(a) In order to provide notice to the public and ensure the transparency of decisions affecting admissions criteria for all of the campuses of the California State University, the trustees shall ensure that a change in the criteria for admission to a campus of the university complies with all of the following requirements:

(1) Before adopting a change in the criteria for admission that affects applicants residing within the local service area of a campus of the university, the campus affected by the proposed change shall do all of the following:

(A) Consult with stakeholders, including the governing boards of school districts, governing boards of community college districts, and community organizations, that are located within the local service area of the affected campus. These consultations shall occur in a public meeting.

(B) Hold three public hearings in the local service area of the affected campus. The hearings shall solicit public comments relative to the proposed change in admissions criteria.

(C) Provide public notice of the proposed change in admissions criteria. The notice shall be published on the internet website for the affected campus and in three newspapers of general circulation in the local service area of the affected campus. The notice shall include a description of the proposed change, the right of the public to comment orally or in writing on the proposed change, and the dates, times, and locations of the public meetings pursuant to subparagraph (A) and the public hearings pursuant to subparagraph (B). The notice shall be published at least 10 days before the first public meeting or public hearing.

(D) Publish on the internet website of the affected campus, all public comments received pursuant to this paragraph and all responses by the university to those public comments.

(E) Publish on the internet website of the affected campus, and distribute to community officials and local high schools, the university’s final decision on the proposed change.

(2) After meeting all of the requirements specified in paragraph (1), the president of the affected campus shall submit the proposed change to the Chancellor of the California State University for approval, in accordance with the policies of the trustees. The chancellor shall report the decision regarding approval, and the reasoning behind the decision, to the trustees in writing at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the trustees.

(3) Except as provided in paragraph (4), a change in the criteria for admission to a campus that affects applicants within the local service area of the affected campus shall become effective only after a period of at least one year has elapsed after that change is approved by the chancellor.

(4) A change in the criteria for admission to a campus based on resources that affects applicants within the local service area of the affected campus shall become effective only after a period of at least six months has elapsed after that change is approved by the chancellor.

(b) The requirements set forth in subdivision (a) shall apply to all changes in the criteria for admission to a campus that affect the eligibility of applicants residing within the local service area of a campus to enroll at that campus, including changes to transfer requirements and determinations regarding establishing or modifying admission criteria for impacted majors.

(c) As used in this section, “local service area” means the California State University service area for the campus as set forth in the California State University Coded Memorandum AA-2005-05, dated February 23, 2005, or as subsequently amended.

(d) Notwithstanding the requirements of subdivision (a), a decision to discontinue additional admission criteria for an impacted program or campus may be implemented, provided that the decision is published on the campus internet website, distributed to community officials and local high schools, and submitted to the Chancellor of the California State University for approval.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 465, Sec. 13. (AB 2973) Effective January 1, 2023.)