Bills

AB 949: Community colleges: Pathways to Biotechnology Programs.

Session Year: 2021-2022
House: Assembly
Latest Version Date: 2022-01-03

Version:

This bill would make available, upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act, the sum of $10,000,000 to the Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges for the purpose of expanding student pathways to biotechnology programs, as specified. The bill would authorize the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, or its authorized designees, to contract with the Foundation for California Community Colleges for the purpose of providing administrative support for the expansion of pathways to biotechnology programs. The bill would require the Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges, on or before July 1, 2025, to submit a report to the appropriate budget and policy committees of the Legislature regarding the outcomes resulting from the use of these funds, as specified.

This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2026.

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. Under existing law, the board of governors selects the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to serve as the chief executive officer of the segment. Existing law establishes various programs establishing courses of study at campuses of the California Community Colleges. This bill would require the Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges to establish a grant program to provide funding to interested community colleges that, through a public-private partnership, establish a biological sciences incubator, as defined, on their campuses for the participation and benefit of their students. The bill would require the chancellors office to establish specific requirements for community colleges to be eligible for the grant moneys, and to work collaboratively with the community colleges that are interested in the program. The bill would also require the chancellors office to convene a group of stakeholders to obtain and provide the information that will be necessary to enable interested community colleges to implement the program.The bill would appropriate, without regard to fiscal year, $5,000,000 from the General Fund to the Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges for allocation to community college districts for purposes of the bill. The funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that fosters the establishment of life science incubators on community college campuses throughout California.

This bill would require the Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges to establish a grant program to provide funding to interested community colleges that, through a public-private partnership, establish a biological sciences incubator, as defined, on their campuses for the participation and benefit of their students. The bill would require the chancellors office to establish specific requirements for community colleges to be eligible for the grant moneys, and to work collaboratively with the community colleges that are interested in the program. The bill would also require the chancellors office to convene a group of stakeholders to obtain and provide the information that will be necessary to enable interested community colleges to implement the program.

The bill would appropriate, without regard to fiscal year, $5,000,000 from the General Fund to the Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges for allocation to community college districts for purposes of the bill. The funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.

Version:

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a)Biotechnology harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our planet.

(b)Modern biotechnology provides breakthrough products and technologies to combat debilitating and rare diseases, reduce our environmental footprint, feed the hungry, use less and cleaner energy, and have safer, cleaner, and more efficient industrial manufacturing processes.

(c)The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of biotechnology, which brought innovations in testing, vaccines, therapies, and more.

(d)California is at the forefront of biotechnology, providing over 1,400,000 jobs in the state.

(e)In 2019, the life sciences industry generated an estimated $372,000,000,000 in economic output in California alone.

SEC. 2.Part 53.7 (commencing with Section 88760) is added to Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:53.7.Pathways to Biotechnology Programs88760.

(a)For the 202223 fiscal year, the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) shall be available to the Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges, upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act, for the purpose of expanding student pathways to biotechnology programs, which may include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1)Supporting opportunities for dual enrollment partnerships between community colleges and local high school biotech academies.

(2)Implementing partnerships with the California State University system that incorporate associate degree for transfer pathways that will prepare students for a career in biotechnology, including collaborating with the California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology.

(3)Expanding existing transfer agreements with the University of California that will prepare students for a career in biotechnology.

(4)Providing student advising and guidance to help participants in the Community College Pathways to Biotechnology Programs initiative successfully transfer into the California State University or the University of California.

(5)Identifying best practices and programs that have been established between community colleges and state universities that promote student pathways to biotechnology programs, and that effectively leverage public and private partnerships for purposes of making incubator spaces, research laboratories, and biomanufacturing accessible to students.

(b)The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, or its authorized designees, may contract with the Foundation for California Community Colleges for the purpose of providing administrative support for the expansion of pathways to biotechnology programs.

(c)On or before July 1, 2025, the Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges shall submit a report to the appropriate budget and policy committees of the Legislature regarding the outcomes resulting from the use of funds pursuant to this section, including, but not limited to:

(1)The number of students participating in pathways to biotechnology programs.

(2)The demographics, graduation, and success rates of those students, including transfer pathways established.

(3)The successful collaborative programs that have been established between community colleges and state universities, including those that have effectively leveraged public and private partnerships for purposes of making incubator spaces, research laboratories, and biomanufacturing accessible to students.

(d)This part shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed.

SECTION 1.Article 4.3 (commencing with Section 78273) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:4.3.Biological Sciences Incubator Programs78273.(a)The Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges shall establish a grant program to provide funding to interested community colleges that, through a public-private partnership, establish a biological sciences incubator on their campuses for the participation and benefit of their students. The chancellors office shall establish specific requirements for community colleges to be eligible for the grant moneys, and shall work collaboratively with the community colleges that are interested in the program. The chancellors office shall convene a group of stakeholders to obtain and provide the information that will be necessary to enable interested community colleges to implement the program.(b)As used in this article, biological sciences incubator means a laboratory space where biotechnology research is conducted and where students may obtain academic knowledge and practical experience with participating biotechnology businesses.SEC. 2.The sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) is hereby appropriated, without regard to fiscal year, from the General Fund to the Chancellors Office of the California Community Colleges for allocation to community college districts for purposes of Article 4.3 (commencing with Section 78273) of Chapter 2 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code.

Date	Status
Feb 1, 2022	From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Jan 31, 2022	Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.
Jan 4, 2022	Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.
Jan 3, 2022	From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. Read second time and amended.
Apr 22, 2021	In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
Mar 22, 2021	Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.
Mar 18, 2021	Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.
Feb 18, 2021	From printer. May be heard in committee March 20.
Feb 17, 2021	Read first time. To print.

Authors shown for version:
Amended Assembly (1/3/2022)