Public social services: higher education.

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 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts, locations of the California State University, and campuses of the University of California throughout the state. Existing law requires each California Community College and each California State University campus to designate a staff person as the basic needs coordinator to, among other things, act as a broker in identifying, supporting, and linking students to on- and off-campus housing, food, mental health, and other basic needs services and resources. Existing law establishes the State Department of Social Services and requires the department and the counties to administer public social services programs. Existing law requires a county human services agency to designate at least one employee as a staff liaison to serve as a point of contact for academic counselors and other professional staff at a campus of an institution of public higher education located within the county. Existing law requires a county human services agency, with input from the public institutions of higher learning in the county, to develop protocols for engagement between the agency and a campus of an institution of public higher education located within the county and encourages those entities to consult with specified stakeholders in the development of those protocols. This bill would require a county human services agency to additionally receive input from basic needs directors, basic needs coordinators, or designated staff, as specified, when developing the above-described protocols for engagement between the county human services agency and institutions of public higher education. The bill would require the department, in consultation with staff liaisons and basic needs directors or basic needs coordinators, to develop a training with a focus on public social services topics, as specified, to be available for basic needs directors, staff of a campus basic needs center, other designated professional staff from each campus of an institution of higher education, and eligibility workers. The bill would require the department to convene a workgroup to share best practices, address challenges, and identify statewide issues that includes county staff liaisons and representatives from the segments of postsecondary education, as specified. By imposing additional duties on counties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the department, on or before May 1, 2027, and every 3 years thereafter, to submit a report to the Legislature with findings and recommendations relating to enrollment success trends, best practices, and services offered by the department that may be available to students attending a campus of an institution of public higher education. 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.