Public postsecondary education: overnight student parking.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one segment of public postsecondary education in the state. Under existing law, the board of governors appoints a chief executive officer, who is known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state and authorizes these districts to provide instruction at the community college campuses they operate and maintain. Existing law requests the campuses of the California Community Colleges to give priority housing to current and former homeless youth and current and former foster youth, as specified. This bill would require the governing board of each community college district to adopt a plan to offer an overnight parking program to eligible students, as defined, and would require the plan to be developed in consultation with basic needs coordinators and campus security, as specified. The bill would require the plan to include, among other things, a procedure for issuing an overnight parking permit at no cost to students. The bill would impose duties on basic needs coordinators related to the community college programs, including when acceptance of applications from eligible students would begin. The bill would require the governing board of each community college district, on or before December 31, 2026, to vote to determine if the community colleges within the district will establish an overnight parking program that aligns with the plan. This bill would provide that a campus is not civilly liable for a campus employee's good faith act or omission that fails to prevent an injury to a participating student that occurs in, or in close proximity to, and during the hours of operation of, overnight parking, as provided. This bill would require campuses to report to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges certain information, including, among other information, the socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds of participating students, as specified. The bill would additionally require the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to report to the Legislature and the Governor on the campus programs, as provided. The bill would require these reports to be included as part of a specified report related to basic needs services and resources. To the extent that this bill would impose new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.