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PRINTER'S NO. 1285
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1002
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY MURT, ACOSTA, V. BROWN, BROWNLEE, CALTAGIRONE,
COHEN, DAVIDSON, DeLUCA, TALLMAN AND WATSON, APRIL 20, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 20, 2015
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in community colleges, further
providing for the definition of "community college," for
powers and duties of State Board of Education and Board of
Trustees, for degrees and for dissolution of certain
community colleges.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1901-A(4) of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
amended July 13, 2005 (P.L.226, No.46), is amended to read:
Section 1901-A. Definitions.--The following words and
phrases, as used in this article, shall, unless a different
meaning is plainly required by the context, have the following
meaning:
* * *
(4) "Community college" shall mean a public college or
technical institute which is established and operated in
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accordance with the provisions of this act by a local sponsor
which provides a two-year, four-year, postsecondary, college-
parallel, terminal-general, terminal-technical, out-of-school
youth or adult education program or any combination of these.
The community college may also provide area vocational-technical
education services and credit, nonremedial college courses to
secondary senior high school students.
* * *
Section 2. Sections 1902-A(a)(1), 1905-A(a) and 1912-A of
the act, added July 1, 1985 (P.L.103, No.31), are amended to
read:
Section 1902-A. Powers and Duties of State Board of
Education.--(a) The State Board of Education shall have the
power, and its duty shall be:
(1) To adopt such policies, standards, rules and regulations
formulated by the Council of Higher Education, as may be
necessary to provide for the establishment, operation and
maintenance of community colleges, including minimum
requirements for physical facilities and equipment, curriculum,
faculty, standards and professional requirements, qualifications
for admission and advancement of students, student enrollment,
student population of the area to be served by the community
college, requirements for satisfactory completion of a two-year
or four-year program and the degrees or diplomas or certificates
to be awarded therefor, means of financing and financial
resources for the establishment and support of the community
college, standards under which the State Board of Education may
allow a community college to offer baccalaureate degrees and
standards under which the State Board of Education shall
determine the baccalaureate degrees a community college may be
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allowed to offer and all matters necessary to effectuate the
purposes of this act.
* * *
Section 1905-A. Powers and Duties of Board of Trustees.--(a)
The affairs of any community college established under this act
shall be administered and supervised by a board of trustees.
Subject to any law and to any policies, standards, rules and
regulations adopted by the State Board of Education provided for
community colleges, the board shall, for the purpose of
establishing, operating and maintaining a community college,
have the power, and its duty shall be:
(1) To appoint and fix the salary of a president.
(2) To hold, rent, lease, sell, purchase and improve land,
buildings, furnishings, equipment, materials, books and
supplies.
(3) To enter into contracts for services with schools,
colleges or universities, or with school districts or
municipalities, to effectuate the purposes of this act.
(4) To accept and receive gifts of real and personal
property and Federal, State and local moneys and grants, and to
expend the same.
(5) To make policies providing for the admission and
expulsion of students, the degrees to be offered, the courses of
instruction, the tuition and fees to be charged and for all
matters related to the government and administration of the
college.
(6) To submit to the State Board of Education for its
approval proposed amendments to the community college plan,
including any proposal to offer baccalaureate degrees pursuant
to section 1912-A(b).
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(7) To enter into contracts for services to high schools of
member districts to provide area vocational-technical education
services.
(8) To exercise such other powers and perform such other
duties as are necessary to carry into effect the purposes of
this act.
* * *
Section 1912-A. Degrees.--(a) The State Board of Education
shall prescribe the types of diplomas, certificates or degrees
that may be granted students who complete post-secondary
education courses in community colleges.
(b) (1) Upon request by an established community college to
amend its community college plan to allow the community college
to offer baccalaureate degree programs, the State Board of
Education may allow a community college to offer baccalaureate
degree programs where the State Board of Education determines
that both of the following apply:
(i) The community college:
(A) is located in a rural geographic area of this
Commonwealth;
(B) is located in a geographic area that is underserved by
other colleges or universities offering baccalaureate degrees;
or
(C) seeks to offer a baccalaureate degree program that is
not offered by any other college or university serving the
geographic area in which the community college is located; and
(ii) The board of trustees of the community college has
demonstrated that each local sponsor of the community college
has approved the request by resolution adopted by a majority
vote at a public meeting of the local sponsor.
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(2) In approving the request of a community college to offer
baccalaureate degree programs pursuant to this subsection, the
State Board of Education shall specify the baccalaureate degree
programs the community college is allowed to offer.
(3) The State Board of Education shall promulgate
regulations pursuant to the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633,
No.181), known as the "Regulatory Review Act," in order to
implement this subsection.
Section 3. Section 1914-A(c) of the act, added June 22, 2001
(P.L.530, No.35), is amended to read:
Section 1914-A. Dissolution of Certain Community Colleges.--
* * *
(c) The corporate successor of a dissolved community college
shall continue to have the authority to grant baccalaureate
degrees, associate degrees and certificates in those programs in
which the dissolved community college had the authority to grant
degrees during the last complete school year of operation as a
community college. If a corporate successor desires to offer
additional associate degree programs, it must apply to the
Department of Education to obtain approval in accordance with
applicable regulations. If a corporate successor desires to
offer additional certificates, it shall apply for licensure to
the State Board of Private Licensed Schools. [A corporate
successor of a dissolved community college is not authorized to
award baccalaureate degrees.] If a corporate successor desires
to offer baccalaureate degree programs, it must apply to the
State Board of Education pursuant to section 1912-A(b).
* * *
Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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