webinar: Tuesday, September 20! Join the League's Government Relations Team for our monthly webinars. Receive important information regarding legislation and proposals discussed in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. that will impact you, your students, and your institution.

2022 Webinar Schedule
January to October: Every third Tuesday of the month, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 20, 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, October 18, 11:00 a.m.

Webinar Details
Telephone Number: (646) 876-9923 or (669) 900-6833
Meeting ID: 623 780 059
Password: 110660

Registration
Be sure to register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar.

Federal Grant Opportunities

Presented by Downs Government Affairs

The League, in partnership with Downs Government Affairs, provides a list of federal grants to assist your community college in improving its programs and services.  For a full list of federal grants available to community colleges, visit our Federal Grants page at www.ccleague.org/federal-grant-opportunities.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Thomas Downs at TCDowns@downsgovaffairs.com.

Upcoming Events

Consultation Council
September 15 | Zoom

Board of Governors Meeting
September 19 | Zoom

Undocumented Student Action Week
October 17-21 | Zoom

ACCT Leadership Congress
October 26-29 | New York City, NY

League Annual Convention
November 17-19 | Burlingame, CA

For more information, contact the League's Government Relations and Communications staff: advocacy@ccleague.org

Follow League Tracked Bills at www.ccleague.org/advocacy/bill-tracking
For news related to the State Budget and Policy visit www.ccleague.org/advocacy

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