California § 66032.2 - The California Center for Inclusive College is hereby established and shall be ad

§ 66032.2. The California Center for Inclusive College is hereby established and shall be ad

(a) The California Center for Inclusive College is hereby established and shall be administered by the county office of education or county offices of education selected pursuant to subdivision (b), working in partnership with regional centers, public postsecondary educational institutions, and the University of California, Davis MIND Institute. (b) Commencing with the 2024–25 fiscal year, the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) shall be annually appropriated each fiscal year from the General Fund to the Superintendent to, in consultation with the executive director of the State Board of Education, allocate to one or more county offices of education selected to administer the center consistent with this section. (c) (1) For the 2026–27 fiscal year, the Superintendent shall allocate the funding appropriated in Provision 3 of Item 6100-488 of Section 2.0 of the Budget Act of 2026 to the California Center for Inclusive College for purposes of implementing inclusive college programs, as defined in Section 66032.1. This funding shall be available for encumbrance through June 30, 2032. (2) Of the funds available for the purpose described in paragraph (1), up to fifteen percent may be used for the administration of grant awards pursuant to this subdivision. (3) The California Center for Inclusive College shall submit a report to the Department of Finance on or before December 1, 2026, detailing how it plans to award funds for institutions of higher education that are implementing new inclusive college programs, maintaining existing inclusive college programs, and expanding inclusive college programs. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the number of programs the center estimates the funding can support, the length of the grant period for the awards, characteristics of programs for grant prioritization if applicable, and how the center will provide oversight of the grant awardees. No funding shall be awarded to inclusive college programs under this subdivision until this report is approved by the Department of Finance. (d) The responsibilities of the center shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following: (1) Assisting California inclusive college programs in aligning with the federal requirements, standards, and quality indicators identified by the National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities and the coordinating center described in Section 1140q(b) of Title 20 of the United States Code, pursuant to Section 1140q of Title 20 of the United States Code. (2) Assisting California inclusive college programs with the development and submission of federal comprehensive transition and postsecondary program applications. (3) Facilitating collaboration between local educational agencies, regional centers, local Department of Rehabilitation field offices, and inclusive college programs to support students with intellectual disabilities and their parents, families, and supporters to plan for postsecondary transition, which shall include plans for high school diploma attainment. (4) Assisting public postsecondary educational institutions and inclusive college programs with the identification of potential funding sources to establish, sustain, or expand upon inclusive college programs, including student financial assistance opportunities. (5) Supporting inclusive college programs with guidance and assistance when applying for potential funding sources and student financial assistance opportunities. (6) Holding meetings and annual workshops to share best practices and provide technical assistance on developing and establishing an inclusive college program, including opportunities to transition two-year programs to four-year programs and to incorporate a residential living component. (7) Disseminating to local educational agencies, local Department of Rehabilitation field offices, and regional centers information about, but not limited to, all of the following: (A) Education programs, services, and resources that are available at inclusive college programs. (B) Supports, accommodations, technical assistance, and training provided by inclusive college programs. (C) Mentoring, networking, and employment opportunities available at inclusive college programs. (8) Meeting regularly with interested parties, including, but not limited to, people with intellectual disabilities and their parents, families, and supporters; staff of the State Department of Education, the State Board of Education, the State Department of Developmental Services, the Department of Rehabilitation, and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; and public postsecondary educational institutions, with the goal of providing continuous improvement to the delivery of inclusive college programs to students with intellectual disabilities, by doing both of the following: (A) Identifying federal grant funding opportunities for state agencies and assisting inclusive college programs in investigating options for long-term programmatic and fiscal sustainability. (B) Sharing best practices, barriers, and challenges to establishing or expanding inclusive college programs. (e) (1) For the 2024–25 fiscal year, of the amount appropriated pursuant to subdivision (b), up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) shall be available for the center to convene an advisory workgroup consisting of representatives from at least two, but not more than six, existing inclusive college programs throughout the state to consult with the center and to do all of the following: (A) Collect and share best practices for inclusive college programs. (B) Advise and assist the center in determining areas of greatest need for technical assistance for inclusive college programs. (C) Support the center in exploring methods of capacity building to strengthen existing inclusive college programs. (2) Each inclusive college program with representatives in the advisory workgroup shall be reimbursed for any actual and necessary expenses incurred in connection with their participation in the advisory workgroup, in an amount not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for each inclusive college program. (f) To the extent practicable, the center shall leverage resources from the National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities and the coordinating center described in Section 1140q(b) of Title 20 of the United States Code, pursuant to Section 1140q of Title 20 of the United States Code, for best practices, frameworks, and effective implementation of programs for students with disabilities, including long-term planning to increase inclusive college programs. (g) Beginning in the 2025–26 fiscal year, and annually thereafter, on or before March 1 each fiscal year, the center shall provide to the Governor, the Legislature, and the Department of Finance a report regarding the implementation of this section; relevant data, including, but not limited to, student activities and demographic information, to the extent feasible and meaningful to measure access, equity, and outcomes; and recommendations to expand evolving best practices. (h) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriations made by subdivision (b) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the fiscal year in which they are appropriated, and included within the “total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B,” as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the fiscal year in which they are appropriated.