BILL NUMBER: SB 588 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 704
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 28, 2008
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 21, 2008
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 19, 2008
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 4, 2008
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 14, 2008
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 20, 2007
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 25, 2007
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 9, 2007
INTRODUCED BY Senator Runner
(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Furutani and Portantino)
(Coauthor: Senator Scott)
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Caballero)
FEBRUARY 22, 2007
An act to add Sections 81053 and 81054 to the Education Code,
relating to community colleges.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 588, Runner. Postsecondary education: community college school
buildings.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges under
the administration of the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges. Existing law authorizes the establishment of
community college districts under the administration of community
college governing boards, and authorizes these districts to provide
instruction at community college campuses throughout the state.
Existing law requires the Department of General Services
(department) to supervise the design and construction of certain
school buildings, including specified community college facilities,
to ensure that plans and specifications comply with specified
structural safety standards and to ensure that the work of
construction has been performed in accordance with the approved plans
and specifications, for the protection of life and property.
Existing law also requires the department to pass upon and approve or
reject all plans for the construction of, and in some cases, the
alteration of, any school building subject to those provisions, and
to inspect the school buildings and work of construction or
alteration that in its judgment is necessary or proper for the
enforcement of these requirements and the protection of the safety of
the students, the instructors, and the public. These requirements
are part of the body of law known as the Field Act.
Existing law requires school buildings that are constructed,
reconstructed, modified, or expanded after July 1, 2006, on a
community college campus to be built according to the Field Act or
according to the California Building Standards Code, as adopted by
the California Building Standards Commission.
This bill would require the department to develop and submit, in
consultation with the board of governors, by June 1, 2009, to the
California Building Standards Commission proposed building standards
for adoption as part of the California Building Standards Code that
will govern the construction, reconstruction, modification, or
expansion of school buildings of a community college district, if the
community college district elects not to utilize the Field Act. The
department would be required to review and include, where
appropriate, in these standards the standards that govern the
California State University.
The bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) to
undertake a fact-based analysis of the length of time the department
and the community colleges take to perform their respective functions
to complete community college construction and alteration projects,
and compile this information in a report. The bill would require the
Department of General Services to convene a working group to analyze
the report and the current process to complete community college
construction and alteration projects and develop recommendations for
changes, if any, in the project development and review process to
ensure the public safety of community college facilities through a
collaborative, consistent, cost-effective, and timely project
development and review process.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature that:
(a) This act ensure the construction of community college
facilities in a safe, cost-effective, and timely manner.
(b) The Department of General Services be staffed appropriately to
perform the tasks assigned to it, including plan review and
oversight, to ensure the timely, cost-effective, and safe delivery of
community college facilities.
(c) The process created pursuant to this act be implemented in a
manner to ensure that community college districts realize time and
cost savings in the construction process while meeting the same
seismic safety performance levels as the Field Act.
SEC. 2. Section 81053 is added to the Education Code, to read:
81053. (a) To ensure that community college districts are able to
effectively exercise the option of utilizing the Field Act or the
California Building Standards Code, as provided in Section 81052, and
construct buildings safely, cost effectively, and in a timely
manner, the Department of General Services shall develop and submit,
in consultation with the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges, by June 1, 2009, to the California Building
Standards Commission proposed building standards for adoption as part
of the California Building Standards Code that will govern the
construction, reconstruction, modification, or expansion of school
buildings of a community college district as provided in Section
81052, if the community college district elects not to utilize the
Field Act. The Department of General Services shall review and
include, where appropriate, in these standards the standards that
govern the California State University. The proposed building
standards shall provide for independent plan review and oversight to
be performed by the Department of General Services. The standards
shall become effective 30 days after adoption by the California
Building Standards Commission.
(b) The Department of General Services shall be responsible for
plan reviews consistent with Section 81133.
SEC. 3. Section 81054 is added to the Education Code, to read:
81054. (a) The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) shall undertake
a fact-based analysis of the length of time the Department of
General Services and the community colleges take to perform their
respective functions to complete community college construction and
alteration projects. This information shall be compiled in a report
made available to the Legislature and the Governor by March 1, 2009.
(b) Following the issuance of the report described in subdivision
(a), the Department of General Services shall convene a working group
advisory committee consisting of a representative from the
Department of General Services, the Board of Governors of the
California Community Colleges, the Associated General Contractors of
California, and the Professional Engineers in California Government.
The working group shall analyze the report and the current process to
complete community college construction and alteration projects and
develop recommendations for changes, if any, in the project
development and review process to ensure the public safety of
community college facilities through a collaborative, consistent,
cost-effective, and timely project development and review process.
The recommendations shall include proposed timeframe goals for the
performance of each specific task performed by the Department of
General Services and by private design professionals performing
services for a community college district and an assessment of the
staffing and other resource needs of the Department of General
Services to perform its tasks related to the construction or
alteration of community college facilities. The recommendations shall
be submitted in writing to the Department of General Services,
working group members, the Senate and Assembly Committees on
Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Education, the Assembly
Committee on Higher Education, and the education budget subcommittees
of the Assembly and Senate by December 31, 2009.