AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 15, 2024

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 16, 2024

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 18, 2024

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 19, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

93

CHAPTER 694

Statutes of 2024

[ Approved by Governor September 27, 2024. Filed with Secretary of State September 27, 2024. ]

Introduced by Assembly Member Mike Fong

February 1, 2024

An act to add and repeal Section 66281 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges.

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The board of governors appoints the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to serve as the chief executive officer of the segment.

Existing federal law, known as Title IX, prohibits a person, on the basis of sex, from being excluded from participation in, being denied the benefits of, or being subject to discrimination, which includes sexual harassment, under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Existing law prohibits a person from being subjected to discrimination on the basis of specified attributes, including, among others, disability or gender, in a program or activity conducted by a postsecondary educational institution that receives, or benefits from, state financial assistance or enrolls students who receive state student financial aid.

This bill would require the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, on or before December 1, 2025, and in consultation with stakeholders, to submit a report to the Legislature with recommendations for establishing systemic campus reforms that effectively prevent, detect, and address sexual harassment on community college campuses, as provided.

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

SECTION 1.

Section 66281 is added to the Education Code, to read:

66281.

(a) On or before December 1, 2025, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall, in consultation with stakeholders, submit a report to the Legislature with recommendations for establishing systemic campus reforms that effectively prevent, detect, and address sexual harassment on community college campuses. The report shall include recommendations for all of the following:

(1) Baseline standards for policies and procedures that detect, address, and prevent the reoccurrence of sexual harassment that are consistent with best practices.

(2) Methods for monitoring the effectiveness of, and adherence to, the policies and procedures described in paragraph (1) and methods for monitoring the compliance of each community college campus with state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to sexual harassment.

(3) Protocols for system and campus reporting on sexual harassment complaints that provide transparency on the number and outcomes of sexual harassment complaints to the public.

(4) The recruitment, hiring, and training of campus-based, district-based, and systemwide staff to adequately prevent, detect, and address sexual harassment on community college campuses.

(5) Support and resources at the state level that will enhance campus efforts to reform campus practices to prevent, detect, and address sexual harassment on community college campuses.

(b) (1) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section shall be repealed on January 1, 2027.