Does AB 2766 require UC campuses to provide priority housing, or is it optional for them?
Short answer
Assembly Bill 2766 does not automatically mandate priority housing for University of California (UC) campuses. While the bill makes these protections required for California Community Colleges (CCC) and California State University (CSU) campuses with housing facilities, it treats the UC segment differently. The provisions apply to UC campuses only if the Regents of the University of California voluntarily adopt them through a formal resolution [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2766#97AMD].
What the bill or law says
The legislation amends the Education Code to strengthen housing and enrollment protections for current and former foster youth and homeless students. For CCC and CSU institutions that maintain student housing, the bill converts existing requests for priority placement into mandatory requirements [https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2766/id/3442646].
However, the text explicitly separates the UC system from this mandate. The bill states that its housing and financial deferral provisions apply to the UC segment only upon adoption by the Regents. This means the UC system retains the authority to decide whether to implement these specific priority housing rules and payment deferrals [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2766#97AMD].
How it works in practice
If the bill becomes law, CCC and CSU campuses must immediately adjust their operations. They are required to give first priority for year-round housing to eligible students and must defer upfront costs until financial aid arrives [https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB2766/id/3442646].
For the UC system, the process depends on internal governance. The UC Regents would need to review the bill’s requirements and vote on a resolution to adopt them. If they do not pass such a resolution, UC campuses would not be legally bound by AB 2766’s housing mandates. They could continue with their existing policies regarding foster and homeless student housing priorities. If they do adopt the resolution, they would then follow the same operational changes as the CSU and CCC systems, including updating applications and adjusting billing cycles [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2766#97AMD].
What the source does not answer
The provided legislative text and status reports do not specify whether the UC Regents have currently planned to adopt these provisions. They also do not detail how UC campuses might handle housing priorities if they choose not to adopt the bill’s mandates. Additionally, the sources do not explain the potential timeline for a Regents’ vote or the specific criteria they might use to make this decision [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2766].