Community colleges: exemption from nonresident tuition fee: Lake Tahoe Community College District.

(1) 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. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, including the Lake Tahoe Community College District, and authorizes them to operate campuses and provide instruction to students. Existing law authorizes community college districts to admit nonresident students, and requires that nonresident students be charged a nonresident tuition fee unless an exemption is applicable. This bill would exempt from the nonresident tuition fee students who attend Lake Tahoe Community College and who have residence in one of several designated communities in Nevada, as provided. The bill would require the governing board of the Lake Tahoe Community College District to adopt rules and regulations for determining a student's residence classification and for establishing procedures for an appeal and review of the residence classification. The bill would authorize the reporting, for apportionment purposes, of the attendance of nonresident students exempted from nonresident tuition under this bill, but would require any nonresident student thus reported for apportionment purposes to pay a per unit fee that is 3 times the amount of the fee established for residents. These provisions would become inoperative on July 1, 2022, and would be repealed on January 1, 2023. By imposing new duties on the Lake Tahoe Community College District, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (2) This bill would make a legislative finding and declaration as to the necessity of a special statute for the Lake Tahoe Community College District with respect to students who reside in nearby communities located in Nevada. (3) 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. (4) This bill would declare that it would not become operative unless, on or before July 1, 2021, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges enters into an interstate attendance agreement with the Nevada System of Higher Education that provides reciprocal rights to California residents attending Western Nevada College that reasonably conform to the benefits conferred upon Nevada residents by this bill.