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AB-1171 • 2026

Part-Time Community College Faculty Health Insurance Program.

Part-Time Community College Faculty Health Insurance Program.

Budget Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Patel
Last action
2026-01-29
Official status
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact cost and funding sufficiency of the program are uncertain.

Health Insurance Program for Part-Time Community College Teachers

This law expands an existing health insurance program to include all part-time community college faculty members and their families, providing reimbursement from the state budget.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands eligibility in the existing health insurance program to include all part-time faculty members, not just multidistrict ones.
  • Allows part-time faculty who buy their own health insurance to join the program and receive reimbursement from their district.
  • Requires the Chancellor of California Community Colleges to apportion funds each year to help cover the costs of these health insurance programs for part-time faculty and their dependents.
  • Annually appropriates $200,000,000 from the state's budget to support this new health insurance program.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Part-time community college teachers in California
  • Community college districts that employ part-time faculty

Terms To Know

Multidistrict part-time faculty
Teachers who work at more than one community college district.
Chancellor of the California Community Colleges
The chief executive officer responsible for overseeing all community colleges in California.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law imposes additional duties on community college districts, which may require state funding.
  • It's not clear how much this program will cost or if there are enough funds available to cover it fully.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-29 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  2. 2026-01-29 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 63. Noes 5. Page 3869.)

  3. 2026-01-22 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  4. 2026-01-22 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 3.) (January 22).

  5. 2026-01-22 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

  6. 2026-01-22 California Legislative Information

    Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Page 3806.)

  7. 2026-01-16 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  8. 2026-01-15 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  9. 2026-01-14 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (January 13).

  10. 2026-01-06 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

  11. 2026-01-05 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. Read second time and amended.

  12. 2025-04-22 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  13. 2025-03-10 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

  14. 2025-02-24 California Legislative Information

    Read first time.

  15. 2025-02-22 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

  16. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1171, as amended, Patel.
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,
instead provide that
part-time faculty and multidistrict part-time faculty are eligible to participate in the program. The bill would
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 and
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.

Current Bill Text

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