Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one segment of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to provide instruction at the campuses they operate and maintain. Existing law establishes the California Online Community College, under the administration of the board of governors, for specified purposes, and requires the college to develop a Research and Development Unit to, among other things, focus on using technology, data science, behavioral science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to build out student supports.

This bill would enact the Artificial Intelligence Education and Workforce Development Act to accomplish specified goals, including, among others, empowering and supporting community college instructors in using and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly in administrative and classroom settings, and strengthening the state’s AI and technology workforce pipeline by upskilling and educating all workers so they can benefit from AI.

This bill would require the California Community Colleges, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to, among other things, develop and disseminate to community college districts statewide guidance on the use of AI in community colleges, explore, facilitate, and support specified partnerships to develop and implement AI literacy and skills development initiatives, support the integration of AI literacy into the preparation and ongoing professional development of community college instructors, and establish a pilot program encouraging integration and adoption of AI tools in community college classrooms, as specified. The bill would also require the California Community Colleges, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to submit a report to the Legislature based on findings provided by a working group convened by the California Community Colleges for this purpose that includes, among other things, a summary of barriers to support community college districts in providing and deploying cloud-based AI services into administrative or educational settings in community colleges, as specified.

Existing law establishes the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as “GO-Biz,” to, among other duties, serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. Existing law establishes the Office of Small Business Advocate within GO-Biz to advocate for causes of small business and to provide small businesses with the information they need to survive in the marketplace.

This bill would require the Office of Small Business Advocate, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish and maintain for small businesses educational resources and modules containing information on specified topics related to AI, as provided. The bill would require the office, within one year following funding, to prepare and submit a progress report to the Legislature and other appropriate state officials and agencies summarizing its efforts in developing and publishing the educational resources and modules. The bill would require the office to convene an AI advisory group, with a prescribed membership, and consult with other state agencies and individuals, as specified, regarding the educational resources and modules.

This bill would require GO-Biz, upon appropriation by the Legislature, and in close partnership with the California Community Colleges, to support training, reskilling, and upskilling initiatives for workers using AI or supporting the AI industry in order to bolster state economic competitiveness and maximize opportunities for the labor force. The bill would require GO-Biz, on or before January 1, 2029, and every 2 years thereafter, to submit a report to the Legislature and other appropriate state officials and agencies summarizing its efforts on the initiatives.

This bill would also require GO-Biz, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish local AI training hubs, including physical or virtual centers that provide education and hands-on training in AI development and application for the purpose of building a skilled local workforce, as provided. The bill would require GO-Biz, upon appropriation by the Legislature and in coordination with other state agencies, to convene a working group to administer a statewide program to develop the skilled workforce to support infrastructure and energy requirements of the AI industry, as provided. The bill would authorize funding to be awarded through a competitive application process to local workforce development boards and other specified entities to deliver education and hands-on experience in AI data center operations, energy infrastructure, and other sectors, as provided. The bill would also require GO-Biz to undertake other specified duties related to workforce development.

Chapter 13. Artificial Intelligence Education and Workforce Development Act

11910.

This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the Artificial Intelligence Education and Workforce Development Act.

11911.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) Artificial intelligence (AI) will have profound impacts on the economy, national security, education, and the future of work.

(2) Equipping community college students, instructors, and workers with AI literacy and related skills is essential for the United States’ and the state’s workforce competitiveness.

(3) Innovation and competitiveness in the age of AI requires a robust workforce, including workers trained in AI development, deployment, data labeling, and cybersecurity, and supporting infrastructure in energy, broadband, and high-performance computing.

(4) The state must invest in future-ready pathways, including strengthened mathematics and science competency and career education and career technical education aligned to emerging technologies, with supporting coursework and resources.

(5) Community colleges must adopt AI safely and equitably, with a commitment to protecting data privacy, promoting transparency, avoiding algorithmic discrimination, and ensuring that instructors and students are empowered and supported.

(6) Instructors must lead AI integration. Instruction is most powerful when instructors have the training, time, and tools to deploy AI safely, responsibly, and confidently, beginning with administrative tasks and progressing to instructional uses as instructors determine appropriate.

(7) AI, when implemented safely and responsibly, is a powerful tool for equity to ensure that every student can access the best instruction, regardless of their background, language, or disability. AI-powered supports remove barriers for historically underserved students.

(8) States have begun issuing guidance for responsible AI integration in community colleges.

(9) AI literacy requires modern infrastructure, including statewide broadband, modern classroom devices, secure networks, open educational resources, research capacity, privacy protections, and procurement systems that allow responsible innovation.

(b) The purpose of this act is to accomplish all of the following goals:

(1) Empowering and supporting community college instructors in using and deploying AI responsibly in administrative and classroom settings.

(2) Preparing community college students for an AI-enabled world, and harnessing its beneficial uses.

(3) Ensuring safe, ethical, privacy-preserving AI deployment in community college education.

(4) Modernizing learning, promoting equitable access to AI tools, and supporting technology and its benefits.

(5) Supporting lifelong learning and skilling initiatives that support the state’s economic competitiveness and labor force in the age of AI.

(6) Strengthening the state’s AI and technology workforce pipeline by upskilling and educating all workers so they can benefit from AI.

11912.

For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Artificial intelligence” or “AI” means an engineered or machine-based system that varies in its level of autonomy and that can, for explicit or implicit objectives, infer from the input it receives how to generate outputs that can influence physical or virtual environments.

(b) “CalOSBA” means the California Office of Small Business Advocate created by subdivision (b) of Section 12098 within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development established in Section 12096.2.

(c) “Data labeling” means the process of annotating datasets to enable machine learning models to identify and classify information.

(d) “GO-Biz” means the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development established in Section 12096.2.

(e) “STEM” means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

11913.

(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the California Community Colleges shall develop and disseminate statewide guidance to community college districts on the use of AI in community colleges.

(b) The guidance in subdivision (a) shall focus on all of the following:

(1) Providing community college instructors and staff with the training, time, and tools to guide the use of AI within community college education safely and responsibly.

(2) Harnessing the productivity benefits of AI for instructors and administrators, and prioritizing reduction of administrative burdens.

(3) Complying with relevant rules and compliance requirements that address ethical and appropriate use in community college education, and the best uses of AI given current capabilities and features in the job market, focusing on reducing uncertainties and helping community colleges comply with state requirements.

(4) Promoting an understanding of generative AI and its implications across academic subjects.

(c) The California Community Colleges, to the extent possible and where appropriate, shall seek to align the guidance in subdivision (a) with existing frameworks, research, and guidance, including that of other states.

11914.

(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the California Community Colleges shall fund, within existing resources, the development of model curriculum on AI for use in community colleges.

(b) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the California Community Colleges shall, within existing resources, collaborate with community college instructors to develop, and regularly update as appropriate, educational resources on AI in community colleges. These resources may reflect technological changes or pedagogical research.

(c) The California Community Colleges shall post on its internet website the model curriculum and educational resources developed pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b).

(d) The California Community Colleges shall consider mechanisms to make educational resources developed pursuant to subdivision (b) more accessible statewide at minimal cost to community college districts, which may include requiring these resources to be placed in the public domain or released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation, and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.

(e) The California Community Colleges shall broadly encourage local adoption and awareness of the model curriculum and educational resources developed pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) by community college districts, and shall encourage local adoption into new or existing educational programs.

11915.

(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the California Community Colleges shall explore, facilitate, and support partnerships between community college districts, career education and career technical education training providers, local workforce development boards, employers across technology and nontechnology sectors, and nonprofit and community-based organizations to develop and implement AI literacy and skills development initiatives.

(b) Initiatives supported under subdivision (a) shall, to the extent practicable, be aligned with regional and statewide workforce needs, and may include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Codesign of AI-related curriculum and work-based learning opportunities that prepare community college students for in-demand occupations.

(2) Integration of AI tools into career education, career technical education, apprenticeships, and upskilling programs for incumbent workers.

(3) Collaboration with small and medium-sized businesses, industry associations, and chambers of commerce to identify priority use cases and skill gaps.

(c) Initiatives described in subdivision (a) shall include both of the following:

(1) Reviewing successful AI literacy, education, and workforce training approaches from other states and countries, including public and private partnership models.

(2) Supporting the launch of pilot programs consistent with this chapter to test, refine, and evaluate AI education and workforce training models.

(d) AI providers and other participating employers in initiatives provided under this section are encouraged to provide reduced-cost or subsidized access to AI tools, instructional materials, and technical assistance to community college instructors, community college districts, and workforce training providers to enable research, testing, and program development.

11916.

(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the California Community Colleges shall support the integration of AI literacy into the preparation and ongoing professional development of community college instructors.

(b) The support provided under subdivision (a) shall include, but is not limited to, practical guidance on all of the following:

(1) Identifying administrative tasks that are appropriate and inappropriate for automation or AI deployment.

(2) Identifying educational tasks that are appropriate or inappropriate uses of AI for pedagogical purposes, including ethics and safety considerations, and opportunities for using AI to enhance community college instruction, curriculum, and courses.

(3) Monitoring student use to ensure safety and positive educational outcomes.

(c) The California Community Colleges shall encourage community college districts to allocate dedicated time for community college instructors to learn about AI, redesign their lesson plans, participate in peer learning, and attend structured AI training.

(d) The California Community Colleges may partner with labor organizations, technology providers, and other entities where appropriate to support the integration of AI literacy into the professional development of community college instructors, including, but not limited to, workshops and summer institutes.

(e) The California Community Colleges may, within existing resources, make grants available to community college districts to support the integration of AI literacy into community college instructor professional development activities, consistent with existing programs where possible, and issuing clarifying guidance on use of grant funds where appropriate.

11917.

(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the California Community Colleges shall convene a working group to study and submit a report to the California Community Colleges that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) A summary of the procedural, procurement, and technical barriers to support community college districts in responsibly providing and deploying cloud-based AI services into administrative or educational settings in community colleges.

(2) Legislative or administrative recommendations to overcome the barriers provided in paragraph (1).

(3) Review and analysis of all of the following:

(A) Community college district budgeting templates and procurement guidelines.

(B) Opportunities or barriers to statewide procurement of AI tools or services led by the California Community Colleges, rather than individual community college districts.

(C) Legislative, regulatory, or administrative changes that would better support and encourage responsible and effective adoption of AI literacy and AI tools in community colleges statewide.

(D) Existing broadband infrastructure and community college information technology capacity, and whether they are sufficient to support equitable access to AI-enabled learning, and how resources or policy changes would help fill this gap.

(b) (1) On or before January 1, 2029, the California Community Colleges shall submit a report to the Legislature based on the findings provided by the working group pursuant to subdivision (a).

(2) A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.

11918.

(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the California Community Colleges shall establish a pilot program that encourages deeper integration and adoption of AI tools in community college classrooms than is otherwise common across the state, and that integrates a research team to study its overall impact on learning outcomes and classroom efficiency to guide further deployments.

(b) In designing and operating the pilot program in subdivision (a), the California Community Colleges shall consider all of the following:

(1) Consent and willing participation from community college instructors and community college students.

(2) Ensuring studies are consistent with research ethics and best practices.

(3) Scalability of the pilot program’s design statewide.

(c) (1) On or before January 1, 2029, and every two years thereafter, the California Community Colleges shall submit a report to the Legislature and other appropriate state officials and agencies summarizing its efforts on the initiatives described in this section. The California Community Colleges shall also post the report on its internet website.

(2) A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.

11919.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that AI tools can support small businesses to become more productive and efficient and to compete in a global marketplace.

(b) The purpose of this section is to assist small business concerns in evaluating and adopting AI models or tools productively and responsibly in business operations.

(c) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, CalOSBA shall establish and maintain educational resources and modules for small businesses and make those educational resources and modules publicly available on a new or existing online learning platform or internet website.

(d) The educational resources and modules developed under this section shall, to the extent practicable and appropriate, provide information on all of the following:

(1) How AI models and tools work, including the limits of the capabilities of those models.

(2) How to identify the best uses of AI, including examples of the types of tasks and functions that AI can reliably and effectively perform for small businesses, including how AI may improve operations, productivity, or customer service.

(3) How to remain updated on the emergence, development, and technological maturation of AI.

(4) How to understand and evaluate the policies, terms, and conditions applicable to users of AI.

(5) The best practices in selecting and partnering with third-party providers of AI tools.

(6) How to effectively identify, evaluate, and manage the risks of AI.

(7) Responsible use of AI in a business context, including how to ensure the privacy of user or customer inputs to AI tools.

(8) How to retain human involvement in important decisions informed by recommendations made by AI.

(e) In developing and publishing the educational resources and modules described in this section, CalOSBA shall do all of the following:

(1) Ensure that the information contained in the educational resources and modules is factually accurate and current.

(2) Ensure that the educational resources and modules are useful and actionable, and presented in a manner that is easily comprehensible by small business concerns.

(3) Consider and incorporate relevant existing information and resources developed by other entities, including private entities, as appropriate.

(4) Consider strategies and activities to encourage the discoverability, awareness, impact, and adoption of the educational resources and modules during development and publication.

(5) Avoid giving preference to any particular AI model, tool, or service provider.

(f) (1) Within one year following funding of this section, CalOSBA shall prepare and submit a progress report to the Legislature and other appropriate state officials and agencies summarizing its efforts in developing and publishing the educational resources and modules described in this section. CalOSBA shall also post the report on its internet website.

(2) A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.

(g) (1) CalOSBA shall convene an AI advisory group that CalOSBA may consult with on an ongoing basis regarding the information contained in the educational resources and modules established under this section. The advisory group shall be composed of the following members, who shall be selected by CalOSBA:

(A) Individuals with demonstrated expertise in AI, including not less than one individual from each of the following:

(i) The private sector.

(ii) Academia.

(iii) An organization with demonstrated expertise in evaluating the quality of AI outputs, including quality, reliability, or security.

(B) One or more individuals with demonstrated expertise in the creation of educational or professional development materials regarding AI.

(C) One or more individuals with demonstrated expertise in outreach to small business concerns.

(2) CalOSBA shall consult with other state agencies, as appropriate, and with other researchers, subject matter experts, and industry partners, as appropriate or needed, regarding the educational resources and modules developed under this section.

11920.

(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, GO-Biz, in close partnership with the California Community Colleges, shall support training, reskilling, and upskilling initiatives for workers using AI or supporting the AI industry in order to bolster state economic competitiveness and maximize opportunities for the labor force.

(b) The initiatives to be considered include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Training programs or online courses offered by vocational schools, community colleges, and other institutions in machine learning, data annotation, AI operations, cybersecurity, and human-centered AI design.

(2) Certificate and credential programs for AI support roles.

(3) Community college bootcamps, or new credential tracks, aligned to employer demand.

(c) (1) On or before January 1, 2029, and every two years thereafter, GO-Biz shall submit a report to the Legislature and other appropriate state officials and agencies summarizing its efforts on the initiatives described in this section. GO-Biz shall also post the report on its internet website.

(2) A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.

11921.

(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, GO-Biz shall establish local AI training hubs, including physical or virtual centers that provide education and hands-on training in AI development and application for the purpose of building a skilled local workforce.

(b) Hubs shall do all of the following:

(1) Provide access to graphics processing unit-equipped computing environments and AI tools for training purposes.

(2) Partner with cloud service providers and local employers.

(3) Enable access to AI education and training.

(4) Support job placement in local and national industries.

(c) Hubs may be colocated at local workforce development board locations, community colleges, or regional data center campuses.

11922.

(a) The purpose of this section is to develop a skilled workforce capable of constructing, operating, and maintaining the physical and energy infrastructure necessary to support AI innovation across sectors. This includes data and computing centers, high-performance computing clusters, broadband systems, energy grids, and climate-resilient AI facilities.

(b) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, GO-Biz, in coordination with other relevant state agencies, including the California Community Colleges, shall convene a working group to administer a statewide program to develop the skilled workforce to support infrastructure and energy requirements of the AI industry.

(c) The program described in subdivision (b) shall establish and fund education and training programs that do both of the following:

(1) Prepare workers for high-demand technical careers in the construction and maintenance of AI and energy infrastructure.

(2) Align with industry-recognized credentials and labor standards, including registered apprenticeships.

(d) Funding may be awarded through a competitive application process to local workforce development boards, community college districts, unions, and technical training providers to deliver education and hands-on experience, which may include, but is not limited to, any of the following:

(1) AI data center operations and construction, which may include any of the following:

(A) Site preparation, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), liquid cooling, and smart facility integration.

(B) Network wiring, server assembly, and rack configuration.

(C) Data center safety, emissions monitoring, and energy management.

(2) Energy infrastructure, which may include any of the following:

(A) Grid scale and microgrid electrical systems for computer environments.

(B) Diverse and scalable energy mix for AI campuses.

(C) Load balancing, grid interconnection, and net zero design.

(3) Broadband and digital infrastructure, which may include any of the following:

(A) Fiber splicing, trenching, and last mile broadband for edge AI.

(B) Low latency networking for AI training environments.

(C) Secure communications and sensor installation for energy AI coordination.

(4) Resilient construction and sustainability, which may include any of the following:

(A) Energy efficient building design and construction, low carbon materials, and water efficiency.

(B) Heat reuse systems and AI-aware building management.

(C) Permitting, compliance, and other program management functions.

(e) In administering the program, GO-Biz shall seek to do all of the following:

(1) Partner with employers and unions to offer industry-led apprenticeships and on-the-job training.

(2) Develop bridge programs for dislocated workers transitioning from fossil fuel, manufacturing, or logistics industries.

(3) Prioritize program delivery in high unemployment, rural, or energy transition regions.

(4) Support matriculation between community college programs and credentialed workforce pathways.

11923.

Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, GO-Biz shall do all of the following:

(a) Align workforce development investments with state infrastructure planning and permitting, broadband deployment, and energy or climate planning.

(b) Create a statewide registry of AI infrastructure training programs and workforce needs by region.

(c) Partner with stakeholders, including regional data center operators, utilities, and energy developers, to forecast long-term hiring demand and skills requirements.