Section 72023.5.

(a) (1) The governing board of each community college district shall order the inclusion within the membership of the governing board, in addition to the number of members otherwise prescribed, of one or more nonvoting students. These students shall have the right to attend each and all meetings of the governing board, except that student members shall not have the right, or be afforded the opportunity, to attend executive sessions of the governing board.

(2) The students selected to serve on the governing board, shall be enrolled in a community college of the district and shall be chosen, and shall be recalled, by the students enrolled in the community colleges of the district in accordance with procedures prescribed by the governing board. A student member shall be required throughout the term of his or her appointment to be enrolled in a community college of the district for at least five semester units, or its equivalent, and shall meet and maintain the minimum standards of scholarship for community college students prescribed by the community college district. The term of the student members shall be one year commencing on June 1 of each year.

(3) The nonvoting student members appointed pursuant to this section shall be entitled to mileage allowance to the same extent as regular members, but are not entitled to the compensation prescribed by Section 72425.

(4) A nonvoting student member shall be seated with the members of the governing board and shall be recognized as a full member of the board at the meetings, including receiving all materials presented to the board members and participating in the questioning of witnesses and the discussion of issues.

(5) A nonvoting student member shall not be included in determining the vote required to carry any measure before the board.

(6) A nonvoting student member shall not be liable for any acts of the governing board.

(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the nonvoting student member or members selected to serve on the governing board of a community college district pursuant to subdivision (a) may do any of the following:

(1) Make and second motions at the discretion of the governing board.

(2) Attend closed sessions, other than closed sessions on personnel matters or collective bargaining matters, at the discretion of the governing board.

(3) Receive compensation, at the discretion of the governing board, up to the amount prescribed by Section 72425.

(4) Serve a term of one year commencing on May 15 of each year, at the discretion of the governing board.

(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that any decision or action, including any contract entered into pursuant thereto, upon the motion or second of a motion of a student member, shall be fully legal and enforceable against the district or any party thereto.

(d) The governing board of each community college district that affords the student member or members of the board any of the privileges enumerated in subdivision (b) shall, by May 15 of each year, adopt rules and regulations implementing this section. These rules and regulations shall be effective until May 15 of the following year.

(e) If a state court finds this section is unlawful, the court may order, as equitable relief, that the administering entity that is the subject of the lawsuit terminate any waiver awarded under this statute or provision, but no money damages, tuition refund or waiver, or other retroactive relief may be awarded. In any action in which the court finds this section is unlawful, the California Community Colleges are immune from the imposition of any award of money damages, tuition refund or waiver, or other retroactive relief.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 619, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2012.)