AB 1694

AB1694:v98#DOCUMENT

Bill Start

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1694

An act to amend Sections 53071 and 53073 of the Education Code, relating to career technical education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1694, as amended, Carrillo. California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program: renewal grants.

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. Existing law requires, for the 2021–22 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, $300,000,000 to be available to the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the program. Existing law requires a grant applicant to demonstrate a proportional dollar-for-dollar match and sets that amount at $2 for every $1 received from the program. Existing law prohibits an applicant from being awarded an amount higher than the amount that the allocation formula determines the applicant to be eligible to receive under the program. Existing law authorizes a grant recipient under the program to consist of one or more, or any combination, of school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, or regional occupational centers or programs operated by joint powers authorities or county offices of education, as provided. Existing law provides that an applicant receiving a grant from the program in a prior fiscal year is eligible to apply to receive a renewal grant if the applicant’s career technical education program continues to meet specified requirements, as provided.

This bill would delete the prohibition against an applicant being awarded more than the amount determined by the allocation formula and would instead provide that an applicant receiving a grant from the program in a prior fiscal year is required to receive a renewal grant for at least 3 additional years, as provided. The bill would require, beginning with the 2026–27 fiscal year, up to 90% of the grants awarded pursuant to the program to be designated for renewal grants and up to 10% to be designated for grants for new applicants, unless otherwise determined by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, as provided. The bill would require the Superintendent to cease distribution of funding and recover previously distributed funding if certain conditions occur, including, among others, that the grant recipient did not implement the program substantively as was initially proposed, as provided.

Digest Key

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

Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to provide increased stability and to reflect increases in the funding available through the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program by allowing grants to be automatically renewed for four years to support high-quality career technical education courses and pathways and to ensure all pupils have the opportunity to be college and career ready.

SEC. 2.

Section 53071 of the Education Code, as added by Section 6 of Chapter 457 of the Statutes of 2025, is amended to read:

53071.

The department shall administer this program as a competitive grant program. An applicant shall demonstrate all of the following to be considered for a grant award:

(a) (1) A proportional dollar-for-dollar match as follows for any funding that an applicant is determined to be eligible to receive under the allocation formula established pursuant to Section 53076:

(A) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015, one dollar ($1) for every one dollar ($1) received from this program.

(B) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2016, one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) for every one dollar ($1) received from this program.

(C) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017, two dollars ($2) for every one dollar ($1) received from this program.

(D) (i) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018, and each fiscal year thereafter, two dollars ($2) for every one dollar ($1) received from this program.

(ii) Beginning July 1, 2021, the proportional dollar-for-dollar match shall be encumbered in the fiscal year for which an applicant is applying to receive a grant under the program.

(2) In the event an applicant is unable to fully match the amount of funding that the allocation formula determines that they are eligible to receive, the applicant’s award shall be reduced to the amount necessary for the applicant to meet the requirements of this subdivision.

(3) That local match may include funding from school district and charter school local control funding formula apportionments pursuant to Section 42238.02, the federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) (Public Law 115-224), the California Partnership Academies, the Agricultural Career Technical Education Incentive Grant, or any other allowable source except as provided in paragraph (4).

(4) That local match shall not include funding from the K–12 component of the Strong Workforce Program established pursuant to Section 88827 or the Career Technical Education Facilities Program established pursuant to Section 17078.72.

(5) An applicant’s matching funds shall be used to support the program or programs for which the applicant was awarded a grant.

(b) A three-year plan for continued financial and administrative support of career technical education programs that demonstrates a financial commitment of no less than the amount expended on those programs in the previous fiscal year. The plan, at a minimum, shall include the identification of available funding within an applicant’s current or projected budget to continue to support career technical education programs and a written commitment to do so. If an applicant consisting of more than one school district, county office of education, charter school, or regional occupational center or program operated by a joint powers authority or county office of education, or any combination of these entities, is applying for grant funding from this program, identification of available funding and a written commitment shall be demonstrated by each participating constituent entity.

(c) The applicant, or the applicant’s career technical education program, as applicable, meets all of the following minimum eligibility standards:

(1) Offers high-quality curriculum and instruction aligned with the California Career Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards, including, but not limited to, providing a coherent sequence of career technical education courses that lead to a career pathway that enables pupils to transition to employment or to postsecondary education in either of the following:

(A) Programs that integrate academic and career technical education and that offer the opportunity for participants to prepare for postsecondary enrollment and to earn postsecondary credits through Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses, or by formal agreement with a postsecondary partner to provide dual enrollment opportunities.

(B) Programs that allow pupils to attain employment upon graduation from high school, including through industry certifications, preapprenticeships, or apprenticeships.

(2) Provides pupils with quality career exploration, guidance, and a continuum of work-based learning opportunities aligned with academic coursework, which may include paid internships or service learning.

(3) Provides pupil support services, including counseling and leadership development, to address pupils’ social, emotional, career, and academic needs.

(4) Provides for system alignment, coherence, and articulation, including ongoing and structural regional or local partnerships with postsecondary educational institutions, documented through formal written agreements allowing for dual enrollment opportunities and partnerships to establish new or expand existing career pathways, including, but not limited to, green technology, health care, information technology, education, and artificial intelligence.

(5) Collaborates with labor and business entities for purposes of placement of pupils in apprenticeships, preapprenticeships, dual enrollment opportunities, earn and learn opportunities, service learning, and work-based learning opportunities.

(6) Provides opportunities for pupils to participate in after school, extended day, and out-of-school internships, competitions, leadership development opportunities, career and technical education student organizations, and other work-based learning opportunities.

(7) Ensures career programs and career pathways are aligned with workforce needs and labor market demand, as identified through local, regional, or statewide economic and workforce development plans, Strong Workforce Program consortia plans, other relevant labor market information, and employer engagement.

(8) Leads to an industry-recognized credential or certificate, or appropriate postsecondary education or training, employment, or a postsecondary degree.

(9) Is staffed by skilled teachers or faculty, and provides professional development opportunities for any teachers or faculty members supporting pupils in those programs.

(10) Provides opportunities for pupils who are individuals with exceptional needs to participate in all programs.

(11) Provides opportunities for pupils from historically underrepresented communities, foster youth, adult learners, people with children, low-income pupils, English language learners, and other populations that struggle to access career technical education and career pathway programs.

(12) (A) Reports data to the Superintendent, no later than November 1 of each fiscal year, as a program participation requirement, to allow for an evaluation of the program.

(B) Data reported pursuant to this paragraph shall include, but not be limited to, the quality indicators described in the California State Plan for Career Technical Education required by the federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), and each of the following metrics, disaggregated by race and gender:

(i) The high school graduation rate.

(ii) The number of pupils completing career technical education coursework.

(iii) The number of pupils earning dual credit through career technical education courses and career pathways.

(iv) The number of pupils participating in work-based learning, earn and learn activities, or service learning, linked to career technical education courses and career pathways.

(v) The number of pupils meeting academic and career-readiness standards as defined in the College/Career Indicator associated with the California School Dashboard.

(vi) The number of pupils obtaining an industry-recognized credential, certificate, license, or other measure of technical skill attainment.

(vii) The number of former pupils employed and the types of businesses in which they are employed.

(viii) The number of former pupils enrolled in each of the following:

(I) A postsecondary educational institution.

(II) A state apprenticeship program.

(III) A form of job training other than a state apprenticeship program.

(C) No later than January 1 of each fiscal year, the California Workforce Pathways Joint Advisory Committee established pursuant to Section 12053, in consultation with the California Education Interagency Council established pursuant to Section 11902 of the Government Code, shall review the data metrics specified in subparagraph (B) and make recommendations to the Department of Finance, the Governor, and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature as to both of the following topics:

(i) Whether these data metrics remain the most appropriate metrics to measure and evaluate program outcomes for both new and renewal applicants.

(ii) Whether other metrics should be included.

(D) The department shall make the data reported pursuant to subparagraph (B) available to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in the manner and form requested by the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, on or before December 30 of each fiscal year to ensure that data is included in the California Community Colleges LaunchBoard data platform.

(d) This section shall become operative on June 1, 2026.

SEC. 3.

Section 53073 of the Education Code is amended to read:

53073.

(a) An applicant receiving a grant from this program in a prior fiscal year shall receive a renewal grant for at least three additional years if the applicant’s career technical education program meets the requirements specified in Section 53071, and, to the extent practicable, has been evaluated and deemed successful by the Superintendent, in collaboration with the executive director of the state board, based on the metrics specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (d). (c).

(b) The Superintendent shall cease distribution of funding and recover previously distributed funding if any of the following occurs:

(1) The grant recipient failed to implement the program substantively as was initially proposed in the grant application pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 53071.

(2) The grant recipient did not comply with the matching fund requirements pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 53071.

(3) The grant recipient no longer requires the grant.

(c)Beginning with the 2026–27 fiscal year, of the amount appropriated pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 53070, up to 90 percent shall be designated for renewal grants pursuant to subdivision (a) and up to 10 percent shall be designated for grants to new applicants, unless otherwise determined by the Superintendent, in collaboration with the executive director of the state board.

(d)

(c) (1) The department, in collaboration with the executive director of the state board, shall determine reporting requirements and renewal grant eligibility using metrics identified pursuant to paragraph (12) of subdivision (c) of Section 53071.

(2) If an applicant for a renewal grant is subject to the requirements of Sections 52060 and 52061, Sections 52066 and 52067, or Section 47606.5, the inclusion of career technical education programs in the applicant’s local control and accountability plan and annual update shall be required to be eligible for a renewal grant.