Los Angeles Community College District: California Center for Climate Change Education.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to provide instruction to students at community college campuses. One of these districts is the Los Angeles Community College District. Existing law appropriates $5,000,000 to the Los Angeles Community College District for the development and initial operations of the California Center for Climate Change Education at the West Los Angeles College with the mission to promote climate change education at the California Community Colleges and establish opportunities for students to engage in hands-on internships and other learning opportunities. This bill would codify the establishment of the center. This bill would also establish the California Mobile Unit for Climate Change Education with a mission to assist the center in fulfilling the center's requirement to explore and expand internships, preapprenticeships, apprenticeships, and other work-based learning opportunities in the equity, environmental justice, and green jobs sectors. This bill would, on or before January 1, 2028, require the district to prepare and submit to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, the Senate Committee on Education, and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges a summary report that includes an evaluation of the Mobile Unit, as provided. The provisions of this bill related to the Mobile Unit would only be implemented upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes. To the extent the bill would impose additional obligations on the Los Angeles Community College District, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Los Angeles Community College District. 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.