AB 247 State School Bond Bill Advances to Assembly Floor & Other Legislative Updates

Thursday, May 18 was a major day in the Sacramento legislative process. The Senate and Assembly both took up the “suspense file” in their respective Appropriations Committees. This is a tool used to evaluate possible state fiscal impacts of all proposed bills on one day. Bills that do not move off the suspense file are held in Appropriations Committee and do not move forward in the legislative process this year. Bills that were passed by the Appropriations Committee now must be passed by the full Senate or Assembly to meet the June 2 house of origin deadline.

AB 247 (Muratsuchi) – 2024 State School Bond

Good news! AB 247 (Muratsuchi), the 2024 state school bond, was passed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee with amendments to specify the dollar amount. The bill would now place a $14 billion bond for K-12 and community colleges on an unspecified 2024 ballot. Some specifics are still subject to development and negotiation, such as the election date and how much community colleges would receive. CCFC strongly supports AB 247 and is excited to see the bill advance in the legislative process.

In comments during multiple budget subcommittee hearings in recent weeks, a representative from the Department of Finance indicated that the Governor is willing to engage in discussions with the Legislature regarding a 2024 state school bond. We consider this to be very positive signaling. The Governor has also stated publicly that he will support a climate bond and a mental/behavioral health bond to assist the state’s unhoused population.

SB 28 (Glazer) also passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. It would place a $15.5 billion bond on the March 2024 ballot to fund K-12, community colleges, UC and CSU. CCFC is neutral on this bill.

SB 532 (Wiener) – Local Bond Ballot Labels

SB 532 (Wiener) was passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee. This bill is aimed at addressing the negative effects created by AB 195 (Obernotle), which require local bonds and other tax measures to state on the 75-word ballot label the rate, duration, and amount anticipated to be raised annually. This information is challenging to provide for bonds and creates voter confusion, making it more difficult for community colleges and other local agencies to pass local bonds or place them on the ballot. SB 532 was significantly amended in the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee and now exempts these fiscal disclosures from the 75-word cap on the ballot label. It was further amended in Senate Appropriations Committee to authorize the use of a smaller font for the fiscal disclosures if their inclusion would otherwise require use of additional ballot cards. CCFC supports SB 532.

AB 1151 (McKinnor) – Civic Center Act

AB 1151 (McKinnor) updates the community college Civic Center Act, which governs the use of community college facilities by non-profit groups and civic organizations. AB 1151 updates the language specifying what types of organizations may use the facilities at no charge, removing dated references and allowing more flexibility to determine which organizations may qualify. AB 1151 clarifies that a community college may permit the use of their facilities and grounds by these organizations without a charge, but does not require them to do so. It also updates the minimum liability insurance requirements, allowing a community college to require minimum coverage of $1 million, up from $300,000. AB 1151 was recently passed by the Assembly and is pending in Senate Education Committee. CCFC is neutral on this bill.

AB 358 (Addis) – Student Housing DSA Exemption

AB 358 (Addis) would exempt community college student housing projects on community college campuses from the Field Act and submitting plans to the Division of the State Architect (DSA). Colleges could still request review by DSA in lieu of review by the local jurisdiction. This builds upon AB 306 (O’Donnell), which was signed into law in 2021 and exempts K-12 and community college district workforce housing projects from DSA review. It appears that DSA would still have some jurisdiction over access compliance. CCFC supports this bill as it provides an option for colleges to pick the path that works best for their specific project. AB 358 was recently passed by the Assembly and is pending in Senate Education Committee. CCFC supports this bill.

Rebekah Kalleen
CCFC Executive Director