AB 2693 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California State University: California Maritime Academy.

Summary

Existing law establishes the California State University and its various campuses under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University. Existing law provides that the name "California State University" and the names of various campuses of the California State University, and abbreviations of those names, including "Cal Maritime," are the property of the state, and prohibits the use of any of these names without the permission of the trustees. Under existing law, a violation of this provision is punishable as a misdemeanor. This bill would add "Cal Poly Maritime" and "Cal Poly Maritime Academy" to the list of abbreviations of campus names of the California State University that are the property of the state. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the Trustees of the California State University, on or before January 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature regarding the Cal Poly Maritime Academy following its integration with California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, as provided. 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.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Aug 2026

Assembly Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

Aug 2026

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2026 Last action Aug 20, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

07/01/26 - Amended Senate → AB2693 · 1 edit

MINOR

No substantive policy changes occurred between these two versions. The differences are entirely presentational: the first version is a traditionally formatted legislative document with line numbers and page headers, while the second is a web-based rendering of the same bill text. The actual statutory language, including the addition of 'Cal Poly Maritime' and 'Cal Poly Maritime Academy' as protected state property names and the January 1, 2028 reporting requirement, is identical in both versions.

TECHNICAL

The bill text was reformatted from a traditional legislative document layout (with line numbers, page breaks, and column formatting) to a web-based HTML rendering with navigation elements. No policy content was changed.

04/23/26 - Amended Assembly → 07/01/26 - Amended Senate · 5 edits · Jul 1, 2026

MODERATE

The Senate version of AB 2693 completely removed the Assembly's expansive provisions granting the California State University authority to award all types of doctoral degrees (including PhDs) without UC approval, and replaced them with a requirement for CSU Trustees to submit a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2028 on the integration of Cal Poly Maritime Academy with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The bill shifted from a major structural change to California's higher education system to a narrow naming-rights update combined with a reporting mandate about one specific campus transition.

Scope change

The bill's scope was drastically narrowed. The Assembly version fundamentally restructured California's public higher education system by granting CSU full doctoral degree authority and removing UC's gatekeeping role. The Senate version reduced the bill to a naming-rights update (protecting 'Cal Poly Maritime' and 'Cal Poly Maritime Academy' as state property) plus a one-time reporting requirement about the Cal Poly Maritime Academy integration, due January 1, 2028.

SCOPE

All provisions expanding CSU doctoral degree authority were removed, including the authorization for CSU to award all types of doctoral degrees statewide (not just professional or applied), the removal of UC's objection authority over CSU doctoral programs, the elimination of the 25% cap on doctoral programs per campus, and the requirement that CSU fund new doctoral programs from existing budgets.

The bill's overall scope narrowed dramatically from amending five separate Education Code sections (66010.4, 66046, 66046.1, 66046.2, 66046.3, 66046.4) to amending only Section 89005.5 (naming rights) and adding a single reporting requirement.

REQUIREMENT

The extensive legislative findings section (Section 66046.1) justifying expanded CSU doctoral authority was removed in its entirety, along with the program submission requirements (Section 66046.3), the cap of 10 new doctoral programs per academic year (Section 66046.4), and the Legislative Analyst evaluation requirement due December 31, 2028.

A new Section 2 requires CSU Trustees to submit a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2028 covering: the organizational structure of Cal Poly Maritime Academy after integration with Cal Poly SLO, the status of agreements with the US Maritime Administration, the transition from Training Ship Golden Bear to Training Ship Golden State including state-funded capital improvements at the Vallejo campus, and a fiscal summary of integration costs.

TIMELINE

The state-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' in the Assembly version to 'yes' in the Senate version, reflecting that the new reporting requirement constitutes a state-mandated local program.

02/20/26 - Introduced → 04/23/26 - Amended Assembly · 8 edits · Apr 23, 2026

MODERATE

The amended version adds a new provision protecting the names 'Cal Poly Maritime' and 'Cal Poly Maritime Academy' as state property under Section 89005.5, creating a misdemeanor for unauthorized use. It also removes UC's formal consultation and objection authority over CSU doctoral program proposals, eliminates the 25% cap on doctoral programs per campus, and drops the annual limit of 10 new doctoral disciplines. The bill now carries a state-mandated local program designation with no reimbursement required.

SCOPE

New Section 89005.5 amendment adds 'Cal Poly Maritime' and 'Cal Poly Maritime Academy' to the list of protected CSU name abbreviations, and adds 'California Maritime Academy' as a protected full campus name. Unauthorized use is punishable as a misdemeanor.

Removed the cap limiting total doctoral degree programs at any CSU campus to no more than 25 percent of that campus's total undergraduate, graduate, professional, and teacher education programs.

Removed the limit restricting trustees from approving more than 10 new doctoral degree disciplines per academic year.

ENFORCEMENT

The bill now creates a state-mandated local program (changed from 'no' to 'yes'). A new section states no reimbursement is required because the act creates or modifies a crime.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the requirement that CSU must notify UC's president's office and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities about proposed doctoral programs, and removed UC's 120-day window to file written objections on duplication grounds.

The funding safeguard was broadened from protecting 'program support offered for CSU undergraduate programs' to protecting 'core undergraduate or master's programs.'

DEFINITION

Removed the definitions of 'President' and 'President's office' from Section 66046, consistent with eliminating UC consultation requirements.

TECHNICAL

The evaluation report requirement no longer includes tracking UC objections to doctoral program proposals, consistent with removing that authority.

Floor votes · Senate Aug 20, 2026 · Assembly May 14, 2026

How they voted

39–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 40

Aug 20, 2026

D Democratic30

29 Yea 1

96% Yea

R Republican10

10 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 20, 2026

Introduced

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

lower

Aug 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).

upper

Aug 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).

upper

Aug 3, 2026

Committee

In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

upper

Jul 1, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Jun 17, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

May 27, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on ED.

upper

May 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 5057.)

lower

May 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Apr 27, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended.

lower

Apr 22, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 21).

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

lower

Feb 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

lower

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors