Section 72000.

(a) The district and its governing board may sue and be sued, and shall act in accordance with Section 70902.

(b) The district name shall be adopted and changed as follows:

(1) The first governing board of any new community college district shall, at the first meeting of the board or as soon as practicable thereafter, name the district. The district shall be designated as the "____ Community College District."

(2) The governing board of a community college district may, by resolution, change the name of the district or of any of the community colleges maintained by the district. However, the name shall continue to contain the words "Community College District" or "Community College," as appropriate.

(3) Whenever a petition is presented to the governing board of a community college district, signed by at least 15 qualified electors of any community college district, asking that the name of the district, be changed, the governing board shall, at its next regular meeting, designate a day upon which it will conduct a hearing and act upon the petition, which hearing shall not be less than 10 days nor more than 40 days after that regular meeting. The clerk of the governing board shall give notice to all interested parties by sending a notice of the time for the hearing of the petition. Notices shall be mailed at least 10 days before the day set for the hearing. At the hearing the board shall by resolution either grant or deny the petition, and if the petition is granted, the clerk shall notify the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges of the change of the name of the district or of any community college maintained by the district.

(4) The name "____ Community College District" and the names of community colleges maintained by the district are the property of the district. No person shall, without permission of the board, use these names, or any abbreviation of them, or any name of which these words are a part in any of the following ways:

(A) To designate any business, social, political, religious, or other organization, including, but not limited to, any corporation, firm, partnership, association, group, activity or enterprise.

(B) To imply, indicate or otherwise suggest that any organization, or any product or service of the organization is connected or affiliated with, or is endorsed, favored or supported by, or is opposed by one or more California community colleges, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, or the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

(C) To display, advertise, or announce these names publicly at or in connection with any meeting, assembly, or demonstration, or any propaganda, advertising or promotional activity of any kind which has for its purpose or any part of its purpose the support, endorsement, advancement, opposition or defeat of any strike, lockout, or boycott or of any political, religious, sociological, or economic movement, activity or program.

(D) The provisions of this section shall not preclude the use of the name "____ Community College" or "____ Community College District" by any person or organization otherwise subject to this section using the name immediately prior to the effective date of this section, so long as the name is not used in additional, different ways.

(E) Nothing in this section shall interfere with or restrict the right of any person to make a true and accurate statement in the course of stating his or her experience or qualifications for any academic, governmental, business, or professional credit or enrollment, or in connection with any academic, governmental, professional or other employment whatsoever.

(5) Any reference to junior colleges or junior college districts in any law shall be deemed to refer to community colleges and community college districts, respectively.

(c) Meetings of the governing board shall be held as follows:

(1) Within 20 days after the appointment of the community college board provided for by Section 72023, the board of governors shall call an initial organizational meeting of the board by giving at least 10 days' notice by registered mail to each member, for the purposes of organizing the community college board.

At the initial organizational meeting the community college board shall organize by electing a president from its members and a secretary, and may transact any other business relating to the affairs of the community college district.

(2) (A) The governing board of each community college district shall hold an annual organizational meeting. In a year in which a regular election for governing board members is conducted, the meeting shall be held on a day within a 15-day period that commences with the date upon which a governing board member elected at that election takes office. Organizational meetings in years in which no regular election for governing board members is conducted shall be held during the same 15-day period on the calendar. Unless otherwise provided by rule of the governing board, the day and time of the annual meeting shall be selected by the board at its regular meeting held immediately prior to the first day of such 15-day period, and the board shall notify the county superintendent of schools of the day and time selected. The secretary of the board shall, within 15 days prior to the date of the annual meeting, notify in writing all members and members-elect of the date and time selected for the meeting.

(B) If the board fails to select a day and time for the meeting, the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction over the district shall, prior to the first day of such 15-day period and after the regular meeting of the board held immediately prior to the first day of the 15-day period, designate the day and time of the annual meeting. The day designated shall be within the 15-day period. He or she shall notify in writing all members and members-elect of the date and time.

(C) At the annual meeting, the governing board of the community college district shall organize by electing a president, from its members, and a secretary.

(3) As an alternative to the procedures set forth in paragraph (2), in a community college district the boundaries of which are coterminous with the boundaries of a city and county, the governing board members of which district are elected in accordance with a city and county charter, the annual organizational meeting of the governing board may be held between January 8 and January 31, inclusive, as provided in rules and regulations adopted by the board. At the annual organizational meeting the community college district governing board shall organize by electing a president and vice president from its members.

(4) Subject to this section, the governing board of any community college district shall hold regular monthly meetings and shall by rule and regulation fix the time and place for its regular meetings. The action shall be given proper notice to all members of the board of the regular meetings.

(d) The governing board shall conduct its meetings as follows:

(1) A notice identifying the location, date, and time of the meeting shall be posted in each community college maintained by the district at least 10 days prior to the meeting and shall remain so posted to and including the time of the meeting.

(2) The governing board shall conduct its meetings within the boundaries of the community college district, except as provided in subparagraphs (A) and (B).

(A) The governing board may meet outside of its district boundaries for the limited purpose of meeting with another local agency so long as the meeting meets both of the following criteria:

(i) The meeting occurs within the boundaries of one of the participating local agencies.

(ii) The meeting is open and accessible to the public, including the residents of the district whose board is meeting outside the boundaries of the district.

(B) The governing board may meet outside of its district boundaries if the board finds it necessary to meet in closed session with its attorney to discuss pending litigation and if the attorney's office is located outside of the boundaries of the district.

(3) Except as otherwise provided by law, the governing board shall act by majority vote of all of the membership constituting the governing board.

(4) Every official action taken by the governing board of every community college district shall be affirmed by a formal vote of the members of the board, and the governing board of every community college district shall keep minutes of its meetings, and shall maintain a journal of its proceedings in which shall be recorded every official act taken.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a community college district governing board consists of seven members and not more than two vacancies occur on the governing board, the vacant position or positions shall not be counted for purposes of determining how many members of the board constitute a majority. Whenever any of the provisions of this code require unanimous action of all or a specific number of the members elected or appointed to the governing board, the vacant position or positions shall be excluded from determination of the total membership constituting the governing board.

(Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 1038, Sec. 2. Effective October 14, 1991.)