HB 2344 Summary

• Establishes a State Board of Directors for Community Colleges consisting of 15 members appointed by the governor (one from each county), plus a member of the Arizona Board of Regents and the Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.

• Board members serve seven-year terms beginning and ending on the third Monday in January, with office vacated if member ceases to be a resident of their appointed county.

• Grants the state board powers to adopt rules, conduct pilot projects, waive tuitions and fees, lease or lease-purchase real property (with debt limits of $2.5 million annually and $15 million aggregate per district), and establish standards for community college operations, curricula, and instructor qualifications.

• Specifies board duties including setting tuition and fees, establishing academic standards, submitting annual enrollment estimates to the Economic Estimates Commission, and prescribing rules for distance learning and courses offered outside district boundaries.

• Terminates the state board on July 1, 2027, with Title 15, chapter 12, article 2 repealed on January 1, 2028, establishing a ten-year sunset provision for the board.