Postsecondary education: interstate reciprocity agreement.

Under existing law, the segments of postsecondary education in this state include the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions. Existing law, the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009, provides, among other things, for student protections and regulatory oversight of private postsecondary institutions in the state. The act is enforced by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The act exempts specified institutions from its provisions, does not apply to private postsecondary educational institutions that do not maintain a physical presence in the state, and is repealed on January 1, 2017. The act defines "private postsecondary educational institution" for these purposes. This bill would, to the extent authorized by federal law, apply the act to an accredited private entity with no physical presence in this state that offers and awards degrees to the public in this state by means of distance education for an institutional charge if the entity does not participate in a regional state authorization reciprocity agreement entered into or recognized by the state pursuant to specified law. The bill would authorize the Department of Consumer Affairs to enter into a regional state authorization reciprocity agreement with other states through a compact on behalf of this state. The compact would provide that an entity regulated in one member state would be able to provide distance education in other member states. The bill would require the bureau, before entering into a compact, to establish a process to ensure that certain educational institutions that are exempt from the act may participate in the state authorization reciprocity agreement without impacting their exempt status. The bill would require the bureau to enter into a memorandum of understanding with certain educational officials for the purpose of establishing and implementing the state authorization reciprocity agreement, as specified. The bill would authorize the bureau to establish a reasonable fee to be paid to the Department of Consumer Affairs by a participating postsecondary institution, as specified.