AB 1852: Kern Medical Education Authority.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law grants the University of California exclusive jurisdiction in public higher education over, among other things, graduate instruction in the profession of medicine.

Existing law establishes the University of California Kern County Medical Education Endowment Fund in the State Treasury. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, existing law requires moneys in the endowment fund to be allocated to the University of California to support the annual operating costs for the development, operation, and maintenance of a branch campus of an existing University of California School of Medicine in the County of Kern, to conduct a feasibility study related to that campus, and to generate funding through investment earnings for the support of medical education in the San Joaquin Valley. Existing law also requires moneys in the endowment fund to be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature and a determination by the Controller of sufficient funds in the endowment fund, to cover the University of California’s estimated costs of applying for and obtaining approval and accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, as provided.

This bill would, if the office of the President of the University of California has not taken formal, verifiable steps to establish a school of medicine in the County of Kern by July 1, 2027, additionally authorize the Trustees of the California State University, acting through California State University, Bakersfield, and the Board of Trustees of the Kern Community College District to establish a school of medicine in the County of Kern, as provided. The bill would authorize the establishment of a unit of local government, known as the Kern Medical Education Authority, to facilitate the establishment of this medical school in the County of Kern. The bill would require the authority to governed by a Board of Governors of unspecified size, and require the California State University, Bakersfield, and the Kern Community College District to each appoint an unspecified number of members to the board. The bill would, among other things, grant the authority specified powers and duties of a local unit of government within the state, as provided.

The bill would authorize the authority to hire employees, as provided, and would require the authority to establish salary schedules, health benefits, and retirement plans that are no less favorable than those offered to comparable employees within the California State University system. The bill would authorize employees of the authority to form, join, and participate in the activities of employee organizations of their own choosing for the purpose of representation on all matters of employer-employee relations, as provided, and subject the authority to the jurisdiction of the Public Employment Relations Board. The bill would, among other employment rules, extend due process protections to authority employees. The bill would make employees of the authority eligible to participate in the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) or the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), as applicable to their classification.

The bill would authorize the authority to incur indebtedness and to borrow money and issue notes and revenue bonds in principal amounts that the authority determines to be necessary to provide sufficient funds for achieving any of its purposes, as provided. The bill would establish that an obligation of the authority is not an obligation of the California State University or the Kern Community College District, unless otherwise agreed to by the authority and the California State University or the Kern Community College District.

The bill would authorize the authority, upon obtaining accreditation form the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, to develop curricula and grant the degree of Doctor of Medicine.

Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, generally requires that all meetings of a legislative body of a local agency be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate. The California Public Records Act requires state and local agencies to make their records available for public inspection, unless an exemption from disclosure applies.

The bill would subject the authority to the Ralph M. Brown Act and the California Public Records Act, with specified exemptions related to trade secrets.

Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Kern.