Bill Text: CA SB1321 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Public postsecondary education: remedial classes and supports: audit.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)

Status: (Introduced) 2026-04-22 - April 22 set for first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 2. Noes 1. Page 4007.) Reconsideration granted. [SB1321 Detail]

Download: California-2025-SB1321-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  March 23, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1321

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Introduced by Senator Senators Niello and Ochoa Bogh

February 20, 2026

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An act to amend add Section 99182 of 99183 to the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1321, as amended, Niello. California Postsecondary Education Commission: annual report. Public postsecondary education: remedial classes and supports: audit.

Existing law requires the California Postsecondary Education Commission, on or before November 15 of each year, to submit a higher education report to the Legislature and the Governor that provides information to the citizens of the state on the significant indicators of performance of the public colleges and universities, as specified. Existing law requires the commission to consider including, for community colleges, the proportion of remedial or developmental education courses taught by full-time faculty. The Budget Act of 2011 deleted funding and personnel from the California Postsecondary Education Commission.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that report provision.

This bill would require the California State Auditor, on or before September 1, 2027, to report to the chairs of certain legislative committees the results of an audit of the California State University and the University of California regarding the use of remedial instruction and supports, as specified.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 99183 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 99182, to read:

99183.

 (a) On or before September 1, 2027, the California State Auditor shall report the results of an audit of the California State University and the University of California regarding the use of remedial instruction and supports. The audit for each segment shall do all of the following:

(1) Evaluate the number of students that enrolled in remedial English or mathematics courses or received supports in a nonremedial English or mathematics course from the 2019–20 to 2024–25 academic years, inclusive.

(2) Evaluate the efforts of the segment pertaining to students needing remedial instruction or supports.

(3) Evaluate three of the high-demand campuses of the California State University and three of the high-demand campuses of the University of California on all of the following:

(A) Any increase in the use of remedial courses or supports in nonremedial courses since the 2019–20 academic year and the factors contributing to that increase.

(B) Potential improvements to the admissions process to ensure that student preparedness is properly assessed.

(C) How the admissions process ensures the use of fair and unbiased admissions practices.

(D) The level of proficiency and training of those evaluating applications.

(4) Review and assess any other issues that are significant to the audit, including, but not limited to, identifying any changes that might result in improvements in the ability of the California State University and the University of California to address the number of students needing remedial courses or supports in nonremedial courses.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the California State Auditor shall report the findings of each audit conducted pursuant to subdivision (a) to the chairs of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, the Senate Committee on Education, and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, consistent with the requirements of Section 9795 of the Government Code.

SECTION 1.Section 99182 of the Education Code is amended to read:

99182.

(a)On or before November 15 of each year, the California Postsecondary Education Commission shall submit a higher education report to the Legislature and the Governor that provides information to the citizens of the state on the significant indicators of performance of the public colleges and universities. This annual report shall be presented in a readable format. Before publication, the commission shall distribute a draft of the report to all public colleges and universities for comment.

(b)The commission, in cooperation with the public colleges and universities, shall develop and adopt a format for the higher education report specified in subdivision (a) and the information to be included. The following types of information shall be considered for inclusion in the report with respect to public universities:

(1)The retention rate of students.

(2)The proportion of lower division instructional courses taught by tenured and tenure-track faculty.

(3)The minimum number of hours per semester required to be spent by faculty in student advisement.

(4)The proportion of graduate and undergraduate students participating in sponsored research programs.

(5)Placement data on graduates.

(6)The proportional changes in the participation and graduation rates of students from groups historically underrepresented in higher education.

(7)The proportion of graduate students who received undergraduate degrees from each of the following:

(A)The institution.

(B)Within the state.

(C)Within the United States.

(D)Other nations.

(8)The number of full-time students who have transferred from a California community college.

(9)Demonstrable evidence of improvements in student knowledge, capacities, and skills between entrance and graduation, where this evidence exists.

(10)Results of surveys of students regarding student attitudes and experiences, where these surveys exist.

(c)The following types of information shall be considered for inclusion in the report with respect to public community colleges:

(1)The retention rate of students.

(2)The proportion of remedial or developmental education courses taught by full-time faculty.

(3)The number of hours per student per semester spent by faculty in student advisement.

(4)Placement data on graduates.

(5)The proportional change in the participation and graduation rate of students from groups historically underrepresented in higher education.

(6)The number of students who have transferred into a four-year, postsecondary institution, by ethnicity and gender.

(7)Demonstrable evidence of improvements in student knowledge, capacities, and skills between entrance and graduation, where this evidence exists.

(8)Results of surveys of students regarding student attitudes and experiences, where these surveys exist.