AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 30, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 19, 2026
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
97
Introduced by Assembly Member Alanis
February 5, 2026
An act to amend Section 66725.5 of add Article 1.6 (commencing with Section 78024) to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law requires the California Community Colleges, on or before July 1, 2027, to adopt a common course numbering system for all general education requirement courses and transfer pathway courses, and requires each community college campus, on or before July 1, 2027, to incorporate common course numbers from the adopted system into its course catalog.
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.
This bill would require, on or before December 31, 2027, the California Community Colleges to develop and submit to the Legislature an implementation and funding plan to establish a common course numbering and alignment system for career technical education public safety courses that is focused on regional, agency-compliant, and professional standards, as provided. The bill would require the system to include a phased implementation for firefighting courses, law enforcement education courses, and courses related to a modern policing program, as specified. The bill would make implementation of the system contingent upon the availability of funding.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Article 1.6 (commencing with Section 78024) is added to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:
Article 1.6. Common Course Numbering System for Career Education Programs
78024.
(a) On or before December 31, 2027, the California Community Colleges shall develop and submit to the Legislature an implementation and funding plan to establish a common course numbering and alignment system for career technical education public safety courses that is focused on regional, agency-compliant, and professional standards.
(b) The system shall include a phased implementation for the following courses:
(1) Firefighting courses that align with the curriculum, standards, and certification requirements established by the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s California State Fire Training.
(2) Law enforcement education courses that align with the curriculum, standards, and certification requirements established by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
(3) Courses that fulfill the course requirements established for the modern policing degree program, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 1031.5 of the Government Code.
(c) The system shall be complementary to the common course numbering system adopted pursuant to Section 66725.5.
(d) Implementation of the system is contingent upon the availability of funding for the system, as determined by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
Section 66725.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:
66725.5.
(a) (1) To streamline transfer from two- to four-year postsecondary educational institutions and reduce excess credit accumulation, on or before July 1, 2027, both of the following shall occur:
(A) The California Community Colleges shall adopt a common course numbering system for all general education requirement courses and transfer pathway courses.
(B) Each community college campus shall incorporate common course numbers from the adopted common course numbering system in its catalog.
(2) The common course numbering system shall be student facing, based on the work of the workgroup established in Item 6870-101-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2021, and ensure that comparable courses across all community colleges have the same course number.
(3) To support the development and implementation of a common course numbering system for the California Community College system, the workgroup established in Item 6870-101-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2021 shall consider starting with courses included in the Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID) and expanding to general education requirements and transfer pathway courses pursuant to subdivision (b).
(b) The common course numbering system may have the same alphabetical identifier and same numerical identifier for each course that shares the same C-ID course description, pursuant to both of the following:
(1) For all courses included in the C-ID, the California Community Colleges may adopt the alphabetical and numerical identifier of the C-ID course descriptor as the same common course number at all community colleges.
(2) For all general education requirements and transfer pathway courses that are not included in the C-ID, intersegmental discipline faculty through the C-ID process may develop a C-ID course descriptor for each of these community college courses. Once a C-ID course descriptor is developed, the California Community Colleges may adopt the alphabetical and numerical identifier of the C-ID course descriptor as the same common course number at all community colleges.
(c) To streamline training for public safety employees, streamline transfer from two- to four-year postsecondary educational institutions, and reduce excess credit accumulation, on or before July 1, 2030, the common course numbering system shall include all of the following courses:
(1) Firefighting courses that align with the curriculum, standards, and certification requirements established by the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s State Fire Training.
(2) Law enforcement education courses that align with the curriculum, standards, and certification requirements established by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
(3) Courses that fulfill the course requirements established for the modern policing degree program, as provided in Section 13511.1 of the Penal Code.
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.