Community colleges: baccalaureate degree program: Southwestern Community College District.

Education Taxes

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Alvarez
Last action: 2026-05-22
Official status: From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on ED.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact date when the bill's provisions are repealed is specified as January 1, 2035.

Southwestern Community College Baccalaureate Degrees

This law allows Southwestern Community College District to offer up to four new baccalaureate degree programs in specific fields and requires evaluations of these programs.

What This Bill Does

Allows the Chancellor of California Community Colleges to let Southwestern Community College District start up to four new baccalaureate degree programs.
Specifies that one program must be in forensic studies, another in allied health education and leadership, a third in interaction design, and a fourth in teaching English to speakers of other languages.
Requires the Legislative Analyst’s Office to check on how these programs are doing by July 1, 2031 (interim evaluation) and again by July 1, 2035 (final evaluation).
Says that after January 1, 2035, this law will no longer be in effect.

Who It Names or Affects

Southwestern Community College District students who can take part in new baccalaureate degree programs.
The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges who has to approve these programs.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office which must evaluate the programs.

Terms To Know

baccalaureate degree: A bachelor's degree, usually taken after high school and before graduate studies.
interim evaluation: An assessment done halfway through a project or program to see how it is going.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not say what will happen if the programs are not successful.
It only applies to Southwestern Community College District and no other community college districts in California.

Bill History

2026-05-22 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on ED.
2026-05-06 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on ED.
2026-01-27 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2026-01-26 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 69. Noes 1. Page 3830.)
2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (January 22).
2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Page 3806.)
2026-01-14 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (January 13). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-01-14 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2026-01-06 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.
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.
2026-01-05 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.
2025-02-15 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.
2025-02-14 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 664, as amended, Alvarez.
Community colleges: baccalaureate degree program: Southwestern Community College District.
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 provide instruction at the campuses they operate. Existing law authorizes the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with the California State University and the University of California, to authorize the establishment of community college district baccalaureate degree programs, as provided.
This bill would authorize the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to authorize the Southwestern Community College District to offer no more than 4 workforce-aligned baccalaureate degree
programs,
programs, one each in forensic studies, allied health education and leadership, interaction design, and teaching English to speakers of other languages,
as provided. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst’s Office to, on or before July 1,
2030,
2031,
conduct and present to the Legislature and the Governor an interim evaluation of any of the baccalaureate degree programs that are offered pursuant to that authorization and, on or before July 1,
2034,
2035,
a final evaluation of those degree programs, as provided. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1,
2035.
2037.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Southwestern Community College District.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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