AB-861 • 2026

Community colleges: students: public transportation: Los Angeles Community College District.

Budget Education

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Solache
Last action: 2026-02-02
Official status: From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify the exact details of how the student ambassador program operates beyond mentioning security and maintenance tasks.

Free Transit Passes and Student Ambassador Program for LA Community College Students

This law establishes a program that provides free transit passes to students at Los Angeles Community Colleges and sets up a student ambassador program to assist with public transportation.

What This Bill Does

Establishes the GoPass TAP card program, providing all enrolled students with a free transit pass from LA Metro.
Requires the Los Angeles Community College District to annually enter into an agreement with LA Metro for the provision of these passes.
Sets up a student ambassador program where students assist with security and maintenance on public transportation lines near their campuses.
Requires annual reports about the programs to be submitted to state officials.

Who It Names or Affects

Students enrolled at Los Angeles Community College District campuses
Los Angeles Community College District
LA Metro (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

Terms To Know

GoPass TAP card: A free transit pass provided to students for use on LA Metro public transportation.
Student Ambassador Program: A program where college students help with security and maintenance tasks on LA Metro rail and bus lines near their campuses.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill requires the Los Angeles Community College District to submit annual reports about the programs.
It provides $2,500,000 from the state's General Fund for developing and implementing these programs.
If the Commission on State Mandates finds that this law imposes costs on local agencies, the state will have to reimburse them.

Bill History

2026-02-02 California Legislative Information
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
2026-01-31 California Legislative Information
Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.
2025-04-28 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.
2025-04-24 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (April 22).
2025-04-08 California Legislative Information
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-03-10 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on HIGHER ED. and TRANS.
2025-02-20 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
2025-02-19 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 861, as amended, Solache.
Community colleges: students: public transportation: Los Angeles 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 creates the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“LA Metro”) with specified powers and duties relative to transportation planning, programming, and operations in the County of Los Angeles.
This bill would
establish the LA Metro Los Angeles Community College GoPass and Student Ambassador Program to promote the use of public transportation by students enrolled at a campus of the Los Angeles Community College District by (1) providing all students with a free transit pass to access the public transportation services provided by LA Metro, and (2) establishing
(1) require the Los Angeles Community College District to annually enter into a memorandum of understanding with LA Metro for purposes of providing GoPass TAP cards to participating students enrolled at a campus of the community college district, as specified, and (2) establish
a student ambassador program within LA Metro where students assist with security, rider assistance, and facility upkeep on LA Metro rail and bus lines serving campuses of the Los Angeles Community College District. The bill would require the Los Angeles Community College District to submit an annual report to the Department of Finance and the budget committees of the Assembly and Senate that includes specified information about the transit pass program and the student ambassador program. By imposing additional duties on the Los Angeles Community College District and LA Metro, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would appropriate $2,500,000 from the General Fund to the Los Angeles Community College District and LA Metro to develop and implement the free transit pass program and the student ambassador program, respectively. The funds appropriated by the bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by
Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Los Angeles Community College District and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
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

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF