Community colleges: student equity plans.

(1) Existing law requires, as a condition for receiving Student Success and Support Program funding, that the governing board of each community college district maintain a student equity plan, as specified, and requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to make an annual report related to those plans. This bill would add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to the categories of students required to be addressed in the student equity plans. The bill would also add any additional categories of students determined by the governing board of the community college. To the extent that these provisions would impose new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the chancellor to establish a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that Student Success and Support Program funding is used to support evidence-based practices to implement student equity plan goals and coordinate services for the targeted student populations. This bill would, instead of the list, require the chancellor to provide guidance to community college districts regarding expenditures and activities to ensure that Student Success and Support Program funding is used to support these purposes. 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 the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 78220 and 78221 of the Education Code proposed by AB 504 to be operative only if this bill and AB 504 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.