The California Academic Volunteer and Mentor Service Act of 1992 creates the Academic Volunteer and Mentor Service Program, administered by the office of the Governor, in order to provide academic support and guidance to each child who requires it, as provided. The act sets forth the intent of the Legislature that funding for purposes of the act be appropriated in the annual Budget Act, as provided.

This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to the latter provision.

Date of Hearing: April 7, 2026

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Mike Fong, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2487 (

Author:Ahrens) – As Amended Ver:March 19, 2026

[Note: This bill is triple referred to the Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact and to the Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection, and will be heard by those Committee as it relates to issues under their jurisdictions.]

SUBJECT: Artificial intelligence: education and workforce development

SUMMARY: Establishes the Artificial Intelligence Education and Workforce Development Act (Act) to accomplish specified goals, including, among others, empowering and supporting community college instructors in using and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly in administrative and classroom settings, and strengthening the state’s AI and technology workforce pipeline by upskilling and educating all workers so they can benefit from AI. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the California Community Colleges (CCC) to develop and disseminate statewide guidance to community college districts (CCD) on the use of AI in community colleges.
   1. Requires the guidance to focus on:
      1. Providing community college instructors and staff with the training, time, and tools to guide the use of AI within community college education safely and responsibly;
      2. Harnessing the productivity benefits of AI for instructors and administrators, and prioritizing reduction of administrative burdens;
      3. Complying with relevant rules and compliance requirements that address ethical and appropriate use in community college education, and the best uses of AI given current capabilities and features in the job market, focusing on reducing uncertainties and helping community colleges comply with state requirements; and,
      4. Promoting an understanding of generative AI and its implications across academic subjects.
   2. Specifies that the CCC, to the extent possible and where appropriate, to seek to align the guidance this with existing frameworks, research, and guidance, including that of other states.
2. Requires, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the CCC to fund, within existing resources, the development of model curriculum on AI for use in community colleges, and to collaborate with community college instructors to develop - and regularly update as appropriate - educational resources on AI in community colleges. These resources may reflect technological changes or pedagogical research.
3. Requires, upon appropriation, the CCC to post on its internet website the model curriculum and educational resources developed pursuant to subdivisions 2) above. Additionally requires:
   1. CCC to consider mechanisms to make these educational resources more accessible statewide at minimal cost to CCDs, which may include requiring these resources to be placed in the public domain or released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation, and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions; and,
   2. CCC to broadly encourage local adoption and awareness of the model curriculum and educational resources by CCDs, and to encourage local adoption into new or existing educational programs.
4. Requires the CCCs, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to explore, facilitate, and support partnerships between CCDs, career education and career technical education training providers, local workforce development boards, employers across technology and nontechnology sectors, and nonprofit and community-based organizations to develop and implement AI literacy and skills development initiatives.
   1. These initiatives, to the extent practicable, are required to be aligned with regional and statewide workforce needs, and may include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
      1. Codesign of AI-related curriculum and work-based learning opportunities that prepare community college students for in-demand occupations;
      2. Integration of AI tools into career education, career technical education, apprenticeships, and upskilling programs for incumbent workers; and,
      3. Collaboration with small and medium-sized businesses, industry associations, and chambers of commerce to identify priority use cases and skill gaps.
   2. These initiatives are required to include both of the following:
      1. Review successful AI literacy, education, and workforce training approaches from other states and countries, including public and private partnership models; and,
      2. Support the launch of pilot programs consistent with this chapter to test, refine, and evaluate AI education and workforce training models.
   3. AI providers and other participating employers in initiatives in these initiatives are encouraged to provide reduced-cost or subsidized access to AI tools, instructional materials, and technical assistance to community college instructors, CCDs, and workforce training providers to enable research, testing, and program development.
5. Requires, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the CCCs to support the integration of AI literacy into the preparation and ongoing professional development of community college instructors. The support will include, but it not limited to:
   1. Practical guidance on all of the following:
      1. Identifying administrative tasks that are appropriate and inappropriate for automation or AI deployment;
      2. Identifying educational tasks that are appropriate or inappropriate uses of AI for pedagogical purposes, including ethics and safety considerations, and opportunities for using AI to enhance community college instruction, curriculum, and courses; and,
      3. Monitoring student use to ensure safety and positive educational outcomes
   2. Requiring CCCs to encourage CCDs to allocate dedicated time for community college instructors to learn about AI, redesign their lesson plans, participate in peer learning, and attend structured AI training;
   3. Requiring CCCs to partner with labor organizations, technology providers, and other entities where appropriate to support the integration of AI literacy into the professional development of community college instructors, including, but not limited to, workshops and summer institutes; and,
   4. Authorizing the CCC to, within existing resources, make grants available to CCDs to support the integration of AI literacy into community college instructor professional development activities, consistent with existing programs where possible, and issuing clarifying guidance on use of grant funds where appropriate.
6. Requires, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the CCC to convene a working group to study and submit a report to the CCC that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
   1. A summary of the procedural, procurement, and technical barriers to support community college districts in responsibly providing and deploying cloud-based AI services into administrative or educational settings in community colleges, and legislative or administrative recommendations to overcome the barriers identified;
   2. Review and analysis of all of the following:
      1. CCD budgeting templates and procurement guidelines;
      2. Opportunities or barriers to statewide procurement of AI tools or services led by the CCC, rather than individual CCDs; and,
      3. Legislative, regulatory, or administrative changes that would better support and encourage responsible and effective adoption of AI literacy and AI tools in community colleges statewide; and,
      4. Existing broadband infrastructure and community college information technology capacity, and whether they are sufficient to support equitable access to AI-enabled learning, and how resources or policy changes would help fill this gap.
   3. The CCC must, on or before January 1, 2029, submit a report of study group created to the Legislature based on the findings provided by the working group, as specified.
7. Requires the CCC, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, to establish a pilot program that encourages deeper integration and adoption of AI tools in community college classrooms than is otherwise common across the state, and that integrates a research team to study its overall impact on learning outcomes and classroom efficiency to guide further deployments.
   1. In designing and operating the pilot program, the CCC must consider all of the following:
      1. Consent and willing participation from community college instructors and community college students;
      2. Ensuring studies are consistent with research ethics and best practices; and.
      3. Scalability of the pilot program’s design statewide.
   2. Requires, on or before January 1, 2029, and every two years thereafter, the CCC to submit a report to the Legislature, as specified, and other appropriate state officials and agencies summarizing its efforts on the initiatives described in this section. The CCC must also post the report on its internet website.
8. Requires, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, the California Office of Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) to establish and maintain educational resources and modules for small businesses and make those educational resources and modules publicly available on a new or existing online learning platform or internet website.
   1. Specifies that the educational resources and modules, to the extent practicable and appropriate, provide information on all of the following:
      1. How AI models and tools work, including the limits of the capabilities of those models;
      2. How to identify the best uses of AI, including examples of the types of tasks and functions that AI can reliably and effectively perform for small businesses, including how AI may improve operations, productivity, or customer service;
      3. How to remain updated on the emergence, development, and technological maturation of AI;
      4. How to understand and evaluate the policies, terms, and conditions applicable to users of AI;
      5. The best practices in selecting and partnering with third-party providers of AI tools;
      6. How to effectively identify, evaluate, and manage the risks of AI;
      7. Responsible use of AI in a business context, including how to ensure the privacy of user or customer inputs to AI tools; and,
      8. How to retain human involvement in important decisions informed by recommendations made by AI.
   2. In developing and publishing the educational resources and modules described in a) above, CalOSBA must do all of the following:
      1. Ensure that the information contained in the educational resources and modules is factually accurate and current;
      2. Ensure that the educational resources and modules are useful and actionable, and presented in a manner that is easily comprehensible of small business concerns;
      3. Consider and incorporate relevant existing information and resources developed by other entities, including private entities, as appropriate;
      4. Consider strategies and activities to encourage the discoverability, awareness, impact, and adoption of the educational resources and modules during development and publication; and,
      5. Avoid giving preference to any particular AI model, tool, or service provider.
   3. Within one year following funding of the educational resources mentioned above, CalOSBA must prepare and submit a progress report to the Legislature, as specified. and other appropriate state officials and agencies summarizing its efforts in developing and publishing the educational resources and modules described in this section. CalOSBA shall also post the report on its internet website;
   4. CalOSBA must also convene an AI advisory group that CalOSBA may consult with on an ongoing basis regarding the information contained in the educational resources and modules established in 19) above. The advisory group will be composed of the following members, who shall be selected by CalOSBA:
      1. Individuals with demonstrated expertise in AI, including not less than one individual from each of the following:
         1. The private sector;
         2. Academia; and,
         3. An organization with demonstrated expertise in evaluating the quality of AI outputs, including quality, reliability, or security.
      2. One or more individuals with demonstrated expertise in the creation of educational or professional development materials regarding AI; and,
      3. One or more individuals with demonstrated expertise in outreach to small business concerns.
   5. Requires CalOSBA to consult with other state agencies, as appropriate, and with other researchers, subject matter experts, and industry partners, as appropriate or needed, regarding the educational resources and modules developed under this section.
9. Requires the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, in close partnership with the CCC, to support training, reskilling, and upskilling initiatives for workers using AI or supporting the AI industry in order to bolster state economic competitiveness and maximize opportunities for the labor force.
   1. The initiatives to be considered include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
      1. Training programs or online courses offered by vocational schools, community colleges, and other institutions in machine learning, data annotation, AI operations, cybersecurity, and human-centered AI design;
      2. Certificate and credential programs for AI support roles; and,
      3. Community college bootcamps, or new credential tracks, aligned to employer demand.
   2. Requires GO-Biz, on or before January 1, 2029, and every two years thereafter, to submit a report to the Legislature, as specified, and other appropriate state officials and agencies summarizing its efforts on the initiatives described in a) above. Additionally requires GO-Biz to post the report on its internet website.
10. Requires GO-Biz, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, to establish local AI training hubs, including physical or virtual centers that provide education and hands-on training in AI development and application for the purpose of building a skilled local workforce.
    1. The hubs are required to do all of the following:
       1. Provide access to graphics processing unit-equipped computing environments and AI tools for training purposes;
       2. Partner with cloud service providers and local employers;
       3. Enable access to AI education and training; and,
       4. Support job placement in local and national industries.
    2. Authorizes hubs to be colocated at local workforce development board locations, community colleges, or regional data center campuses.
11. Requires Go-Biz, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, in coordination with other relevant state agencies, including the CCC, to convene a working group to administer a statewide program to develop the skilled workforce to support infrastructure and energy requirements of the AI industry.
    1. The program will establish and fund education and training programs that do both of the following:
       1. (1) Prepare workers for high-demand technical careers in the construction and maintenance of AI and energy infrastructure; and,
       2. (2) Align with industry-recognized credentials and labor standards, including registered apprenticeships.
    2. Funding may be awarded through a competitive application process to local workforce development boards, community college districts, unions, and technical training providers to deliver education and hands-on experience, which may include, but is not limited to, any of the following:
       1. AI data center operations and construction, which may include any of the following:
          1. Site preparation, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), liquid cooling, and smart facility integration;
          2. Network wiring, server assembly, and rack configuration; and,
          3. Data center safety, emissions monitoring, and energy management.
       2. Energy infrastructure, which may include any of the following:
          1. Grid scale and microgrid electrical systems for computer environments;
          2. Diverse and scalable energy mix for AI campuses; and,
          3. Load balancing, grid interconnection, and net zero design.
       3. Broadband and digital infrastructure, which may include any of the following:
          1. Fiber splicing, trenching, and last mile broadband for edge AI;
          2. Low latency networking for AI training environments; and,
          3. Secure communications and sensor installation for energy AI coordination.
       4. Resilient construction and sustainability, which may include any of the following:
          1. Energy efficient building design and construction, low carbon materials, and water efficiency;
          2. Heat reuse systems and AI-aware building management; and,
          3. Permitting, compliance, and other program management functions.
    3. In administering the program, GO-Biz will seek to do all of the following:
       1. Partner with employers and unions to offer industry-led apprenticeships and on-the-job training;
       2. Develop bridge programs for dislocated workers transitioning from fossil fuel, manufacturing, or logistics industries;
       3. Prioritize program delivery in high unemployment, rural, or energy transition regions; and,
       4. Support matriculation between community college programs and credentialed workforce pathways.
12. Requires GO-Biz, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this express purpose, do all of the following:
    1. Align workforce development investments with state infrastructure planning and permitting, broadband deployment, and energy or climate planning.
    2. Create a statewide registry of AI infrastructure training programs and workforce needs by geographic region.
    3. Partner with stakeholders, including regional data center operators, utilities, and energy developers, to forecast long-term hiring demand and skills requirements.
13. Declares that the provisions will be known, and may be cited, as the Artificial Intelligence Education and Workforce Development Act.
14. Establishes the following definitions for the purpose of the Act:
    1. “Artificial intelligence” or “AI” means an engineered or machine-based system that varies in its level of autonomy and that can, for explicit or implicit objectives, infer from the input it receives how to generate outputs that can influence physical or virtual environments;

“CalOSBA” means the California Office of Small Business Advocate, as specified,

• 1. “Data labeling” means the process of annotating datasets to enable machine learning models to identify and classify information;
  2. “GO-Biz” means the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, as specified; and,
  3. “STEM” means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

1. Finds and declares that:
   1. AI will have profound impacts on the economy, national security, education, and the future of work.
   2. Equipping community college students, instructors, and workers with AI literacy and related skills is essential for the United States’ and the state’s workforce competitiveness.
   3. Innovation and competitiveness in the age of AI requires a robust workforce, including workers trained in AI development, deployment, data labeling, and cybersecurity, and supporting infrastructure in energy, broadband, and high-performance computing.
   4. The state must invest in future-ready pathways, including strengthened mathematics and science competency and career education and career technical education aligned to emerging technologies, with supporting coursework and resources.
   5. Community colleges must adopt AI safely and equitably, with a commitment to protecting data privacy, promoting transparency, avoiding algorithmic discrimination, and ensuring that instructors and students are empowered and supported.
   6. Instructors must lead AI integration. Instruction is most powerful when instructors have the training, time, and tools to deploy AI safely, responsibly, and confidently, beginning with administrative tasks and progressing to instructional uses as instructors determine appropriate.
   7. AI, when implemented safely and responsibly, is a powerful tool for equity to ensure that every student can access the best instruction, regardless of their background, language, or disability. AI-powered supports remove barriers for historically underserved students.
   8. States have begun issuing guidance for responsible AI integration in community colleges.
   9. AI literacy requires modern infrastructure, including statewide broadband, modern classroom devices, secure networks, open educational resources, research capacity, privacy protections, and procurement systems that allow responsible innovation.
2. Declares that the purpose of the Act is to accomplish all of the following goals:
   1. Empower and support community college instructors in using and deploying AI responsibly in administrative and classroom settings;
   2. Prepare community college students for an AI-enabled world, and harnessing its beneficial uses.
   3. Ensure safe, ethical, privacy-preserving AI deployment in community college education.
   4. Modernizing learning, promoting equitable access to AI tools, and supporting technology and its benefits.
   5. Supporting lifelong learning and skilling initiatives that support the state’s economic competitiveness and labor force in the age of AI.
   6. Strengthening the state’s AI and technology workforce pipeline by upskilling and educating all workers so they can benefit from AI.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Establishes the CCC under the administration of the Board of Governors of the CCC, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The CCC is comprised of community college districts (CCD). (Education Code (EDC) Section 70900).
2. Creates for each CCD a board of trustees, known as the governing board, and authorizes the governing board to establish, maintain, operate, and govern each CCC within their district in accordance with state and federal law, as specified. The governing board may initiate and carry on any program, activity, or may otherwise act in any manner that is not in conflict or inconsistent with any law and that is not in conflict with the purpose of a CCD, as specified. (EDC Section 70902)
3. Existing law establishes the California Online Community College, under the administration of the board of governors, for specified purposes, and requires the college to develop a Research and Development Unit to, among other things, focus on using technology, data science, behavioral science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to build out student supports. (EDC Section 75000, et seq.)
4. Existing law establishes the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as “GO-Biz,” to, among other duties, serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. (Government Code (GC) Section 12096.2)
5. Existing law establishes the Office of Small Business Advocate within GO-Biz to advocate for causes of small business and to provide small businesses with the information they need to survive in the marketplace. (GC Section 12098.3)

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.

COMMENTS: Purpose. According to the author, “AB 2487 recognizes that while our community colleges serve as the backbone of California’s workforce, they have long been underfunded, particularly in keeping up with rapidly evolving technologies such as artificial intelligence. As a strong advocate for both education and innovation, I believe it is our responsibility to close this gap.”

The author continues that “this bill aims to ensure that our community colleges are not left behind but are instead equipped to lead by providing faculty with the necessary tools, training, and support to integrate AI into the classroom responsibly. By strengthening the connection between higher education and emerging technology, we can expand opportunities, enhance workforce skills, and ensure that all Californians, not just those at well-resourced institutions, have access to the jobs of the future.”

Community college work in AI: In September 2023, the Chancellor of the CCC released Vision 2030: A Roadmap for California Community Colleges, which included a description on the importance of engaging with AI in Strategic Direction 3, The Future of Learning. The Vision 2030 roadmap focuses on integrating AI and Generative AI to elevate teaching and learning. Key areas of investment include professional development, data infrastructure, evaluation and partnership capacity and demonstration projects.

In July of 2024, the Chancellor of the CCC released a report to the CCC Board of Governors titled Generative AI and the Future of Teaching and Learning The report includes a set of recommended actions. Chancellor Christian asserts that CCC must double down in “deepening human qualities of cooperation, ethical decision making, and emotional intelligence in a world of rapidly developing machine learning.”

The report specifically calls for a humans-centered approach, which includes:

1. Students, faculty, staff and administrators should be able to opt out, where appropriate, and have access to a person who can quickly consider and remedy problems they encounter. Measures should also be taken to ensure that there are humans in the loop when capabilities are designed, tested and used to achieve successful outcomes.
2. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators should have equitable access to tools, training and solutions that minimize bias and improve outcomes.
3. Measures should be taken to empower students, faculty, staff, and administrators to have agency over how data about them is collected and used and set parameters that shield them from abusive data practices via built-in protections.
4. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators should not face discrimination by algorithms and systems should be designed and used in an equitable way.
5. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators should know that an automated system is being used and understand how and why it contributes to outcomes that impact them.
6. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators should be protected from unsafe or ineffective systems.

The CCC has established the Digital Center for Innovation, Transformation, and Equity to represent a strategic approach to supporting the CCC’s Vision 2030, including leading in innovation, harnessing the power of generative AI, public and private technology partnerships, and transforming the CCC’s ability to serve students as they move into an AI- powered workforce.

CSU’s AI-Empowered Initiative, Joint Oversight Hearing, and recent survey data. The California State University (CSU) system launched their AI-Empowered Initiative in February of 2025. In their press release, the CSU indicated that their goal was to “leverage the power of artificial intelligence to create an AI-empowered higher education system that could surpass any existing model in both scale and impact.” Among the various elements of this initiative included the systemwide deployment of an AI tool developed by OpenAI - ChatGPT Edu – that would enable “…students, faculty, and staff to use AI to accelerate learning, optimize workflow efficiency, and foster cross-departmental collaboration.” The contract for ChatGPT Edu $16.9 million and runs from February 2025 through July 2026.

In order to better understand the specifics of CSU’s AI-Empowered Initiative, the Assembly Committee on Higher Education partnered with the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection to conduct an Oversight Hearing on August 26, 2025.  Upon questioning from the Committees, it became clear that there had been no training requirement in place for students, faculty, and staff prior to the deployment of ChatGPT Edu. Testimony also indicated confusion from students, faculty, and staff regarding specific institutional AI policies, from general privacy concerns to the degree with which generative AI products can be used in academic and workplace settings.

On April 1^st, 2026, the CSU released the results of a survey on their AI efforts, which included 94,060 respondents in total - making this the most comprehensive AI survey ever conducted at a single college or university system.

The survey found that AI use is already widespread across the CSU community, with most students, faculty, and staff reporting regular engagement with AI tools, alongside near-universal exposure to at least one tool. At the same time, respondents expressed a cautious approach: while many see AI as essential to future careers, they also emphasized the need for verification, ethical guidelines, and transparency. There is strong demand for formal AI training - especially among faculty and staff—and notable concern about job security and academic integrity. Importantly, most students reported discomfort with submitting AI-generated work as their own, and many faculty are actively incorporating AI guidance into their teaching, signaling a shift toward structured, responsible adoption rather than unrestricted use.

Arguments in support. A coalition of supporters representing Chambers of Commerce, technology trade organizations, and AI companies wrote in support, stating “[AI] is transforming every major industry in California, including education, healthcare, logistics, clean energy, manufacturing, and small business operations. Yet there is currently no consistent statewide guidance or coordinated support system to help educators, employers, and small businesses navigate these tools responsibly. Community colleges and workforce providers face fragmented resources, uneven training opportunities, and limited clarity around responsible AI use. Without a more structured and equitable approach, California risks widening existing inequities, slowing economic competitiveness, and missing critical opportunities to build the workforce needed to support AI development, deployment, infrastructure, and innovation.”

This coalition further states that “AB 2487 establishes a practical, flexible framework, implemented upon appropriation, that leverages existing institutions to support responsible AI adoption across education and workforce systems. The bill sets statewide guidelines for responsible AI use in community colleges, emphasizing instructor leadership, ethics, privacy, and reduced administrative workload. It supports AI curriculum development, open-access training resources, and faculty professional development. The bill also strengthens workforce pathways through improved credentials, apprenticeships, and employer-aligned training, while helping small businesses build practical AI skills. Additionally, AB 2487 creates regional AI training hubs for hands-on learning and job placement and develops energy and infrastructure workforce pipelines to support AI-related construction and operations.”

The California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce also wrote in support, noting that “AB 2487 creates the necessary infrastructure to bridge the digital divide for underrepresented

entrepreneurs and workers. By fostering a collaborative environment between educational institutions and the private sector, this bill ensures that the benefits of technological innovation are shared by all Californians.”

Arguments in opposition. The Faculty Association of the California Community Colleges (FACCC) wrote in opposition, asserting that “AB 2487 raises significant concerns related to academic freedom, governance, and implementation.”

FACCC notes specifically that “AB 2487 establishes a state-level advisory and coordination structure that creates a pathway toward possible mandates that would affect curriculum, instruction, and faculty responsibilities. Decisions about pedagogy, curriculum design, and instructional delivery are foundational faculty responsibilities, with rigorous processes grounded in local academic expertise. By creating a centralized framework, this bill risks creating a de facto policy structure without sufficient legislative clarity or guardrails, ultimately weakening faculty primacy and academic freedom.”

The California Federation of Teachers (CFT) also expressed concerns, opposing AB 2487 unless amended. CFT writes that this legislation “…opens the door to statewide procurement of AI technology, further divorcing workers, parents and students from a real role in this process. This technology should go nowhere unless educators believe it will help them do their jobs, but this bill assumes that management knows better. We know from painful experience that management rarely prioritizes what workers need most, leaving us very concerned with how such a process would play out in practice.”

CFT further explains that, “AB 2487 (Ahrens) also states that community colleges ‘may partner’ with labor organizations ‘if appropriate’ to support the integration of AI into professional development programs but doesn’t mention partnering with labor organizations to see if any of this technology makes sense at all. No mention is offered of making sure that no worker loses their job, and in fact, with the repeated mentions of efficiency, this bill all but requires using AI to eliminate people’s jobs. Every community college worker is a key part of the overall system, and there isn’t a single one whose job would be done better by AI. Also, nothing in the bill seems to implement any sort of meaningful guardrails prior to additional deployment of AI. Overall, the bill seems to assume that the more AI, the better, and that soon all of our jobs will rely heavily on AI. Neither of these assumptions is accurate. In fact, the more we allow AI to creep into the education system, the more likely it is to also creep into various industry sectors, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that ends with deskilling work and eliminating jobs.”

CFT concludes that “We need a clear right for educators to refuse to use AI. We need clear protections for students against AI that harms their social, emotional, or cognitive development. AI should only enter the classroom when everyone agrees that it will benefit students and workers, not whenever an administrator finds value in a sales pitch offered by a tech company. AI is in many ways no different from any tool used in the education process: it is not without value but that value should be determined by teachers, students, and parents, not the company trying to sell some new product. However, AI is very different from other tools, in that the severity of harm it threatens students and workers with is unprecedented. We urge extreme caution with—or opposition to—any legislation that does not reflect this perspective. We strongly believe this bill presents a far too optimistic view of AI and would need extensive, sweeping amendments to alleviate our concerns.”

Committee comments. As this legislation is triple referred, these comments will focus on those elements of the bill directly pertaining to community colleges.

Committee staff notes that the provisions detailed in 1) through 7) in the summary of the bill above are all contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature. Committee staff understands that, per our conversations with the author’s office, that no formal budget request has been submitted to fund the provisions of this measure. Absent funding, the provisions of this bill essentially become permissive.

Yet with or without funding, the sweeping nature of these proposals sends a strong message about the future of AI technology, programs, and general adoption in the CCC. The Committee may wish to consider if a more measured approach should be taken when considering the adoption of novel technologies.

Moving forward, the author may wish to consider removing the proposals in detailed in 1), 2), 3), 4), 5), and 7) in the summary of the bill above, and instead narrow the bill to focus the community college-centric portions to the working group detailed in 6) above. Additionally, the author may wish to work with stakeholders to identify specific communities of engagement for this working group, to include students, faculty, and staff representatives to better inform the ways in which AI can be utilized.

Related legislation. AB 2504 (Bauer-Kahan, 2026), would establish a pilot program, to be administered by the chancellor’s office, for the purpose of addressing employment dislocations associated with artificial intelligence at the California Community Colleges and, on or before an unspecified date, require the chancellor’s office to submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program. AB 2504 is currently pending a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Higher Education.

SCR 82 (Niello, 2025) encourages the President of the UC, the Chancellor of the CSU, and the Chancellor for the CCC to create a workgroup of faculty, staff, and administrators to review the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education. SCR 82 is currently pending a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Higher Education.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

Business Software Alliance

California African American Chamber of Commerce

California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce

California Business Roundtable

California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce

California Multicultural Business Alliance

Coast Community College District

Information Technology Industry Council

National Association of Women in AI

Open AI

TechNet

UNITE-LA

Opposition

California Community College Independents

Faculty Association of California Community Colleges

Analysis Prepared by: Kevin J. Powers / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960