Bill Text: CA SB711 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 711

Bill Title: Community colleges: blockchain industry report.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-09-01 - September 1 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB711 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SB711-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate April 26, 2023

Amended IN Senate March 20, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 711

Introduced by Senator Caballero
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Grayson)

February 16, 2023

An act to add and repeal Article 5 (commencing with Section 78280) of Chapter 2 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 711, as amended, Caballero. Community colleges: blockchain ~~degree programs and technology: working group.~~ industry report.

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 postsecondary education in this state. Existing law requires the board of governors to appoint a chief executive officer, known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

Existing law establishes the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program, administered by the State Department of Education, with the purpose of encouraging, maintaining, and strengthening the delivery of high-quality career technical education programs.

This bill would require the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to, in collaboration with the department, convene, until July 1, 2026, a working group to take certain actions related to a blockchain associate of arts degree program at community colleges, including identifying key elements of creating a blockchain associate of arts degree program and developing training manuals, guidelines, and other materials necessary to duplicate the blockchain associate of arts degree program at community colleges statewide. The bill would require the working group to ensure that course materials for the blockchain associate of arts degree program and related guidelines can be incorporated into career technical education programs offered by school districts and county offices of education and explore the feasibility of incorporating blockchain technology into curricula currently offered in community college associate degree programs and career technical education programs offered by school districts and county offices of education, as provided. The bill would authorize the working group to explore the feasibility of creating a blockchain baccalaureate degree program at community colleges. The bill would require the working group to submit a report on or before July 1, 2026, to the Legislature, the chancellor’s office, and the department that outlines, at minimum, recommendations and guidance for the creation of a blockchain associate of arts degree program at community colleges and the feasibility of incorporating blockchain technology into curricula currently offered in community college associate degree programs and career technical education programs offered by school districts and county offices of education, as specified.
This bill would require of the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, to produce a report, on or before December 31, 2024, relating to the blockchain industry and the California Community Colleges that addresses specified topics, including, among others, recommendations on activities related to pipeline development between career technical education programs offered by local educational agencies and the California Community Colleges. The bill would require the chancellor’s office to leverage its existing workforce programs structure and network to convene the necessary stakeholders in the blockchain industry or similar industries to identify workforce needs within regional economies, to include the contributions of faculty, workforce development, the K–12 sector, and other relevant stakeholders, and to provide a copy of the report to Legislature on or before December 31, 2024, as provided.
This bill would repeal its provisions as of January 1, 2029.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

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

SECTION 1.

Article 5 (commencing with Section 78280) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:

Article 5. Blockchain Industry Report
78280.
(a) On or before December 31, 2024, the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, shall produce a report that addresses all of the following.
(1) A review of existing California Community College programs and courses that are aligned with the blockchain industry.
(2) An analysis of the blockchain industry and demand, including employer workforce needs, student demand, and institutional capacity.
(3) Ways to align the blockchain workforce needs of employers with the education and training provided by California Community Colleges.
(4) Recommendations on activities related to pipeline development between career technical education programs offered by local educational agencies and the California Community Colleges.
(5) Recommendations on potential strategies to promote blockchain-related careers where a workforce shortage exists.
(b) In carrying out the requirements of subdivision (a), the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall do both of the following:
(1) Leverage its existing workforce programs structure and network to convene the necessary stakeholders in the blockchain industry or similar industries to identify workforce needs within regional economies.
(2) Include the contributions of faculty, workforce development, the K–12 sector, and other relevant stakeholders.
(c) On or before December 31, 2024, the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall provide a copy of the report required pursuant to subdivision (a) to the Legislature, consistent with the requirements of Section 9795 of the Government Code.
78281.
This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2029, and as of that date is repealed.

SECTION 1.
~~The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:~~
~~(a)Blockchain technology, synonymous with distributed ledger technology, is a significant innovation with the potential to revolutionize nearly every economic sector in the state.~~
(b)The state is poised to capitalize on blockchain innovation and continue serving as a leader in embracing new technologies while creating a stable environment in which the blockchain sector can flourish.
~~(c)To properly support the nascent blockchain sector, the state should support efforts to create a reliable source of skilled workers.~~
(d)Jobs in the blockchain sector are high-skill, high-wage, and embrace remote work, giving Californians access to good, flexible jobs of the future while meeting the goals of Executive Order No. N-9-22.
~~(e)There are only a few limited courses relating to the blockchain sector currently offered at community colleges.~~
SEC. 2.Article 5 (commencing with Section 78280) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:
5.Blockchain Degree Programs and Technology
78280.
(a)(1)The office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in collaboration with the department, shall convene, until July 1, 2026, a working group consisting of representatives for the chancellor’s office, the Governor, the department, local educational agencies, student-led blockchain university clubs, industry fields within the blockchain sector, and blockchain consumer protection groups that specialize in education.
(2)No more than two representatives for an entity in paragraph (1) shall be selected for the working group. The working group shall have equal representation between educational entities, industry fields, and consumer protection groups. The Governor shall select one representative to represent the Governor. Each entity described in paragraph (1) shall select its representatives. The Governor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the chancellor may confirm or reject representatives selected by any educational entity in paragraph (1), select additional representatives for the working group, as necessary, and select representatives to represent industry fields and consumer protection groups if no representatives are selected to represent these entities.
~~(b)(1)The working group shall do all of the following:~~
~~(A)Identify key elements of creating a blockchain associate of arts degree program and related guidelines for offering the program at community colleges.~~
~~(B)Ensure that the blockchain associate of arts degree program and related guidelines meet all aspects of the blockchain industry’s growth and development and all applicable use cases.~~
(C)Ensure that course materials developed for the blockchain associate of arts degree program and related guidelines can be incorporated into career technical education programs offered by local educational agencies, align with the state’s plans for career technical education, and incorporate skill badging, student-centered flexibility, and customizability.
~~(D)Develop training manuals, guidelines, and other materials necessary to duplicate the blockchain associate of arts degree program at community colleges statewide.~~
(E)Explore the feasibility of incorporating blockchain technology into curricula currently offered in community college associate degree programs and career technical education programs offered by local educational agencies in the fields of social sciences, arts, humanities, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
~~(F)Analyze the benefits, challenges, and viability of storing degree information on blockchain technology.~~
(G)Ensure that the final frameworks and recommendations developed by the working group include a requirement for a course covering blockchain ethics and risk management to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal regulations and emphasize consumer protections.
~~(2)The working group may explore the feasibility of creating a blockchain baccalaureate degree program at community colleges.~~
(c)The working group shall meet at least once per month and may consult with other individuals, groups, and organizations for additional insight and expertise on issues under consideration by the working group.
(d)On or before July 1, 2026, the working group shall submit to the Legislature, pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code, the chancellor’s office, and the department a report that outlines, at minimum, recommendations and guidance for the creation of a blockchain associate of arts degree program pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) at community colleges, and the feasibility of incorporating blockchain technology into curricula currently offered in community college associate degree programs and career technical education programs offered by local educational agencies in the fields of social sciences, arts, humanities, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as determined by the working group pursuant to subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b).
~~(e)As used in this section, “local educational agencies” means school districts and county offices of education.~~
78281.
~~This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2027, and as of that date is repealed.~~