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SB 778 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Migrant childcare and development programs.

Summary
Existing law, the Child Care and Development Services Act, requires the State Department of Social Services to administer childcare and development programs, including, among others, migrant childcare and development programs. Existing law, for purposes of migrant childcare and development programs, defines a "migrant agricultural worker family" as a family that has earned at least 50% of its total gross income from employment in fishing, agriculture, or agriculturally related work during the 12-month period immediately preceding the date of application for childcare and development services. Existing law requires the children of these families to be enrolled in child development programs on the basis of specified priorities, including priority to children whose families move from place to place. This bill would instead define a "migrant agricultural worker family" as a family with at least one individual who has earned at least 40% of their total gross income from employment in fishing, agriculture, or agriculturally related work during the 12-month period immediately preceding the date of application for childcare and development services. For the purpose of enrollment in migrant child care and development programs, the bill would require the department to ensure that the self certification of income be consistent with other child care and development programs under the act.
Issues: ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationAdministers state childcare programs for migrant agricultural worker families, providing essential services per existing law without restrictions or enforcement language.90% confidence
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Jul 2025
Senate Passage
Jun 2025
Assembly Passage
Sep 2025
Signed into Law
Oct 2025
Introduced Feb 21, 2025 Signed Oct 7, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

09/02/25 - Amended Assembly → 09/12/25 - Enrolled · 2 edits · Sep 12, 2025
MINOR
The enrolled version of SB 778 removed the specific documentation provision from Section 10236(a)(2) that had allowed migrant agricultural workers to self-certify their income using a two-month window and a copy of their most recent tax return. The core definition change (lowering the income threshold from 50% to 40%) and the new Section 10236.5 requiring consistency of self-certification with other programs remain intact. This narrows the bill by removing the specific procedural mechanism for how workers would document their eligibility.
ELIGIBILITY

Removed Section 10236(a)(2), which had authorized individuals to obtain and provide documentation (self-certification of income per Title 5 CCR Section 18078, plus a copy of the most recently signed tax return with a statement of current estimated income) from either month of a two-month window preceding initial or recertification of eligibility.

TECHNICAL

The legislative counsel's digest was updated to remove the sentence describing the documentation authorization that was deleted from the bill text.

Floor votes · Senate Jun 3, 2025 · Assembly Sep 8, 2025

How they voted

34–1
Passed · 5 other
Total votes 40
Jun 3, 2025
D Democratic30
28 Yea 2
93% Yea
R Republican10
6 Yea 1 Nay 3
60% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
25
Key actions
9
Committee
5
Amendments
4
Oct 7, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor.
legislature
Sep 9, 2025
Upper · Passed
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 34. Noes 3. Page 2718.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
upper
Sep 8, 2025
Introduced
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
upper
Sep 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 3009.) Ordered to the Senate.
lower
Sep 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
lower
Aug 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (August 29).
lower
Jul 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
lower
Jun 9, 2025
Committee
Referred to Com. on HUM. S.
lower
Jun 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 34. Noes 1. Page 1445.) Ordered to the Assembly.
upper
May 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 1213.) (May 23).
upper
Apr 8, 2025
Upper · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 683.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
upper
Mar 12, 2025
Committee
Referred to Com. on HUMAN S.
upper
Feb 21, 2025
Introduced
Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
ML
Monique Limón
DDemocratic
CA
21