Part-Time Community College Faculty Health Insurance Program., the official text

An act to amend Section 87867 of, and to add Sections 87867.5 and 87869 to, the Education Code, relating to community colleges, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law requires the board to appoint a chief executive officer, known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, under the administration of community college district governing boards, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction at the community college campuses they operate. Existing law establishes the Part-Time Community College Faculty Health Insurance Program, which authorizes the governing board of a community college district to provide a program of health insurance for part-time faculty, multidistrict part-time faculty, and their dependents. Existing law requires the chancellor, by June 15 of each year, to apportion to each community college that establishes a program an amount that equals up to12 of the total cost of the individual premiums required to be paid for the health insurance coverage of participating part-time faculty, multidistrict part-time faculty, and their dependents, and to apportion any remaining funds to each community college district that establishes a program and meets certain criteria, up to the total cost of the individual premiums required to be paid for the health insurance coverage of the participants, as provided. If funds appropriated for purposes of the program remain after those apportionments, existing law requires that the balance revert to the General Fund annually, as specified.
This bill would instead require that the balance be deposited into the Part-Time Community College Faculty Health Insurance Program Fund, which the bill would create. The bill would continuously appropriate the moneys in the fund to the chancellor for purposes of the above-described apportionments, as specified.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature that, by January 1, 2030, each community college district commence negotiations with the exclusive representatives for part-time community college faculty to offer health insurance benefits to part-time and multidistrict part-time community college faculty and their eligible dependents.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 87867 of the Education Code is amended to read:
87867.
(a) By June 15 of each year, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall apportion to each community college district that establishes a program pursuant to this article an amount that equals up to one-half of the total cost of the individual premiums required to be paid for the health insurance coverage of participating part-time faculty, multidistrict part-time faculty, and their dependents in the district.
(b) By June 15 of each year, the chancellor shall apportion any remaining funds appropriated for this program to each community college district that establishes a program pursuant to this article and meets all of the following criteria, up to the total cost of the individual premiums required to be paid for the health insurance coverage of participating part-time faculty, multidistrict part-time faculty, and their dependents in the district:
(1) Offers health insurance coverage to all part-time faculty who meet the requirements in subdivision (c) of Section 87861.
(2) Offers part-time faculty the same health insurance benefits provided to the full-time faculty at the community college district.
(3) Limits individual premiums paid by part-time faculty to no more than the actual individual premium paid by full-time faculty in that district.
(4) Offers health insurance coverage to all multidistrict part-time faculty who meet the requirements in subdivision (b) of Section 87861, and pursuant to Section 87865.
(c) The chancellor shall distribute funds that have been appropriated specifically for this purpose, and pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b), proportionally based on each community college district’s total costs for premiums for those districts that submit verification of the costs of premiums for eligible employees for a fiscal year, but in no event shall the allocation to any district exceed the full cost of the verified premiums.
(d)If funds appropriated for this purpose remain after all apportionments for subdivisions (a) and (b) have been made, the balance that exceeds that amount shall be deposited annually into the Part-Time Community College Faculty Health Insurance Program Fund created pursuant to Section 87867.5.

SEC. 2.
Section 87867.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:
87867.5.
The Part-Time Community College Faculty Health Insurance Program Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. Pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 87867, funds remaining after all apportionments pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 87867 have been made shall be deposited into the fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all moneys in the fund shall be continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal year, to the chancellor for purposes of making the apportionments in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 87867 until reappropriated or reverted by the Legislature through the annual Budget Act or any other act.

SEC. 3.
Section 87869 is added to the Education Code, to read:
87869.
It is the intent of the Legislature that, by January 1, 2030, each community college district commence negotiations with the exclusive representatives for part-time community college faculty to offer health insurance benefits to part-time and multidistrict part-time community college faculty and their eligible dependents.