AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 13, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

98

Introduced by Assembly Member Ransom

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Ávila Farías, Bennett, Castillo, Davies, Flora, Jeff Gonzalez, Harabedian, Quirk-Silva, and Michelle Rodriguez)

January 15, 2026

An act to amend Section 53076 of the Education Code, relating to career technical education.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program, administered by the State Department of Education, with the purpose of encouraging, maintaining, and strengthening the delivery of high-quality career technical education programs. Existing law provides, for the 2021–22 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, that $300,000,000 shall be available to the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the program. Existing law requires an applicant to demonstrate a proportional dollar-for-dollar match and sets that amount for the 2021–22 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, at $2 for every $1 received from the program. Existing law prohibits an applicant from being awarded an amount higher than the amount that the allocation formula determines them to be eligible to receive under the program.

Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction Instruction, in administering the program, to perform specified duties, including, among other duties, to (1) determine, in collaboration with the executive director of the State Board of Education, and to make public on a preliminary basis at least 30 days before a regularly scheduled meeting of the state board, the allocation formula, specific funding amounts, the purposes for which grant funds may be used, allowable and nonallowable expenditures, and the number of grants to be awarded. Existing law requires that same information to also be provided in writing to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, the Department of Finance, and the Governor within 30 days following final approval of the state board. formula, (2) distribute funding on a multiyear schedule, (3) require grant recipients to submit program reports, (4) manage the grant process, and (5) promote the success of K–12 career technical education programs, as provided.

This bill would, would require the department, instead of the Superintendent, to perform the above-described duties. The bill would, for purposes of allocations commencing no later than the 2027–28 fiscal year and pursuant to the above-described requirements, also require the Superintendent department to determine, in consultation with the executive director of the state board, a revised allocation formula that ensures that all funds appropriated for the program in any given fiscal year are fully allocated to program applicants in that fiscal year. year, as provided.

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

SECTION 1.

Section 53076 of the Education Code is amended to read:

53076.

For purposes of administering the program established by this chapter, the Superintendent department shall do all of the following:

(a) (1) Determine, in collaboration with the executive director of the state board, and make public on a preliminary basis at least 30 days before a regularly scheduled meeting of the state board, the allocation formula, specific funding amounts, the purposes for which grant funds may be used, allowable and nonallowable expenditures, and the number of grants to be awarded. The information specified in this subdivision shall also be provided in writing to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, the Department of Finance, and the Governor within 30 days following final approval of the state board.

(2) For purposes of allocations commencing no later than the 2027–28 fiscal year, and pursuant to the requirements of paragraph (1), the Superintendent department shall determine, in consultation with the executive director of the state board, a revised allocation formula that ensures that all funds appropriated for purposes of this chapter in any given fiscal year are fully allocated to applicants in that fiscal year, to the maximum extent practicable, consistent with the requirements of this chapter.

(b) Distribute funding on a multiyear schedule, establish a process for monitoring the use of the funding, and, if necessary, cease distribution of funding and recover previously distributed funding in the case of a recipient’s failure to report the specified data to the Superintendent department or comply with a grant prerequisite or minimum standard.

(c) Annually review grant recipients’ expenditures on career technical education programs for purposes of determining if the grant recipients have met the dollar-for-dollar match requirement specified in subdivision (a) of Section 53071. If, pursuant to Section 53076.1, an auditor determines that a grant recipient failed to meet the matching funds requirement, the Superintendent department shall reduce the following year’s grant allocation in an amount equal to the unmet portion of the match requirement, if applicable. The reduction shall not reduce the grant recipient’s match requirement for the year in which the Superintendent department reduces the allocation. If a grant recipient with an audit finding pursuant to Section 53076.1 does not have an allocation in the subsequent year to reduce, the department shall require the recipient to return the unmatched funds identified in the audit finding.

(d) Require grant recipients to submit program reports pursuant to paragraph (11) of subdivision (c) of Section 53071.

(e) Manage the grant process, collect pertinent data, and undertake statewide program improvement activities.

(f) Promote the success of K–12 career technical education programs through statewide activities to improve and administer the program, including by facilitating system, program, and data alignment at the state and regional levels, facilitating the development and delivery of professional development training modules, and supporting school districts in meeting their college indicator and career indicator targets.

(g) Ensure that the department fulfills Fulfill the reporting requirements in Section 53076.5.