SACRAMENTO, CA., 9/6/2026 — Two bills that would make it easier for California community colleges to create bachelor’s degrees cleared the Legislature on Monday night.
Senate Bill 960 and Assembly Bill 2694 now head to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. A two-bill package, each piece of legislation will only become law if the other is signed. It’s unclear if Newsom will sign the bills, but the legislation is no longer opposed by California State University.
Under existing law, community colleges are allowed to create bachelor’s degree programs that fill unmet workforce needs, but they can’t duplicate what’s offered at CSU campuses.
Community college and CSU officials have often disagreed over what counts as duplication, leading to some proposed degrees being delayed for years amid disputes between campuses.
Under the latest legislation, CSU campuses would only be allowed to claim duplication if their local service area includes or overlaps with the community college proposing a degree program. Even if the service areas overlap, community college degrees would be allowed to duplicate existing CSU programs when the CSU program has a transfer rate of less than 75% for three consecutive years.
“What we’ve tried to do here is be clear about what the rules are and how the decision’s gonna get made and the data that’s required, and the evidence that’s required,” Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, D-West Sacramento, said in an interview.
In a statement, CSU called the bill package “an appropriate balance of expanding access where it is needed, responding to workforce demand, and preserving the critical coordination that has long been a strength of our state.”