Bill > SB391

This bill authorizes the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to implement a data request fee policy for researchers seeking access to individually identifiable or student data. The policy must be reviewed and approved by the Board of Governors, periodically revised, and publicly posted on the chancellor's website. The bill requires that any such policy comply with federal and state privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and California Civil Code privacy protections. Fees charged to researchers can only be used to cover significant data compilation, extraction, or programming costs. The bill specifically prohibits imposing fees on state agencies (with a few exceptions, such as data requests to UC, CSU, or the State Department of Education) and on undergraduate or graduate students seeking data for their individual academic studies. The goal appears to be establishing a transparent and controlled mechanism for accessing community college data while protecting student privacy and avoiding undue financial burden on researchers and students.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB391