Assembly Higher Education Committee advances task force on South County university site, medical-amnesty protection for students and several workforce and rural

The Assembly Higher Education Committee on Oct. 26 moved a slate of higher-education measures — ranging from creating a task force to explore an intersegmental university hub in South San Diego to shielding students from academic discipline when they call for emergency medical help in drug- or alcohol-related incidents — forwarding each to the Appropriations Committee for further review.

AB 662, introduced by Assemblymember Robert (Todd) Alvarez, would establish a South County Higher Education Task Force to study a mixed-use, intersegmental institution in Chula Vista and report back to the Legislature by July 2027. Alvarez said the measure is meant to address a “college desert” in parts of South San Diego County and build on local planning that has set aside hundreds of acres for a university innovation district. Zenita Encarnacion of Southwestern College told the committee the college is a co-convener of the local University Now initiative and supports the task force.

AB 602 — presented on behalf of Assemblymember Summer (Summer) Haney and accepted with clarifying amendments — would protect students at the state's public colleges and universities from academic discipline for seeking emergency medical assistance for themselves or another person during a drug- or alcohol-related medical emergency, with limits designed to comply with…