Equity in Higher Education Act: discrimination: compliance, regulations, and reports.

(1) Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. A portion of the Donahoe Higher Education Act known as the Equity in Higher Education Act declares, among other things, that it is the policy of the State of California that all persons, regardless of their sex, should enjoy freedom from discrimination of any kind in the postsecondary educational institutions of the state. Existing law requires the President of the University of California and the chancellor of each University of California campus to have primary responsibility for ensuring that campus programs and activities are free from discrimination based on age and specified characteristics. This bill would revise and recast the above-described provision to require the chancellor of each University of California campus to have the primary responsibility for ensuring that campus programs and activities are free from discrimination based on specified characteristics, including, but not limited to, the prevention of sexual harassment, as provided. The bill would require, among other requirements related to nondiscrimination, the office of the President of the University of California to annually present a report to the Board of Regents on the state of the University of California system in ensuring that programs and activities are free from discrimination based on specified characteristics, as provided. The bill would also require the President of the University of California to annually present during a public hearing of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education and the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance the annual report described above. (2) Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California State University and the president of each California State University campus to have the primary responsibility for ensuring that campus programs and activities are free from discrimination based on age and specified characteristics. This bill would revise and recast the above-described provision to instead require the president of each California State University campus to have the primary responsibility for ensuring that campus programs and activities are free from discrimination based on specified characteristics, including, but not limited to, the prevention of sexual harassment, as provided. The bill would require, among other requirements related to nondiscrimination, the office of the Chancellor of the California State University to annually present a report to the Board of Trustees on the state of the California State University system in ensuring that programs and activities are free from discrimination based on specified characteristics, as provided. The bill would also require the Chancellor of the California State University to annually present during a public hearing of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education and the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance the annual report described above. (3) Existing law requires the governing board of a community college district to have the primary responsibility for ensuring that community college district programs and activities are free from discrimination based on age and specified characteristics and requires the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to have responsibility for monitoring the compliance of each district with specified regulations. This bill would revise and recast the above-described provision to instead require the governing board of each community college district and the chief executive officer of the community college district to have joint responsibility for ensuring that programs and activities offered by the community college district are free from discrimination based on specified characteristics, including, but not limited to, the prevention of sexual harassment, as provided. The bill would require, among other requirements related to nondiscrimination, the chancellor's office to annually make a presentation during a public meeting of the Board of Governors on the state of the California Community Colleges system in ensuring that community college district programs and activities are free from discrimination based on specified characteristics, as provided. The bill would also require the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to annually present during a public hearing of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education and the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance the presentation described above. To the extent the bill would impose new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.