AB 885 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Public postsecondary education: College Access for All Fund.

Summary

The Donahoe Higher Education Act establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as 2 of the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. This bill would establish the College Access for All Fund in the State Treasury and would require all moneys in the fund to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the University of California and the California State University for purposes of lowering the cost of undergraduate attendance, either through tuition reductions or loan repayment programs, or a combination of tuition reductions and loan repayment programs.

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 19, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

03/24/25 - Amended Assembly → 04/21/25 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · Apr 21, 2025

MODERATE

The April 21 amendment renames the fund from 'Debt Free College at the UC and the CSU Fund' to 'Debt Free College at the UC and the CSU College Access for All Fund,' removes a standalone section declaring legislative intent to pass future revenue-raising legislation, and changes the fiscal committee requirement from 'no' to 'yes.' The removal of the intent section is notable because it eliminates the bill's explicit statement that a future revenue measure would be needed to actually fund the program.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed slightly: the removal of the intent-to-enact-future-revenue-legislation section eliminates a stated legislative commitment to pursue additional funding mechanisms, and the digest no longer frames the bill within the full three-segment public postsecondary system.

DEFINITION

The fund was renamed from 'Debt Free College at the UC and the CSU Fund' to 'Debt Free College at the UC and the CSU College Access for All Fund' in both the digest and the operative code (Chapter 15.8 title and Section 67394(a)).

SCOPE

A former Section 1 was deleted entirely. It had stated: 'It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation authorizing a revenue measure to invest in higher education, specifically to pay the tuition of higher education students in public postsecondary education.' This removed the bill's explicit forward-looking commitment to pursue future revenue legislation.

The legislative counsel's digest previously referenced all three segments of public postsecondary education (Community Colleges, CSU, and UC) under the Donahoe Higher Education Act. The revised digest references only two segments (CSU and UC), dropping the Community Colleges reference.

TECHNICAL

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' meaning the bill now requires review by the Assembly and Senate fiscal committees before passage.

02/19/25 - Introduced → 03/24/25 - Amended Assembly · 5 edits · Mar 24, 2025

MODERATE

The amended version of AB 885 adds a new legislative findings section and establishes the Debt Free College at the UC and the CSU Fund in the State Treasury. The fund would be available, upon appropriation, to the University of California and the California State University specifically for lowering undergraduate costs through tuition reductions or loan repayment programs. The original bill only stated legislative intent to pursue a future revenue measure; the amendment creates an actual funding mechanism while narrowing the scope to UC and CSU (excluding community colleges).

Scope change

The bill narrowed its institutional scope from all three segments of public postsecondary education (community colleges, CSU, UC) to only UC and CSU, while expanding its operational scope by creating an actual fund with designated uses rather than merely expressing intent for future legislation.

SCOPE

A new Section 1 adds legislative findings documenting rising tuition costs (UC nearly quadrupled, CSU sixfold over 50 years), student debt levels (nearly 4 million Californians owing over $142 billion), and the economic impact of an undereducated workforce.

The bill's scope expanded from a simple statement of legislative intent to include an actual fund mechanism with specific uses, while narrowing the beneficiary institutions from all three segments of public postsecondary education to just UC and CSU.

FISCAL

A new Chapter 15.8 (Section 67394) is added to the Education Code, establishing the Debt Free College at the UC and the CSU Fund in the State Treasury.

ELIGIBILITY

Fund moneys are restricted to the University of California and the California State University only, excluding the California Community Colleges. Funds must be used for lowering undergraduate attendance costs through tuition reductions, loan repayment programs, or both.

TECHNICAL

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now carries a fiscal impact requiring fiscal committee review.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

lower

May 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

lower

May 14, 2025

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

lower

Apr 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 22, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

lower

Apr 21, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 25, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

lower

Feb 20, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors