(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that vocational training resources that are provided through regional occupational centers and programs are an essential component of the state’s secondary school system and the local system of providing occupational skills training to high school pupils. For this reason, the Legislature finds and declares that these resources should be focused primarily on the needs of pupils enrolled in high school.

(b) For the 2008–09 fiscal year, a regional occupational center or program may claim no more than 50 percent of the state-funded average daily attendance for which the center or program is eligible, for services provided to students who are not enrolled in grades 9 to 12, inclusive.

(c) For the 2009–10 fiscal year, a regional occupational center or program may claim no more than 30 percent of the state-funded average daily attendance for which the center or program is eligible, for services provided to students who are not enrolled in grades 9 to 12, inclusive.

(d) For the 2011–12 fiscal year and every fiscal year thereafter, a regional occupational center or program may claim no more than 10 percent of the state-funded average daily attendance for which the center or program is eligible, for services provided to students who are not enrolled in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, and up to an additional 5 percent for CalWORKs, Temporary Assistance Program, or Job Corps participants and participants under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. Sec. 3101 et seq.) who are enrolled in Intensive Training services.

(e) Pupils who are CalWORKs, Temporary Assistance Program, or Job Corps participants shall have priority for service within the percentage limits established under subdivision (d).

(f) Notwithstanding subdivision (d), a regional occupational center or program may claim more than 15 percent of its average daily attendance for students who are not enrolled in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, if all of the students who are not enrolled in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, are CalWORKs, Temporary Assistance Program, or Job Corps participants, and if the governing board of the regional occupational center or program does all of the following:

(1) Meets with local human services directors, and representatives of adult education programs, community colleges, and other institutions of higher education, to assess the needs of CalWORKs, Temporary Assistance Program, or Job Corps and federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act participants to identify alternative ways to meet the needs of these adult students.

(2) Enters into a transition plan, approved by the Superintendent, to become in compliance with subdivision (d) in accordance with benchmarks and timelines established in the transition plan. Transition plans shall be established pursuant to guidelines issued by the department, in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, and shall be resubmitted and reviewed annually.

(g) Notwithstanding subdivisions (b), (c), and (d), a regional occupational center or program that claims more than 40 percent of its students are not enrolled in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, on January 1, 2007, shall submit a letter to the Superintendent by July 1 of each year until it complies with this subdivision, outlining the goals of the regional occupational center or program to reduce the number of adult students in order to comply with subdivision (d) on or before July 1, 2013.

(h) Regional occupational centers and programs operated in a rural county of the sixth, seventh, or eighth class may exceed the number of adults by an additional 10 percent of the limits established in subdivisions (b), (c), and (d).

(i) Adult average daily attendance funding for a regional occupational center or program that has entered into a corrective action plan pursuant to subdivision (k) shall not be redirected to other regional occupational centers or programs to serve additional secondary pupils for up to three years while the regional occupational center or program is in corrective action.

(j) The governing boards of a community college district and a regional occupational center or program may enter into contractual agreements under which the center or program provides services to adult students of the community college district affected by this section if both of the following are satisfied:

(1) The agreements conform to state regulations and audit requirements jointly developed by the Chancellor of the Office of the California Community Colleges and the department, in consultation with, and subject to approval by, the Department of Finance.

(2) A course offered for adults pursuant to an agreement entered into pursuant to this subdivision is limited to the same cost per student to the state as if the course were offered at the regional occupational center or program. This subdivision does not authorize the apportionment of funds for community colleges for adult students in excess of the revenue limit for regional occupational centers or programs if a course is deemed eligible for college credit.

(k) A regional occupational center or program that fails to meet a timeline established under subdivision (c), (d), or (g) shall meet with the community college, adult education program, or other adult service to identify alternative means of meeting the needs of adult students and shall enter into a corrective action plan administered by the department. The corrective action plan shall be established pursuant to guidelines issued by the department and shall be submitted to the department annually for review.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 641, Sec. 13. (AB 830) Effective January 1, 2018.)