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Home/Bills/SB 391California · 2025–2026 Regular Session
Senate BillChaptered/SignedEducation

SB 391: Community colleges: Chancellor of the California Community Colleges: data request fee policy.

California · Senate · 2025–2026 Regular Session · last verified December 6, 2025

What SB 391 does, verified December 6, 2025

The bill would allow the chancellor to implement a data request fee policy for researchers. This policy would require approval from the board of governors, be reviewed and revised periodically, and comply with federal and state privacy laws. The policy would not apply to students seeking data for their individual studies or community college faculty members seeking data for their individual research. The fee policy would only apply to researchers applying for access to individually identifiable data or student data.

Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
✓In CommitteeComplete
✓First Chamber FloorComplete
✓Second ChamberComplete
✓GovernorComplete
6ChapteredCurrent
Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 753, Statutes of 2025. (2025-09-02)Alert me
Recent actions32 total · showing 5
Oct. 13, 2025Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 753, Statutes of 2025.
Oct. 13, 2025Approved by the Governor.
Sep. 09, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
Sep. 02, 2025Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2407.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
Sep. 02, 2025Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
Full action history, 27 earlier actionsConnect Plus
Latest bill textChaptered version, October 13, 2025 · 506 words

Senate Bill No. 391
CHAPTER 753

An act to add Section 71094.5 to the Education Code, relating to community colleges.

[ Approved by Governor October 13, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 13, 2025. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 391, Laird. Community colleges: Chancellor of the California Community Colleges: data request fee policy.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges as one segment of public postsecondary education in the state. Under existing law, the board of governors appoints a chief executive officer, who is known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
This bill would authorize the chancellor to implement a data request fee policy for researchers applying for access to individually identifiable data, student data, or both. If a data request fee policy is implemented, the bill would require the policy to be reviewed and approved by the board of governors, revised periodically, made publicly available and posted in a prominent location on the chancellor’s internet website, and comply with applicable federal and state privacy laws, as provided. The bill would prohibit fees or charges from being imposed on a state entity, except as provided, on an undergraduate or graduate student seeking data for the student’s individual studies, or on a community college faculty member seeking data for the faculty member’s individual research.
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

Section 71094.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:

71094.5.

(a) (1) The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges may implement a data request fee policy for researchers applying for access to individually identifiable data, student data, or both.
(2) A data request fee policy implemented pursuant to this section shall adhere to both of the following requirements:
(A) Be reviewed and approved by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, revised periodically, and made publicly available and posted in a prominent location on the chancellor’s internet website.
(B) Comply with applicable federal and state laws to protect individual privacy, including, but not limited to, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g) and Section 1798.24 of the Civil Code.
(b) Fees or charges imposed upon an applicant pursuant to this section shall compensate for significant data compilation, extraction, or programming use of the data system by the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to recover costs that would otherwise typically be borne by the requesting data researcher, the chancellor’s office, or both.
(c) Fees or charges shall not be imposed pursuant to this section upon any of the following:
(1) A state agency, except for fees or charges related to the release of data for research purposes to the University of California, the California State University, or the State Department of Education.
(2) An undergraduate or graduate student seeking data for the student’s individual studies.
(3) A community college faculty member seeking data for the faculty member’s individual research.

Text of SB 391 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions
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