Bill Text: CA AB774 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Bill 774 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Community college districts: transportation fees.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2009-10-11 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 253, Statutes of 2009. [AB774 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB774-Chaptered.html

BILL NUMBER: AB 774	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	CHAPTER  253
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  OCTOBER 11, 2009
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  OCTOBER 11, 2009
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 27, 2009
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 31, 2009
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JULY 9, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Cook
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Emmerson and Portantino)
   (Coauthors: Senators Huff, Lowenthal, and Romero)

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2009

   An act to amend Section 76361.1 of the Education Code, relating to
community colleges.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 774, Cook. Community college districts: transportation fees.
   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. Existing law establishes community college
districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to maintain
campuses at which instruction is provided to students.
   Existing law authorizes the governing boards of the Los Rios,
Peralta, and Rio Hondo community college districts to require that a
transportation service fee be paid only by students and employees
using the services, or, in the alternative, by various groups of
people, upon the favorable vote of a majority of the people in the
affected groups. Existing law prohibits these governing boards from
entering into, or extending, a contract for transportation services,
funded by the proceeds of a transportation fee and provided by a
common carrier or a municipally owned transit system, unless
specified conditions are met.
   This bill would expand that transportation fee authority to
include any community college district.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 76361.1 of the Education Code is amended to
read:
   76361.1.  (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a community college
district may require that a fee authorized by subdivision (a) of
Section 76361 for transportation services be paid only by students
and employees using the services, or, in the alternative, by any of
the following groups of people:
   (1) Upon the favorable vote of a majority of the students and a
majority of the employees of a campus of the district, who voted at
an election on the question of whether or not the governing board
should require all students and employees at the campus to pay a fee
for transportation services for a period of time to be determined by
the governing board of the district, the fees may be required to be
paid by all students, other than those students who are exempt from
the fees pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), and all
employees of the campus of the community college district.
   (2) Upon the favorable vote of a majority of the students at a
campus of the district, who voted at an election on the question of
whether or not the governing board should require all students to pay
a fee for transportation services for a period of time to be
determined by the governing board of the district, the fees may be
required to be paid by all students, other than those students who
are exempt from the fees pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision
(b), at the campus of the community college district. However, the
employees shall not be entitled to use the services.
   (3) Upon the favorable vote of a majority of the students at a
campus of the district taking a specified number of course credits
for a specified duration, to be determined by the governing board,
who voted at an election on the question of whether or not the
governing board should require all students taking that prescribed
number of course credits to pay a fee for transportation services for
a period of time to be determined by the governing board of the
district, the fees may be required to be paid by those students
taking the prescribed number of course credits, except those students
who are exempt from the fees pursuant to paragraph (1) of
subdivision (b), at the campus of the community college district.
However, the employees shall not be entitled to use the services.
   (b) (1) If, pursuant to Section 76361, a fee is required of
students for transportation services, any fee required of a part-time
student shall be a pro rata lesser amount than the fee charged to
full-time students, depending on the number of units for which the
part-time student is enrolled. Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the governing board of a community college district to which
this section applies that provides for transportation services may
adopt rules and regulations to exempt low-income students from this
fee, or to require low-income students to pay all or part of this
fee.
   (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
   (A) The governing board of a community college district to which
this section applies shall not enter into, or extend, a contract for
transportation services provided by a common carrier or a municipally
owned transit system, funded by the proceeds of a fee authorized
under this section, unless and until a majority of the students of
that district who vote in an election, held no more than 10 years
prior to the date of the expiration of the contract proposed to be
entered into or no more than 10 years prior to the date to which it
is proposed that an existing contract be extended, have approved the
payment of the fee for this purpose. An election held pursuant to
this subparagraph shall be held in accordance with regulations
adopted by the board of governors to ensure that the election is
publicly noticed and that all students, including full-time,
part-time, evening, and weekend students, have an opportunity to vote
in the election.
   (B) If the governing board of a community college district to
which this section applies decides to seek to terminate or alter the
arrangements under which the district receives transportation
services from a common carrier or municipally owned transit system,
the governing board shall provide at least 12 months' notice of that
intention to the provider of transportation services.
   (c) A community college district to which this section applies is
subject to subdivisions (d), (e), and (f) of Section 76361.