Senate Standing Committee on Education

Welcome to the Senate Education Committee hearing. There are four bills on today's agenda, AB 1581 by Assemblymember Ramos, AB 6—1969—by Assemblymember Bonta, SB 549 by Senator Allen, and SB 632 by Senator Arreguin. We are hearing these bills pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10 because they were substantially amended after they were initially heard. Witnesses are asked to limit their testimony to two minutes to ensure the committee is able to complete today's agenda in a timely fashion.

Thing is, we do not have a quorum.

We'll begin as a subcommittee with the first bill, and I see that we have Assemblymember Bonta here to present AB 1969. So, Assemblymember, you can begin when you're ready.

Thank you so much, and good evening, Chair and members. I am pleased today to present AB 1969, the It Takes a Village Act Act of 2026. We often say that it takes a village to raise a child, but too often the programs and systems serving our children and families are not structured to function together and as one. California has made historic investments in our children from early learning and expanded learning opportunities to behavioral health, school meals, and community schools.

This year, California took another major step by committing $1 billion in ongoing Proposition 98 funding to support the continued implementation of community schools.

This investment recognizes something we have known all along—schools are more than places where children learn. They are trusted community hubs where families can connect to the academic health, behavioral health, and other supports they need to be able to thrive. AB 1969 built on California community schools' investment by strengthening the partnerships and coordination necessary to make that investment successful over the long term.

Promise neighborhoods, which I fervently believe in, are place-based cradle to career partnerships that bring together school, community-based organizations, families, local governments, health providers, and other partners around a shared goal, improving outcomes for children and making sure that their families are strong in a community that can hold them.

These partnerships enhance our efforts with community schools and ensure that our community schools are not just one single place where children are able to thrive, but are whole communities supporting our children. AB 1969 recognizes promised neighborhoods, lead organizations as cooperating agencies that can partner with local education agencies and community schools to coordinate services and supports.

The bill also clarifies that an LEA may use existing community schools' administrative funding to serve as a network lead for multiple eligible community school sites located within a Promise neighborhood. This is important because effective place-based partnerships require sustainable infrastructure to coordinate services across schools, community organizations, and public systems. This work is deeply personal to me.

It has been my life's work. I started doing cradle to career work when I was first out of college in '21, and certainly, it is dear to me because I know all too well that it takes a village to raise a strong child, as happened for me. AB 1969 helps ensure that California's historic investments in our children are supported by the village necessary to make them successful. I respectfully request your aye vote at the appropriate time.

Thank you for your presentation. I'm seeing as you don't have witnesses here, we'll turn it over to me toos. So, would anybody like to register their support?

Thank you so much, Assemblymember Bonta and senators. Proud to say as sponsors, End Child Poverty is in strong support. Also, also, adding in Hayward Promise Neighborhood, Mission Economic Development Agency in San Francisco, as well as Marin Promise Neighborhood and the Strive Together Network. Thank you.

Tiffany Mok, on behalf of CFT, the union of educators and classified professionals, in support. Thank you.

Great. Thank you so much. Seeing as we now have a quorum, I'm gonna go ahead and have the committee register—or call the roll. Secretary, if you could call the roll.

And we have a quorum. We'll now shift over to anyone here to register their opposition, if you have anyone here to register their opposition. Seeing nobody getting up, we'll turn it back to the committee. Do we have any comments or questions from committee members? We have a motion from Senator Gonzalez.

Seeing no one else, I'll turn it back to you, Assemblymember Bonta.

Well, I wanna thank the Chair for—and Committee members for—your belief in promise neighborhoods and community schools and recognizing the beautiful nexus that happens when we come together on behalf of our children. With that, I respectfully request your aye vote.

Thank you, Assembly member, and the recommendation for this bill is an aye vote. Secretary, can you call the roll, please? We have a motion from Senator Gonzalez, and that motion is to be returned to the Senate floor for consideration.

[Roll Call]

Great, and we will put that bill on call. Thank you so much, Assemblymember. Great, and I see that we have Assemblymember Ramos here to present AB 1581.

Assemblymember Ramos. And you can begin whenever you're ready.

Thank you, Madam Chair and Senators. AB 1581 will require the Department of Education to report statewide outcome data for Native American students in our public schools. Due to federal guidelines, California's undercounting almost 90% of its Native American students. This misclassification makes it difficult to allocate resources effectively, or tailor educational programs to specific cultural and academic needs. By requiring this report, we can utilize important metrics such as graduation rates, suspension rates, and an inclusive count of Native students, which could help inform policy decisions.

This inclusive count would ensure we are identifying all students who identify as Native American. Far too long, Native American students have been overlooked, and with this bill, we can move forward in finding a way in which we can ensure we are reporting meaningful data to help those students succeed. With me to testify today in support is Chad Mayes, representing the bill sponsor, the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians

Mad—yeah, Madam Chair and senators, Chad Mayes here on behalf of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, proud sponsor of AB 1581. This bill is about something very simple, making sure we have accurate data on Native American students in our schools. We've provided testimony to this committee before. We respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. We'll see if we have anyone else here to register support. Do we have any me toos here? Seeing no one getting up, we'll turn it over to anyone here to register their opposition. Seeing no one rising, we'll turn it back to the committee.

Do we have questions or comments from committee members? We have a motion from Senator Gonzalez. I'll turn it back to you, Assemblymember Ramos, to close.

No. Thank you. And request your aye vote.

Thank you, and my recommendation for this bill is an "Aye," and we have a motion from Senator Gonzalez. That motion is measured to be returned to the Senate floor for consideration. Secretary, can you call the roll?

[Roll Call]

Great, and we will put that bill on call. Thank you so much, Assemblymember.

Thank you so much.

We'll go ahead and lift calls on, AB 1969.

On AB 1969 Bonta, current vote is 4 ayes, no no's, with the Chair and Vice Chair voting aye. Senators Choi? Cortese?

On on file item 2, AB 1969?

Cortese, aye. Reyes.

Great. And we will put that bill back on call. And we'll go ahead and we'll take a short recess while we wait for more authors to arrive.

Convene. Senator Allen has arrived.

He does not have the pony with him. And he is here to present SB 549. So Senator Allen, you can begin whenever you're ready.

Well thank you madam Chair. Appreciate it. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to present SB 549, which will allow transitional kindergarten students to attend what are called heritage schools. These are out of school programs that offer activities and learning on culture, tradition, language. Many students attend them as an after school program or on the weekends.

Now the minimum age to participate in such a program is four years and nine months since most students begin kindergarten as they approach five years old. In 2021, as everybody knows, the state instituted the universal TK program so that all four year olds are now guaranteed free access to TK out of public school. And it's a wonderful thing. My family certainly avail ourselves of it and it's been great.

But as a result, it created a challenge in this area that I don't think was anticipated.

TK students are now school children but they're still prohibited from attending a heritage school program. So we've certainly seen lots and lots of good evidence suggesting the benefits of attending after school programs even in adulthood. That, the last one report by the public policy institute of California found the parents may base their decision to enroll their kid in TK based on the availability of aftercare because we know most TK programs are only a few hours a day.

You know, just to give you an illustration of the problem, Beshear Shalom, which is a synagogue located in Santa Monica, operates one of these programs. So they've received high interest from parents who want to enroll their TK child in the program.

But the synagogue then has to turn those families away due to the minimum age requirements. So the bill this bill offers a very simple solution allowing TK students to attend these kinds of programs. The bill then updates the existing notice that parents already received to ensure that they're aware that the Department of Education does not actively monitor the programs, activities and curriculum. But it allows for these meaningful after school programs to continue for TK students. And with that, I respectfully ask for my vote.

Thank you for your presentation. Singh, as you do not have witnesses, we'll see if we have me too's here in support. Any me too's? Seeing no one rising, we'll turn it to opposition. Do we have any opposition?

Seeing no one rising, we'll turn it back to the committee. Do we have any questions or comments from committee members? We have a motion from Senator Ochoa Bogues. Senator Allen, I will turn it over to you to close.

Yeah. Just really appreciate the the work of committee and the cooperation. This is something that I just became aware of recently. That's why we're in this situation. But this will make a difference for a lot of these programs around the state and, respect for grass Fed.

Alrighty. Thank you. So we have a motion from Senator Chua Bogue and that motion is that the Assembly amendments be concurred in. Secretary, can you please call the roll?

Senators Perez?

Aye.

Ochoa Bogue, Aye. Cabaldon?

Perez, Aye. Ochoa Bogue?

Aye.

Aye.

Cabaldon, Aye. Choi. Cortese? Cortese, Aye. Gonzales?

Aye.

Gonzales, Aye. Reyes? Great. And we will put that bill on call.

Thank you so much, Senator Allen.

Thank you, members. Thank you.

And I think we now have Senator Adeguin here to present SB 632. Senator, you can begin whenever you're ready.

Well, thank you madam Chair, members of the education committee for the opportunity to present SB 632. This bill will allow part time community college students enrolled in nine units to qualify for the California College Promise Program. Under current law, the California Community Colleges are authorized to waive tuition fees through the California College Promise Program. This initiative aims to increase access to higher education by providing financial relief to eligible students.

The College Promise program can manifest as a fee waiver that covers the tuition costs for qualifying students for up to two academic years after the waiver is granted.

Currently, to qualify for this fee waiver, students must meet specified criteria. They must be enrolled in 12 or more units of coursework, and they must be first time college students or returning community college students. The current criteria for the California College Promise program leaves a significant majority of community college students ineligible for the current tuition fee waiver.

Part time students who often face the most significant challenges working part time or having other, challenges that make it difficult with their for them to enroll in more than 12 or more units are particularly affected by the current criteria. Many students choose part time enrollment to maintain flexibility needed for work, to care for their families, or to meet other unique circumstances.

And the restrictions on eligibility to full time students only, results in missing a vital opportunity to support the most underserved students in our state. SB 632 will make the California College Promise accessible to part time community college students by allowing the California Community Colleges to waive fees for all students, regardless of whether they're enrolled part time or full time, expanding the promise of the promise program to ensure that more students have access to critical resources they need to succeed in higher education.

With me to testify in support is Tiffany Mok with the California Federation of Teachers, and Mark MacDonald representing the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild, AFT local fifteen forty.

Hi. Thank you, Chair and members. Mark MacDonald, on behalf of the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild, as well as the Los Angeles and San Diego and Foothill De Anza Community College District in support of, SB 632. The vast majority of students that attend community colleges attend part time. Students oftentimes must balance workloads and family and could be put in a situation where there where they are precluded from attending full time.

Yet, due to their workload and the amount of income that they make, may be not qualified for the income based fee waiver. These students are still low income. They are supporting their families while trying to balance work and education. This bill provides an option to the local community college districts to waive part or all of the fees for those students, and I would urge your support for this important bill. Thank you.

Tiffany Mok, on behalf of CFT, a union of educators and classified professionals, CFT faculty have long recognized that the affordability of college is a factor in helping students graduate by allowing districts to the ability to offer students who are taking six units a financial incentive to take nine units, our faculty hopes to encourage students to further their educational journey on a timeline that accommodates their life responsibilities. Thank you so much.

Thank you for your presentation. We'll now hear from Me Too's and Support. If anybody would like to use the mic at the railing.

Yessenia Robancho with End Child Poverty California in Support. Also as a proud former PCC Lancer, could have used this bill. Thank you.

Thank you. We'll now hear from Opposition. Do we have anyone here to register Opposition? Seeing no and rising, I will turn it back to the committee. Do we have any questions or comments from committee members, Senator Cabaldon?

Yeah. Thank you, madam Chair. I remain opposed to the to this bill. I've I've spoken to the author about it. I think the the committee is aware.

I served as President Obama's appointee. I actually still serve on the National College Promise Board. I've devoted a lot of my career to the College Promise, and the full time nature of the of that promise is an essential design element. And that's because, the the the the nudge from 12 the difference between 12 units of enrollment and nine units in terms of completion rates, that nudge between twelve and nine is the difference between completing at all for the vast majority of students.

Completion rates at community colleges are I mean, the highest correlate of any factor is part time versus full time enrollment.

The community college completion rates for part time students are extremely low. And for full time students, they're they're they're pretty darn good. And so the point as the College Promise program has been designed, it's been designed to assure that that it recognizes that nudge. And and and it's to make to make not completing a degree degree cheaper is not in the student's interest. It really it's really important that that design nudge remain.

So I didn't support the bill the bill and it's with its prior author, or when it was on the suspense file and didn't make it a appropriations. I continue to to feel that way. I understand the reason for it.

Appreciate the author's work on this, but I but I think it is we we often forget the the the purpose here, the equity purpose here is to assure that students complete, and earn a degree or certificate or transfer and, and and that our policies need to undergird that based on the evidence that shows what works. So thanks, madam Chair.

Thank you, Senator Cabaldon. Are there any other questions or comments? Seeing none, I wanted to just make a couple of comments as, you know, someone that's done work in this space as well. I and I know Senator Ahrens or Assembly Member Ahrens, introduced this bill last year and appreciate that you're bringing it back this year, Senator Arreguin. I think the points that Senator Cabaldon raised are obviously fair points that we wanna be mindful of.

Right? Encouraging more of our students to be full time is very key in helping them to complete their two year degree in a timely manner. We know that most community college students do not graduate even in six years. And it is a number that we have continued to work on, many of us in the higher education space for a very long time now, for decades.

But at the same time, recognize that there are so many students that are not fully enrolled that have the full 12 units that many of them are not able to access this college promise benefit.

That's part of the reason why I appreciate you taking the amendment that we also gave to Assembly member Ahrens last year to communicate to students to make sure they understand what a full course, a unit course looks like and that that is 12 units. And, completing in a timely manner would require one to enroll in a full course of units, 12 units for two for two years, in order for them to complete their associate's degree.

I, you know, should this bill be signed, I think for me what will be most important is to make sure that we're monitoring the potential impacts that this has on completion rates. I know we've had many conversations with the community college district both in my role here as well as before I came to this body, about the importance of us improving college completion rates and transfer rates for our community college institutions.

It's something that we've struggled with for many years and, it is something that we're going to need to continue to work on.

So, I am happy to support the bill today, but this is one that we'll have to closely monitor. Wanna make sure that our students have more access to financial aid, and obviously lowering the cost to accessing that degree. But making sure they're completing in a timely manner so they actually achieve their educational dreams, which is getting their associates degree and their bachelor's at the end of the day, I think is the ultimate goal that we all share and want.

I will now turn it over to you to close, Assembly member or Senator. Oh, sorry. Oh, my gosh. I'm all over the place today.

Well, thank you, madam Chair, and thank you, Senator Cabaldon, for those comments. I I think I share, I I think the goal of making sure that students complete their, degree or certificate programs, and they're on a path to a career or they're on their path path to a four year institution.

And I'll just note what the Chair did mention, which is, part of the bill does include, as a condition of receiving funding that a written notification is provided to a student, one about the conditions of of being a Promise Scholar, as well as a description of the units the student needs to complete per semester or the quarter quarterly equivalent, the number of semester equivalent units the student needs to complete per academic year, to complete an associate degree or certificate program.

So they're aware of what does it take for them to to be on track to complete the degree. And I agree with the Chair that, you know, monitoring this, and and seeing how, you know, how are completion rates going, if this is signed into law, I think is an important metric we should look at and consider if we need to make changes if this bill is signed into law.

But at the end of the day, you know, recognizing that's, not every student can do full 12 or more course units per semester because of work or caregiving responsibilities or other challenges, making sure that there's a flexibility for them to take advantage of this program. And also helping the community colleges increase in their enrollment, as well, I think is another component of this. I thank the committee for the thoughtful discussion. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. And do we have a motion? I have a motion from Senator Choi, and that motion is that the Assembly amendments be concurred in. Secretary,

[Roll Call]

And that bill is out 5-2. Thank you so much, Senator Arreguin. We will now, lift the call for the other bills. Secretary, if you can, call the roll.

File item 1, AB1581 Ramos. Motion is measure B returned to the Senate floor for consideration. Current vote is 5 ayes, no nos. With the Chair and vice Chair voting aye.

[roll call]

It's out 7-0.

That bill is out 7-0.

File item 2, AB 1969 Bonta. Motion is that the measure be returned to the Senate floor for consideration. Current vote is 5 ayes and no nos. With the Chair and Vice Chair voting aye.

[roll call]

That bill is out 7-0.

File item three, SB 549 Allen. The motion is that the Assembly amendments be concurred in. Current vote is 5 ayes and no nos. With the Chair and vice Chair voting aye.

[roll call]

File item 3, SB 549.

[roll call]

That bill is out 7-0. Alrighty. That concludes our business for today's agenda. Thank you so much for all participating.

This meeting is adjourned.