(a) The board may award grants to qualified public postsecondary educational institutions for the support of courses of study in construction management.

(b) Any organization of contractors, or organization of contractor organizations, incorporated under Division 2 (commencing with Section 5000) of the Corporations Code may request the board to award grants pursuant to subdivision (a) directly to qualified public postsecondary educational institutions of its choice. However, the total amount of money that may be awarded to one public postsecondary educational institution pursuant to subdivision (a) may not exceed an amount equal to 25 percent of the total funds available under this article.

(c) The board shall establish an advisory committee to recommend grant awards. The advisory committee shall be known as the Construction Management Education Account Advisory Committee and shall consist of 11 members, with at least one representative from each of the following: Associated General Contractors of California, Associated Builders and Contractors, California Building Industry Association, National Electrical Contractors Association, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractor’s Association, Southern California Contractor’s Association, Associated General Contractors of San Diego, Engineering and Utility Contractors Association, Engineering Contractors Association, California Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractor’s Association, and one member representing the California State University and University of California construction management programs accredited by the American Council for Construction Education. Advisory committee member terms shall be for three years and the representatives shall be appointed by each identified group. Members of the advisory committee shall not receive per diem or reimbursement for traveling and other expenses pursuant to Section 103.

(d) The mission of the Construction Management Education Account Advisory Committee is to maintain, and increase the quality and availability of, education programs for the construction industry. The primary focus is to provide financial resources not now available to accredited construction management programs in California colleges and universities to maintain and upgrade facilities and provide greater access by the industry to modern construction standards and management practices. The advisory committee shall do all of the following:

(1) Confirm the qualifications of programs applying for grants.

(2) Award less than full grants when the account has insufficient funds to award full grants to all qualifying programs.

(3) Receive and review year-end reports of use and impact of funds.

(4) Affirm applications for American Council for Construction Education accreditation and, when funds are available, award grants to complete the accreditation process.

(5) Promote close ties between feeder junior colleges and four-year construction management programs.

(6) Support development of new educational programs with specific emphasis on outreach to the construction industry at large.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 647, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1995.)