AB 1858
California State University: Joint Associate’s Degree Pilot Program.
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Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
Appropriations
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- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
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Bill overview
This bill establishes a pilot program within the California State University (CSU) system to offer joint associate degrees in general education studies. The program would partner CSU campuses with community colleges or other higher education institutions to provide these degrees to former CSU students who haven't previously earned an associate's degree. The degrees would be offered at no cost to the students, and CSU Long Beach would participate initially, with the possibility of expanding to other CSU campuses. The program’s effectiveness will be evaluated and a report submitted to the legislature by 2032, after which it will be repealed.
Key provisions
- Requires the CSU Chancellor to establish a pilot program for joint associate degrees.
- Partners CSU campuses with community colleges or other higher education institutions.
- The associate degree must be awarded at no cost to eligible former students.
- CSU Long Beach will participate in the pilot program.
- The program must include processes for identifying eligible students, verifying coursework, and jointly conferring degrees.
- The Chancellor must submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the program’s effectiveness by January 1, 2032.
- The program will be inoperative on June 30, 2032, and repealed on January 1, 2033.
Who is affected
- California State University students
- Community college students
- Independent institutions of higher education
- Former CSU students
- California residents
Notable changes
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AB1858:v96#DOCUMENT
Bill Start
| Amended IN Senate June 08, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly April 23, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly April 14, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1858
| Introduced by Assembly Member Lowenthal (Coauthor: Assembly Member Fong) |
| February 11, 2026 |
An act to add and repeal Article 12 (commencing with Section 89298) of Chapter 2 of Part 55 of Division 8 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1858, as amended, Lowenthal. California State University: Joint Associate’s Degree Pilot Program.
Existing law sets forth the missions and functions of California’s public and independent segments of higher education, and details the ways in which their respective institutions are to be differentiated. Existing law specifies that the California State University shall offer undergraduate and graduate instruction through the master’s degree in the liberal arts and sciences and professional education.
This bill, upon appropriation by the Legislature, would require the Chancellor of the California State University to establish a pilot program to offer an associate degree in general education studies that is jointly conferred by a California State University campus and a community college or independent institution of higher education that awards associate degrees to former California State University students who are no longer enrolled at a California State University campus but have successfully completed coursework equivalent to the requirements for an associate degree and not previously earned an associate degree. The bill would require the associate degree to be awarded at no cost to the former student. The bill would require California State University, Long Beach, to participate in the pilot program and would authorize the chancellor to include additional California State University campuses in the pilot program. The bill would require the chancellor, on or before January 1, 2032, to submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program, as provided. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on June 30, 2032, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2033.
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.
Article 12 (commencing with Section 89298) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 55 of Division 8 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:
Article 12. California State University: Joint Associate’s Degree Pilot Program
89298.
This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the California State University: Joint Associate’s Degree Pilot Program.
89298.1.
As used in this article, the following definitions apply:
(a) “Eligible student” means a former student who has met the requirements of subdivision (a) of Section 89298.2.
(b) “Former student” means a student who is no longer enrolled at a California State University campus.
(c) “Postsecondary educational institution” means a campus or district of the California Community Colleges or an independent institution of higher education, as defined in Section 66010, that awards associate degrees.
89298.2.
(a) Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, the Chancellor of the California State University shall establish a pilot program to offer an associate degree that is jointly awarded by the California State University and a postsecondary educational institution to former students who meet both of the following requirements:
(1) The former student successfully completed coursework equivalent to the requirements for an associate degree.
(2) The former student has not previously earned an associate degree from a postsecondary educational institution.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, the pilot program shall include all of the following: following that is mutually agreed upon by the California State University and a postsecondary educational institution:
(1) The establishment of an associate degree in general education studies, which shall be the official name of an associate degree conferred pursuant to this article.
(2) A process to jointly confer the degree established pursuant to paragraph (1) between a California State University campus and a postsecondary educational institution.
(3) A process for identifying eligible former students.
(4) A mechanism for verifying an eligible former student’s completion of the requirements for the associate degree established pursuant to paragraph (1).
(c) An associate degree awarded pursuant to this section shall be awarded at no cost to the former student.
(d) The California State University, Long Beach, shall participate in the pilot program. The pilot program may include additional California State University campuses, as determined by the Chancellor of the California State University.
(e) (1) On or before January 1, 2032, the Chancellor of the California State University shall submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program at the participating California State University campuses. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the number of associate degrees awarded pursuant to this article disaggregated by student demographics, outcomes, and legislative recommendations.
(2) A report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(f) Implementation of the pilot program shall commence on or before July 1, 2027.
89298.3.
(a) This article shall only become operative upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes.
(b) This article shall become inoperative on June 30, 2032, and, as of January 1, 2033, is repealed.