AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 4, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 18, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

97

Introduced by Assembly Member Ahrens

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis and Ortega)

February 11, 2026

An act to add Section 66609.5 to the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law requires the trustees to establish and adjust the salaries and classifications of all academic, nonacademic, and administrative positions.

This bill would require the trustees, on or before July 1, 2027, to repeal a policy on executive compensation adopted at the November 2025 meeting of the trustees and adopt a new policy on executive compensation, as provided. The bill would prohibit the trustees, for any fiscal year in which the trustees authorize an increase in student tuition, from increasing the compensation of a chancellor, vice chancellor, or executive president. The bill would also prohibit the trustees, for any fiscal year in which the trustees do not authorize salary increases for represented staff, from increasing the compensation of a chancellor, vice chancellor, executive president, or member of the management personnel plan staff.

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

SECTION 1.

Section 66609.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:

66609.5.

(a) (1) On or before July 1, 2027, the trustees shall repeal the policy on executive compensation adopted as Item 9 of the Committee on University and Faculty Personnel at the November 17-19, 2025, meeting of the trustees.

(2) On or before July 1, 2027, the trustees shall adopt a new policy on executive compensation that does both of the following:

(A) Aligns the initial salary for the president of a California State University campus with the candidates’ experience in a similar role with similar responsibilities and is comparable to other institutions of higher education with similar enrollment to the campus.

(B) Conditions annual salary increases of the president of each campus on the president annually meeting or exceeding the institutional and segmental goals for the campus campus, as set by the Chancellor of the California State University and the trustees, including, but not limited to, enrollment, California State University employee evaluations, fundraising, improving retention and graduation rates, enhancing student engagement, reducing graduate disparities, and fostering career readiness through internships.

(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 66609, for any fiscal year in which the trustees authorize an increase in student tuition, the trustees shall not increase the compensation of a chancellor, vice chancellor, or executive president.

(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 66609, for any fiscal year in which the trustees do not authorize salary increases for represented staff, the trustees shall not increase the compensation of a chancellor, vice chancellor, executive president, or member of the management personnel plan staff.