Part-Time Community College Faculty Health Insurance Program.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law requires the board to appoint a chief executive officer, known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, under the administration of community college district governing boards, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction at the community college campuses they operate. Existing law establishes the Part-Time Community College Faculty Health Insurance Program which authorizes the governing board of a community college district to provide a program of health insurance for part-time faculty, multidistrict part-time faculty, and their dependents. Under existing law, a multidistrict part-time faculty member who individually purchases health insurance benefits is eligible to participate in the program, and existing law requires a community college district to reimburse a multidistrict part-time faculty member for the district's proportionate share of the total health insurance premium paid by the multidistrict part-time faculty member, as provided. Existing law requires the chancellor, by June 15 of each year, to apportion to each community college that establishes a program an amount that equals up to one-half of the total cost of the individual premiums required to be paid for the health insurance coverage of participating part-time faculty, multidistrict part-time faculty, and their dependents, as provided. This bill would revise and recast the Part-Time Community College Faculty Health Insurance Program to, among other things, additionally make a part-time faculty member who individually purchases health insurance benefits eligible to participate in the program and require a community college district to reimburse a part-time faculty member for health insurance benefits purchased by the part-time faculty member, as specified. The bill would require the chancellor, on or before June 15 of each year, to apportion to each community college district an amount that equals the total cost of the reimbursements for part-time faculty, multidistrict part-time faculty, and their dependents, as provided. By imposing additional duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would annually appropriate $200,000,000, on or before June 30 of each fiscal year, from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges for purposes of augmenting funds appropriated for part-time faculty health insurance. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.