Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, 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 the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law establishes uniform residency requirements for purposes of ascertaining the amount of tuition and fees to be paid by students of public postsecondary educational institutions. Existing law requires a student classified as a nonresident to pay nonresident tuition, in addition to other fees required by the institution, except as provided. These provisions apply to the University of California only to the extent that the regents, by appropriate resolution, make them applicable. This bill would authorize a participating public postsecondary educational institution to administer an educational asylum program, in collaboration with the Regents of the University of California, the Trustees of the California State University, and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. The bill would require a participating institution to grant educational asylum status to a transfer student who meets specified requirements, including residing in a restricted state, as defined. The bill, commencing with the 2027–28 school year, would exempt a transfer student who is granted educational asylum status from paying nonresident tuition at a participating institution and would require the transfer student to only pay resident tuition and fees.
This California state resolution urges federal immigration agencies to prioritize and expedite the processing of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewals, work authorization documents, and H-1B visas. It cites significant delays in application processing that have caused income instability and job losses for over 140,000 Californians participating in the DACA program. The resolution specifically highlights the impact on essential workers in education and health care, arguing that timely processing is necessary to protect community economic stability and workforce availability.
Existing law, subject to available funding, provides legal counsel to immigrant youth in the State of California. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to allocate funding for these purposes, and requires the department to consider whether federal funding has been made available and dispersed to organizations or relevant projects in the state in determining the amount and allocation of contracts awarded. Existing law requires the department to contract with qualified nonprofit legal services organizations, or public defender offices, that meet certain requirements to provide legal counsel to immigrant youth. This bill would, subject to the availability of funding, similarly provide legal counsel to every covered individual subject to certain immigration proceedings if that individual is not otherwise being provided counsel, as specified. The bill would define a covered individual to include an individual who is not represented by counsel and who satisfies the indigency requirements established by the administrator and one or more of certain specified criteria relating to the connection of them or their immigration case to the State California. The bill would require the department to establish the office of the administrator within the department to oversee implementation of these provisions. The bill would require the provisions to be implemented by the administrator, or their designee, by January 1, 2027, and would specify the duties and authorities of the administrator, or their designee, with regard to implementation, including, among others, the authority to develop and implement a phase-in plan. The bill would require the administrator, or their designee, to contract to provide legal counsel for covered individuals with qualified nonprofit legal services organizations or public defender officers that meet the requirements referred to above, or with private firms or private attorneys who meet the criteria for participation in a private attorney panel. The bill would require the administrator to annually submit a report to the Legislature regarding the implementation of these provisions.
Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law sets a schedule of benefits that are covered by the Medi-Cal program. The federal Medicaid program prohibits payment to a state for medical assistance furnished to an alien who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise permanently residing in the United States under color of law. Existing state law extends Medi-Cal eligibility for the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits to individuals who do not have satisfactory immigration status if they are otherwise eligible for those benefits, with the exception of specified dental benefits for individuals who are 19 years of age or older. Existing law makes an individual who is 19 years of age or older, who does not have satisfactory immigration status, and who applies for Medi-Cal on or after January 1, 2026, or loses eligibility for eligibility for full-scope Medi-Cal on or after January 1, 2026, eligible only for pregnancy-related services and emergency medical treatment. Existing law, beginning no sooner than July 1, 2027, as specified, requires individuals who do not have satisfactory immigration status, who are not pregnant, and who are 19 to 59 years of age, inclusive, to pay a monthly premium of $30, subject to certain exceptions. This bill would require the Director of the Department of Finance to determine and report to the Legislature and the Governor the cost of implementing eligibility for the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits for individuals who do not have satisfactory immigration status if they are otherwise eligible, and whether including those costs the General Fund would be in a deficit, as defined. The bill would then, on January 1 of the year following such a determination, end the above-described limitations on services for those who apply for Medi-Cal after January 1, 2026, or who lose eligibility for the full-scope of Medi-Cal benefits on or after January 1, 2026, thereby making an individual who is 19 years of age or older, who does not have satisfactory immigration status, eligible for the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits subject to certain limitations, such as the payment of premiums and certain dental benefits. The bill would require that the implementation of eligibility for the full-scope of Medi-Cal benefits be done by groups categorized by age, beginning with individuals over 49 years of age. Because counties are required to make Medi-Cal eligibility determinations and this bill would alter Medi-Cal eligibility, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law establishes the California DREAM Loan Program, which provides a student attending a participating campus of the University of California or California State University with a loan, referred to as a DREAM loan, if the student satisfies specified requirements. Existing law also authorizes participating institutions to award DREAM grants to grant-eligible students, as defined, if the institution has unawarded funds in the institution's DREAM revolving fund, as specified. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to the provision establishing the DREAM grant program.
This measure would call upon the federal government to locate the missing children who were brought across the southern border of the United States under the Biden Administration and to take immediate and comprehensive action to address the crisis of missing undocumented children, as specified. The measure would also call upon the incoming administration and Congress to act with urgency and compassion to address this crisis and uphold the nation's commitment to protecting vulnerable children.
Existing law exempts a student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, from paying nonresident tuition at the California State University and the California Community Colleges if the student meets certain requirements. Existing law makes a student who meets these requirements for exemption from nonresident tuition, or who meets equivalent requirements adopted by the Regents of the University of California, eligible to apply for, and participate in, any student financial aid program administered by the state to the full extent permitted by federal law. Existing law requires the Student Aid Commission to establish procedures and forms that enable these students to apply for, and participate in, those student financial aid programs. This bill would require the commission, by the start of the 2026–27 financial aid cycle, to amend the California Dream Act application, and any of its grant processing systems, to clarify and ensure that the application can be used by any student eligible for state financial aid programs, regardless of their eligibility for federal financial aid. The bill would also require the commission to consult with California's public and private colleges and universities to promote the California Dream Act application effectively and inform students and their families of their available financial aid application options, as provided.
This measure would condemn decisions by the administrations of President Donald J. Trump to terminate or curtail Temporary Protected Status designations for people from specified nations, denounce federal policies that strip lawful status from long-residing individuals, as specified, and urge Congress to enact bipartisan legislation that provides a path to permanent residency and citizenship for individuals with Temporary Protected Status.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges as one of the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law establishes uniform residency requirements for purposes of ascertaining the amount of tuition and fees to be paid by students of public postsecondary educational institutions. Existing law requires a student classified as a nonresident to pay nonresident tuition, in addition to other fees required by the institution, except as provided. This bill, the California Community Colleges Access and Continuity for Deported Students Act, would, until January 1, 2030, exempt a community college student from paying nonresident tuition if the student departs the United States on or after January 1, 2025, for specified reasons, was not paying nonresident tuition at the time of departure, provides an attestation of specified information related to the departure, and reenrolls in a community college online education program no later than 3 years from the date the student departed the United States. The bill, until January 1, 2030, would require a deported student, as defined, who resumes in-person education at a community college to be eligible to retain residency status for the purpose of determining tuition and fees, provided the student was previously classified as a resident and eligible for the nonresident tuition exemption at the time of departure, and would require the student to be eligible to apply for financial aid upon reenrollment. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law requires the Trustees of the California State University, the governing boards of community college districts, and independent institutions of higher education that are qualifying institutions for purposes of the Cal Grant Program, and requests the Regents of the University of California, to the fullest extent consistent with state and federal law, to implement various precautionary measures when federal immigration enforcement activities are undertaken on campuses of those segments, as specified. Existing law requires those precautionary measures to include, among other measures, that in the event that an undocumented student is detained, deported, or is unable to attend to their academic requirements due to the action of an immigration officer in relation to a federal immigration order, as specified, a requirement that the college or university make all reasonable efforts to assist the student in retaining any eligibility for financial aid, fellowship stipends, and exemptions from nonresident tuition fees, among other benefits the student has been awarded or received, and a requirement that the student be permitted to reenroll if and when the student is able to return to the college or university. This bill would require the Trustees of the California State University, and would request the Regents of the University of California, to implement additional precautionary measures, including, among others, requiring adoption of a systemwide policy addressing course grades, administrative withdrawal, and reenrollment for undocumented students who are unable to attend their courses by the final drop date due to immigration enforcement activity, as specified.
