SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC) proudly celebrates the passage of its lead-sponsored bill, Senate Bill 707, authored by Senator María Elena Durazo and encompassing the provisions of Assembly Bill 1855 by Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula. This legislation ensures that community college student body associations and student-run organizations continue to have access to equitable and flexible meeting options, allowing them to conduct their work transparently, inclusively, and safely through teleconferencing until 2030.
SB 707 builds on the intent of AB 1855 (2024), which recognized the unique accessibility barriers faced by student leaders. The bill allows these student-led legislative bodies to use teleconferencing under specified safeguards, expanding public participation while removing unnecessary barriers to student leadership. The SSCCC delegation first introduced this policy concept as a resolution during its 2023 General Assembly, emphasizing the need to make student governance more accessible and representative of the diverse student population it serves “By ensuring our student governments are accessible and meeting safely, we are advancing equity, inclusion, and transparency across the student organization space,” said Jerry Reyes, President of the SSCCC. That vision has now been realized through state law.
Under SB 707, student body associations organized under Education Code Section 76060 and other student-run organizations required to comply with the Brown Act may use teleconferencing to hold public meetings while maintaining clear standards for transparency, accessibility, and public participation. This year’s version of the bill expands coverage to include CalBright College, California’s fully online community college, and the SSCCC itself—further affirming that student governments can embrace transparency without compromising student safety, including the risks associated with publicly posting personal residential addresses.
The SSCCC applauds Senator Durazo, Assemblymember Arambula, and the many student advocates who pushed this initiative from a student resolution to enacted state law. This bill represents the power of student-led advocacy and reinforces California’s ongoing commitment to equity, access, and student voice in public higher education governance.
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving over 2 million students per year. The Student Senate for California Community Colleges mission is to enrich the collegiate experience for all California community college students by pursuing policies that will improve student access and success while engaging and empowering local student leaders and honoring equity and diversity.
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