Equity in Higher Education Act.

(1) Existing law, the Equity in Higher Education Act, provides that it is the policy of the state to afford all persons, regardless of disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or other specified bases, equal rights and opportunities in the postsecondary institutions of the state. The act requires a postsecondary educational institution, as defined, prior to the receipt of any state financial assistance or state student financial aid, to provide assurance to the agency administering the funds that each program or activity conducted by the institution will be conducted in compliance with the act and all other applicable provisions of state law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. The act permits a postsecondary educational institution to provide a single assurance, not more than one page in length and signed by an appropriate responsible official of the institution, for all programs and activities conducted by the institution. This bill would additionally require a postsecondary educational institution to provide assurance that each program and activity conducted by the institution will be conducted in compliance with applicable provisions of federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. The bill would require the assurance provided by the postsecondary educational institution to be signed by specified officers of the institution, would require the assurance to apply to all programs and activities, including, but not limited to, academic and athletic programs, and would delete the one-page limit on the assurance. The bill would require that assurance to include specified information regarding compliance with the act. The bill would require that information to be available for public inspection, upon request. The bill would provide for a civil penalty for a false declaration of specified matters required by these provisions. The bill would authorize any person to bring a civil action in the public interest to recover the civil penalty. The bill would require 50% of a civil penalty collected pursuant to these provisions to be deposited in the General Fund and 50% of the penalty to be paid to the person who brought the civil action. Because this bill would impose new requirements on community college districts under the act, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (2) 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 these statutory provisions.