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AB-731 • 2026

Pupil instruction: dual enrollment: College and Career Access Pathways partnerships.

Pupil instruction: dual enrollment: College and Career Access Pathways partnerships.

Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Fong
Last action
2025-08-29
Official status
In committee: Held under submission.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on funding or support services for expanded online course offerings and asynchronous courses.

Dual Enrollment Partnerships: College and Career Access Pathways

This legislation revises existing laws to remove certain requirements in dual enrollment programs through partnerships between community colleges and schools, making it easier for high school students to participate.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the requirement that a principal must recommend a student's participation in a College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnership.
  • Allows students participating in CCAP partnerships to complete one application for their entire time as special part-time college students, rather than having to reapply each term.
  • Expands where dual enrollment courses can be offered, including online formats that are either synchronous or asynchronous.
  • Removes the limit on the number of community college courses a student can take per term in CCAP partnerships.

Who It Names or Affects

  • High school students participating in dual enrollment programs through CCAP partnerships.
  • Community colleges and schools that enter into CCAP partnerships.

Terms To Know

College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnership
A collaboration between community colleges and schools to offer dual enrollment opportunities to high school students, especially those who are not traditionally college-bound or underrepresented in higher education.
Dual Enrollment
An educational program that allows high school students to take college courses while still in high school.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the expanded online course offerings will be funded or supported.
  • It is unclear what additional support services will be provided for students taking asynchronous courses, as required by the legislation.

Bill History

  1. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Held under submission.

  2. 2025-07-07 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  3. 2025-07-01 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 APPR.

  4. 2025-06-25 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  5. 2025-06-11 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on ED.

  6. 2025-06-03 California Legislative Information

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

  7. 2025-06-02 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1849.)

  8. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  9. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).

  10. 2025-05-14 California Legislative Information

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

  11. 2025-05-06 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  12. 2025-05-05 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  13. 2025-05-01 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 30).

  14. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on ED.

  15. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    Coauthors revised.

  16. 2025-03-28 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

  17. 2025-03-27 California Legislative Information

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

  18. 2025-03-03 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on HIGHER ED. and ED.

  19. 2025-02-19 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.

  20. 2025-02-18 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 731, as amended, Fong.
Pupil instruction: dual enrollment: College and Career Access Pathways partnerships.
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a community college district to enter into a College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnership with the governing board of a school district, a county office of education, or the governing body of a charter school for the purpose of offering or expanding dual enrollment opportunities for pupils who may not already be college bound or who are underrepresented in higher education, as provided.
Existing law requires the partnership agreement to outline the terms of the partnership, as specified, and to establish protocols for information sharing, joint facilities use, and parental consent for high school pupils to enroll in community college courses. Existing law requires the protocols to only require a high school pupil participating in a CCAP partnership to submit one parental consent form and
principal recommendation for the duration of the pupil’s participation in the CCAP partnership.
This bill would revise the CCAP partnership provisions to eliminate the requirement that the protocols require principal recommendation.
Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to revise the special part-time student application process to allow a pupil to complete one application for the duration of the pupil’s attendance at a community college as a special part-time student participating in a CCAP partnership agreement.
This bill would require a CCAP partnership agreement to also establish protocols that authorize a pupil to complete one application for the duration of the pupil’s attendance at a community college as a special part-time student participating in a CCAP partnership agreement.
Existing law
authorizes a community college district to limit enrollment in a community college course solely to eligible high school pupils if the course is offered at a high school campus, either in person or using an online platform, during the regular schoolday and the community college course is offered pursuant to a CCAP partnership agreement.
This bill instead would authorize a community college district to limit enrollment in a community college course solely to eligible high school pupils if the course is offered either in person at a high school or community college campus, or using an online format, either synchronous or asynchronous, as defined, and the community college course is offered pursuant to a CCAP partnership agreement. The bill would require the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to adopt regulations to ensure that comprehensive support services are provided to high school pupils dually enrolled in asynchronous courses, as
specified.
Existing law authorizes a community college district to allow a special part-time student participating in a CCAP partnership agreement to enroll in up to a maximum of 15 units per term in courses offered at the community college campus or the participating high school campus if certain circumstances are satisfied, including that the units constitute no more than 4 community college courses per term.
This bill would eliminate the 4 community college courses per term limit for a special part-time student enrolling in up to 15 units under a CCAP partnership agreement.
Existing law requires, for each CCAP partnership agreement, the affected community college district and school district, county office of education, or charter school to annually report specified information to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, including the
total number of community college courses, by course category and type and by schoolsite, enrolled in by CCAP partnership participants.
This bill instead would require the affected community college district and school district, county office of education, or charter school to annually report the total number of high school pupils who successfully completed 12 or more units of college coursework by graduation, completed a certificate, or completed the courses required for an associate degree or an associate degree for transfer.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Download Bill PDF