Assemblymember David Alvarez’s AB 664 Advances to the Senate

Sacramento, CA — Assemblymember David Alvarez (D–San Diego) announced that Assembly Bill 664, legislation to expand access to workforce-aligned bachelor’s degrees in South San Diego County, has passed the California Assembly and now advances to the State Senate for consideration.

AB 664 addresses a long-standing workforce and higher-education gap in South San Diego. Despite being the largest city in California without a public university offering bachelor’s degrees, Chula Vista and the broader South County region are home to thousands of students ready to advance their education—but with too few local, public options to do so.

As part of the 2024 University Now Initiative, a comprehensive labor-market study identified 147 high-priority occupations in fields such as health care, public safety, education, and the binational economy that require bachelor’s degrees. The study further found that many of the degree pathways aligned with these in-demand careers are not currently offered by any public university in the South Bay, leaving students without a local, affordable route to qualify for these jobs and employers without a reliable talent pipeline.

“South County students are seeking access to a college education, but too often the opportunity simply isn’t there,” said Assemblymember David Alvarez. “AB 664 responds directly to that by expanding access to bachelor’s degrees that align with real workforce needs that will lead to jobs — without requiring students to leave their families or communities.”

South San Diego County is served by the Southwestern Community College District (SWCCD) and is home to more than 585,000 residents, including over 200,000 in the City of Chula Vista alone. Southwestern College remains the region’s only public postsecondary institution. Meanwhile, nearby UC and CSU campuses—UC San Diego and San Diego State University—face enrollment impaction, distance, transportation, and cost barriers that significantly limit access for South County residents.

AB 664 responds to these challenges by authorizing Southwestern College to offer up to four carefully targeted, workforce-aligned bachelor’s degree programs: Allied Health Education and Leadership, Forensic Studies, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and Interaction Design. The bill includes safeguards to prevent duplication of existing university programs, requires independent evaluation, establishes a statutory program cap, and sunsets in 2035—preserving the intent of the California Master Plan for Higher Education while addressing real-world access and capacity constraints.

“These programs are designed to meet workforce demand where no local public option currently exists,” said Dr. Mark Sanchez, Superintendent/President of Southwestern College. “Southwestern College has demonstrated the capacity and commitment to responsibly expand bachelor’s access, and AB 664 builds on that proven track record through collaboration—not competition—with our UC and CSU partners.”

From academic years 2019–20 through 2023–24, fewer than 2% of Southwestern College transfer students enrolled outside San Diego County, underscoring that local UC and CSU campuses are effectively the only viable transfer options. When those campuses are impacted, students are often left without a pathway to complete a bachelor’s degree.

AB 664 complements AB 662, which established the South County Higher Education Planning Task Force and lays the groundwork for a future public university presence in Chula Vista. While AB 662 focuses on long-term planning, AB 664 addresses immediate workforce needs by allowing students to earn bachelor’s degrees locally and contribute to California’s economy now.

AB 664 now moves to the California State Senate for further consideration.