AB 2121 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Community colleges: current expense of education: exclusions.

Summary

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 and authorizes these districts to provide instruction at community college campuses. Existing law requires the expenditure, during each fiscal year, for the payment of salaries of classroom instructors by a community college district, of 50% of the district's current expense of education. Existing law defines "current expense of education" as the gross total expended for certain expenses that include academic salaries, classified salaries, employee benefits, and books, supplies, and equipment replacement, but that generally exclude expenses for student transportation, food services, and community services. This bill, notwithstanding the above-described provisions, would authorize a community college district, for a period of 5 fiscal years following the 2025–26 fiscal year, or until specified federal funding is fully restored to every community college district, whichever occurs first, to exclude from its current expense of education any local unrestricted expenditures from the community college district's unrestricted general fund, as provided, and not to exceed a specified amount, that maintain student support functions that were previously funded though federal discretionary grants that have been terminated, nonrenewed, or defunded due to federal action on or after September 10, 2025. If a community college district exercises its authority pursuant to these provisions, the bill would require the community college district to annually certify eligibility to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, as specified, and would require the chancellor's office to maintain documentation and include as part of another specified report, any certifications it receives, as provided. The bill would require the above-described action to exclude local unrestricted expenditures from a community college district's current expense of education to be taken at a regular public meeting of the governing board of the community college district, as specified. The bill would make its provisions inoperative on July 1, 2031, or on the first day of the fiscal year following the full restoration of specified federal funding to every community college district, whichever occurs first, and would repeal them on January 1 of the year following the inoperative date.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Jun 2026

Assembly Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

Aug 2026

Governor

Introduced Feb 18, 2026 Last action Aug 30, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

08/04/26 - Amended Senate → 08/13/26 - Amended Senate · 5 edits · Aug 13, 2026

MODERATE

This amendment to AB 2121 is primarily a technical cleanup that removes two empty placeholder subdivisions (a blank '(e)' and a blank '(f)') left over from earlier drafting, fixes a grammar error in the definition of 'student support functions' ('that has have been terminated' corrected to 'that have been terminated'), updates the amendment date to August 13, and makes minor formatting corrections. No substantive policy changes were made.

TECHNICAL

Removed an empty subdivision labeled '(e)' that contained no text, which was a drafting artifact from earlier versions of the bill.

Removed a second empty subdivision labeled '(f)' that appeared between the definitions and the inoperative date provision, also a drafting artifact.

Updated the amendment date from August 4, 2026 to August 13, 2026, with the prior date retained as a secondary line.

Changed the vote requirement language in the legislative counsel's digest from 'Vote: 2/3' to 'Vote: 2/3 majority' for clarity.

DEFINITION

Corrected a grammar error in the definition of 'student support functions' from 'that has have been terminated' to 'that have been terminated.'

04/09/26 - Amended Assembly → 08/04/26 - Amended Senate · 3 edits · Aug 4, 2026

MINOR

The Senate amendment removes a specific list of eight named federal grant programs that were eligible for the local funding exclusion, broadening the provision to cover any student support functions previously funded through federal discretionary grants terminated after September 10, 2025. It also adds a new procedural requirement that community college districts must take the exclusion action at a regular public governing board meeting with advance notice to the campus community including faculty.

Scope change

The bill's scope was broadened by removing the specific list of eight named federal programs, making the exclusion available for any student support functions previously funded through qualifying federal discretionary grants rather than only those from the enumerated programs. A new procedural requirement was added requiring public governing board action with faculty notice.

SCOPE

Removed the enumerated list of eight specific federal programs (including TRIO, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions, Native American-Serving Institutions, and others) that qualified for the exclusion. The provision now applies broadly to any student support functions previously funded through eligible federal discretionary grants.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement that a community college district must take the exclusion action at a regular public meeting of its governing board, with advance notice to the campus community including faculty consistent with established practices. The agenda must identify the proposed exclusion as a distinct item. Clarified this does not preclude compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act.

TECHNICAL

Corrected a duplicate word in the bill summary (removed extra 'Colleges' from 'Chancellor of the California Community Colleges Colleges') and fixed a grammatical error in the student support functions definition ('that has been terminated' changed to 'that have been terminated'). Subdivisions were renumbered due to the structural changes.

02/18/26 - Introduced → 04/09/26 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · Apr 9, 2026

MODERATE

The amended version of AB 2121 adds a cap on how much local funding community college districts can exclude from their current expense of education (limited to the amount of federal grant funding lost), adds detailed definitions for 'discretionary grant' and 'student support functions,' and raises the bar for when the exclusion authority expires by requiring full restoration of federal funding to every district rather than any restoration. These changes tighten fiscal guardrails while clarifying the scope of eligible services.

REQUIREMENT

New subdivision (c) caps excluded local expenditures at the amount of federal discretionary grant funding the district previously received for student support functions before the funding was cut on or after September 10, 2025. Districts cannot exclude more local money than the federal money they lost.

The annual certification requirement now specifies it should be made 'consistent with submissions that may be required during the college year pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 84362,' tying the timing to existing reporting cycles rather than leaving it open-ended.

DEFINITION

New subdivision (e) defines 'discretionary grant' as a competitively awarded US Department of Education grant for student support functions (excluding direct student financial aid) and 'student support functions' with an enumerated list including tutoring, counseling, mentoring, financial aid assistance, transfer articulation, services for students with limited English proficiency or disabilities, homeless and foster youth services, temporary housing, faculty development, community outreach, and learning centers.

SCOPE

The expiration trigger changed from 'until federal funding is restored' to 'until federal funding is restored, fully restored to every community college district.' The exclusion authority now persists until ALL districts have their funding fully restored, not just partially or for some districts.

Floor votes · Senate Aug 30, 2026 · Assembly May 14, 2026

How they voted

31–0

Passed · 9 other

Total votes 40

Aug 30, 2026

D Democratic30

22 Yea 8

73% Yea

R Republican10

9 Yea 1

90% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling.

lower

Aug 30, 2026

Introduced

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

lower

Aug 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 31. Noes 0.).

upper

Aug 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

upper

Aug 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

upper

Jun 22, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

upper

Jun 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 10). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

May 27, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on ED.

upper

May 14, 2026

Assembly · Passed

Assembly Vote: pass (71-1-7)

assembly

May 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 72. Noes 1. Page 5048.).

lower

May 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 6).

lower

Apr 13, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended.

lower

Apr 8, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (April 7).

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors