Community colleges: students: public transportation: Los Angeles Community College District.

AB 861 — Summary (Solache)

Community colleges: students: public transportation: Los Angeles Community College District

Bill at a glance

• Introduced: February 19, 2025
  
• Status: Re‑referred to Assembly Committee on Transportation (4/28/2025)
  
• Subject: Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), LA Metro GoPass, student ambassadors
  
• Fiscal: Appropriates $2,500,000 (General Fund) to LACCD and LA Metro; bill may impose a state‑mandated local program

Purpose / Intent

AB 861 establishes a pilot program (special statute for LACCD and LA Metro) to increase student access to public transportation and improve transit safety by:
- Providing free LA Metro transit passes (GoPass TAP cards) to students enrolled at LACCD campuses; and

- Creating a student ambassador program to support on‑system safety, rider assistance, facilities reporting, and outreach.

The Legislature finds that removing transportation costs can improve equity and outcomes and that a student ambassador program can provide workforce training and safer transit experiences.

Key provisions

• Establishes the “LA Metro Los Angeles Community College GoPass and Student Ambassador Program” (new Education Code article sections).
• GoPass TAP cards:
  • LACCD must annually enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with LA Metro to provide GoPass TAP cards to participating students.
  • Students may opt in to receive a GoPass when registering; cards are distributed at the campus registrar and are valid for the academic term.
  • The MOU must specify the per‑student cost‑sharing rate LACCD will pay LA Metro.
• Student Ambassador Program:
  • LA Metro, in partnership with LACCD, will establish the program.
  • Students in good academic standing may apply; LA Metro selects ambassadors.
  • Ambassador duties include assisting with safety and security, providing rider information, reporting maintenance/cleanliness/safety issues, and supporting outreach to promote ridership.
  • Each campus must designate a coordinator to encourage applications; LA Metro will develop program guidelines.
• Reporting and oversight:
  • LACCD must submit an annual report to the Department of Finance and the Assembly and Senate budget committees with specified information about both programs.
• Funding and mandates:
  • $2,500,000 appropriation from the General Fund to LACCD and LA Metro to develop/implement the programs; these funds count toward minimum funding requirements under Section 8, Article XVI of the California Constitution.
  • The bill declares itself a special statute for LACCD and LA Metro.
  • If the Commission on State Mandates finds the bill creates reimbursable state mandates, reimbursement will follow statutory procedures.

Who is affected

• Direct: Students enrolled at Los Angeles Community College District campuses (eligible to opt in for GoPass; may apply to be student ambassadors), LACCD (administration, registrars, campus coordinators), and LA Metro (program administration, costs, selection, training).
• Indirect: LA Metro riders and the broader Los Angeles transit system (potential changes in ridership, outreach, and on‑system presence).

Procedural notes / next steps

• Referred to Assembly Committees on Higher Education and Transportation; most recent action re‑referred to Transportation (4/28/2025).
• If enacted, LACCD and LA Metro would begin annual MOU negotiations and program development per the statute and use the appropriation for initial implementation.

Potential impacts to watch

• Increased transit access and reduced student transportation costs; potential increases in LA Metro ridership.
• Administrative and operating costs shared via the MOU; $2.5M seed funding provided.
• Effects on transit safety and perceptions will depend on program design, training, and scale.