(a) No later than March 15 and before an employee is given notice by the governing board that his or her services will not be required for the ensuing year, the governing board and the employee shall be given written notice by the superintendent of the district or his or her designee, or in the case of a district which has no superintendent by the clerk or secretary of the governing board, that it has been recommended that the notice be given to the employee, and stating the reasons therefor.

If a contract employee has been in the employ of the district for less than 45 days on March 15, the giving of the notice may be deferred until the 45th day of employment and all time periods and deadline dates prescribed in this subdivision shall be coextensively extended.

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Until the employee has requested a hearing as provided in subdivision (b) or has waived his or her right to a hearing, the notice and the reasons therefor shall be confidential and shall not be divulged by any person, except as may be necessary in the performance of duties. However, the violation of this requirement of confidentiality, in and of itself, shall not in any manner be construed as affecting the validity of any hearing conducted pursuant to this section.

(b) The employee may request a hearing to determine if there is cause for not reemploying him or her for the ensuing year. A request for a hearing shall be in writing and shall be delivered to the person who sent the notice pursuant to subdivision (a), on or before a date specified in that subdivision, which shall not be less than seven days after the date on which the notice is served upon the employee. If an employee fails to request a hearing on or before the date specified, this failure to do so shall constitute waiver of his or her right to a hearing. The notice provided for in subdivision (a) shall advise the employee of the provisions of this subdivision.

(c) In the event a hearing is requested by the employee, the proceeding shall be conducted and a decision made in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code and the governing board shall have all the power granted to an agency in that chapter, except that all of the following shall apply:

(1) The respondent shall file his or her notice of defense, if any, within five days after service upon him or her of the accusation and he or she shall be notified of this five-day period for filing the accusation.

(2) The discovery authorized by § 11507.6 of the Government Code shall be available only if request is made therefor within 15 days after service of the accusation, and the notice required by § 11505 of the Government Code shall so indicate.

(3) The hearing shall be conducted by an administrative law judge who shall prepare a proposed decision, containing findings of fact and a determination as to whether the charges sustained by the evidence are related to the welfare of the colleges and the students thereof. The proposed decision shall be prepared for the governing board and shall contain a determination as to the sufficiency of the cause and a recommendation as to disposition. However, the governing board shall make the final determination as to the sufficiency of the cause and disposition. None of the findings, recommendations, or determinations contained in the proposed decision prepared by the administrative law judge shall be binding on the governing board or on any court in future litigation. Copies of the proposed decision shall be submitted to the governing board and to the employee on or before May 7 of the year in which the proceeding is commenced. All expenses of the hearing, including the cost of the administrative law judge, shall be paid by the governing board from the district funds.

The board may adopt, from time to time, rules and procedures not inconsistent with this section that may be necessary to effectuate this section.

(d) The governing board’s determination not to reemploy a contract employee for the ensuing college year shall be for cause only. The determination of the governing board as to the sufficiency of the cause pursuant to this section shall be conclusive, but the cause shall relate solely to the welfare of the colleges and the students thereof and provided that cause shall include termination of services for the reasons specified in Section 87743. The decision made after the hearing shall be effective on May 15 of the year the proceeding is commenced.

(e) Notice to the contract employee by the governing board that the employee’s service will not be required for the ensuing year shall be given no later than May 15.

(f) If a governing board notifies a contract employee that his or her services will not be required for the ensuing year, the board, within 10 days after delivery to it of the employee’s written request, shall provide him or her with a statement of its reasons for not reemploying him or her for the ensuing college year.

(g) Any notice or request shall be deemed sufficient when it is delivered in person to the employee to whom it is directed, or when it is deposited in the United States registered mail, postage prepaid and addressed to the last known address of the employee.

(h) If the governing board does not give notice provided for in subdivision (e) on or before May 15, the employee shall be deemed reemployed for the ensuing school year.

(i) If, after request for hearing pursuant to subdivision (b), any continuance is granted pursuant to § 11524 of the Government Code, the dates prescribed in subdivisions (c), (d), (e) and (h) that occur on or after the date of granting the continuance shall be extended for a period of time equal to the continuance.

(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 758, Sec. 168. Effective January 1, 1996.)