AB 1790: California State University: sexual harassment: implementing California State Auditor recommendations.

Existing federal law, known as Title IX, prohibits a person, on the basis of sex, from being excluded from participation in, being denied the benefits of, or being subject to discrimination, which includes sexual harassment, under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

The Donahoe Higher Education Act establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, as one of the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. A portion of the Donahoe Higher Education Act, known as the Equity in Higher Education Act, declares, among other things, that sexual harassment of students is a form of prohibited sex discrimination and requires the California State University, on or before December 1 of each year, to submit a report to the Legislature on the investigations and outcomes of sexual harassment reports and formal sexual harassment complaints, as provided.

This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2026, the California State University to implement the recommendations provided in a specified California State Auditor report, as provided. The bill would require the California State University to submit an initial report on or before July 1, 2025, and a final report on or before December 1, 2026, to the Legislature, the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, and the Senate Committee on Education on the status of implementing the California State Auditor recommendations, including, if completed at the time of the report, any summarized results from specific campus compliance reviews and identification of any systemic issues the California State University has in meeting the recommendations of the California State Auditor report, as provided.