Community colleges: extension course pilot program.

(1) Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, which are administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. The governing board of any community college district is authorized, without approval of the board of trustees, to establish and maintain community service classes in civic, vocational, literacy, health, homemaking, technical, and general education, as specified. This bill would require the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to establish a voluntary pilot program for purposes of authorizing a community college district to establish and maintain an extension program offering career and workforce training credit courses, as defined. The bill would authorize the governing board of a community college district to apply, and would require the chancellor to select no more than 5 campuses out of 5 separate community college districts, to participate in the pilot program. The bill would require applicant campuses to meet specified requirements to be eligible for selection for participation in the pilot program. The bill would require selected campuses to comply with specified requirements for participation in the pilot program. The bill would authorize the governing board of a community college district participating in the pilot program to establish fees not to exceed the actual cost, as defined, of maintaining the pilot program. The bill would encourage each community college district participating in the pilot program to offer as part of the program one or more courses that lead to a certificate or diploma that is recognized by potential employers as satisfying skill requirements necessary for employment. The bill would require each community college district participating in the pilot program to collect specified information and submit that information, and a schedule of the fees established for the pilot program, to the chancellor by August 1 of each year, and would require the chancellor to forward that information to the Legislative Analyst's Office. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to provide a report that evaluates the pilot program and includes specified information to the Legislature by June 30, 2016. The above provisions would remain in effect only until January 1, 2018. (2) Existing law authorizes the governing board of a community college district to establish contract education programs to provide specific educational programs or training, as specified. This bill would prohibit this provision from being construed to authorize the implementation of a multitiered fee system, as specified, and would prohibit a community college district from charging a per unit fee for courses that are in excess of fee amounts specifically authorized by law, except as provided for in this bill. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature that these provisions are declarative of existing law.