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AB-2236 • 2026

Postsecondary education: articulation agreements.

Postsecondary education: articulation agreements.

Budget Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Berman
Last action
2026-06-03
Official status
Referred to Com. on ED.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on enforcement or consequences for non-compliance.

Postsecondary Education: Articulation Agreements

This law requires colleges and universities in California to use a common course numbering system for easier transfer of credits between institutions, starting from July 1, 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Intersegmental Committee of Academic Senates to create an agreement by July 1, 2027, using common course numbers instead of reviewing each individual course.
  • If the committee does not act by then, the administrative bodies must establish this agreement by December 31, 2027.
  • Starting in spring 2028, only the streamlined system-level articulation agreement will be used for transferring credits between community colleges and other institutions.
  • Requires each college or university to post a report on their website every year about how well this new system is working.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students transferring between community colleges and four-year universities in California
  • Administrative bodies of the University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges

Terms To Know

Articulation Agreement
An agreement that helps students transfer credits from one educational institution to another.
Common Course Numbering System
A system where courses have the same number across different institutions, making it easier for students to know which classes will transfer.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if colleges do not follow these requirements.
  • It is unclear how much funding will be needed and provided for this new system.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-03 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on ED.

  2. 2026-05-27 California Legislative Information

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

  3. 2026-05-26 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0.)

  4. 2026-05-19 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  5. 2026-05-18 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

  6. 2026-05-14 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 14).

  7. 2026-04-29 California Legislative Information

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

  8. 2026-04-15 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  9. 2026-04-15 California Legislative Information

    Coauthors revised.

  10. 2026-03-09 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

  11. 2026-02-20 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.

  12. 2026-02-19 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2236, as amended, Berman.
Postsecondary education: articulation agreements.
Existing law requires the California Community Colleges, on or before July 1, 2027, to adopt a common course numbering system for all general education requirement courses and transfer pathway courses, and requires each community college campus, on or before July 1,
2024,
2027,
to incorporate common course numbers from the adopted system into its course catalog. The Budget Act of 2021 allocated $10,000,000 to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to establish a workgroup to support the development of that system. That workgroup recommended, among other things, the development of a common course numbering template for each course subject to the requirement described above.
This bill would require the Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senates of the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, on or before July 1, 2027, to establish an agreement for implementing streamlined system-level articulation by
utilizing
using
the common course numbering templates, rather than individual course review, as provided. If the intersegmental committee has not established an agreement on or before July 1, 2027, the bill would require the respective administrative bodies of the segments, on or before December 31, 2027, to establish an agreement for implementing streamlined system-level articulation by
utilizing
using
the common course numbering templates, rather than individual course review, as provided.
The
This
bill would require, commencing with the spring term of the 2027–28 academic year, the streamlined system-level articulation agreement to be the only articulation agreement used for community college courses subject to the common course numbering system described above.
The
This
bill would require, on or before June 1 of each year, the respective administrative bodies of the California Community Colleges and the California State University, and request the University of California, to publicly post on their respective internet websites a report on the results of the streamlined systemwide articulation agreement, as provided.
By imposing additional duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The
This
bill would require each campus of the California
Community Colleges and the California State University, and request each campus of the University of California, to publicly post, on or before June 1 of each year, the name and contact information of the articulation lead or individual responsible for managing the course articulation process at the campus.
By imposing additional duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would require the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with the administrative bodies of the California State University and the University of California, to identify a limited-term funding plan that would provide funding to the California State University and the University of California to support the intersegmental implementation of the common course numbering system, as provided.
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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