California Assembly Bill 79
Session 20252026
Public social services: higher education.
Became Law
Became Law on Oct 11, 2025
Origin Chamber
Assembly
Type
Bill
Bill Number
79
State
California
Session
20252026
Motion Text
AB 79 Arambula Assembly Third Reading
Assembly Roll Call Votes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Ávila Farías
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Other
Yes
Other
Other
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Yes
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Other
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Other
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Other
Other
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Other
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Yes
Summary
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 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts, locations of the California State University, and campuses of the University of California throughout the state.
Existing law requires each California Community College and each California State University campus to designate a staff person as the basic needs coordinator to, among other things, act as a broker in identifying, supporting, and linking students to on- and off-campus housing, food, mental health, and other basic needs services and resources.
Existing law establishes the State Department of Social Services and requires the department and the counties to administer public social services programs. Existing law requires a county human services agency to designate at least one employee as a staff liaison to serve as a point of contact for academic counselors and other professional staff at a campus of an institution of public higher education located within the county. Existing law requires a county human services agency, with input from the public institutions of higher learning in the county, to develop protocols for engagement between the agency and a campus of an institution of public higher education located within the county and encourages those entities to consult with specified stakeholders in the development of those protocols.
This bill would require a county human services agency to additionally receive input from basic needs directors, basic needs coordinators, or designated staff, as specified, when developing the above-described protocols for engagement between the county human services agency and institutions of public higher education. The bill would require the department, in consultation with staff liaisons and basic needs directors or basic needs coordinators, to develop a training with a focus on public social services topics, as specified, to be available for basic needs directors, staff of a campus basic needs center, other designated professional staff from each campus of an institution of higher education, and eligibility workers. The bill would require the department to convene a workgroup to share best practices, address challenges, and identify statewide issues that includes county staff liaisons and representatives from the segments of postsecondary education, as specified. By imposing additional duties on counties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would require the department, on or before May 1, 2027, and every 3 years thereafter, to submit a report to the Legislature with findings and recommendations relating to enrollment success trends, best practices, and services offered by the department that may be available to students attending a campus of an institution of public higher education.
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.
12/18/24 - Introduced
December 18, 2024
03/04/25 - Amended Assembly
March 4, 2025
03/24/25 - Amended Assembly
March 24, 2025
09/08/25 - Enrolled
September 8, 2025
10/11/25 - Chaptered
October 11, 2025
03/07/25- Assembly Human Services
March 7, 2025
04/21/25- Assembly Higher Education
April 21, 2025
04/28/25- Assembly Appropriations
April 28, 2025
05/28/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS
May 28, 2025
06/27/25- Senate Human Services
June 27, 2025
07/07/25- Senate Education
July 7, 2025
08/15/25- Senate Appropriations
August 15, 2025
08/29/25- Sen. Floor Analyses
August 29, 2025
Sort by most recent
10/11/2025
California State Legislature
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 607, Statutes of 2025.
10/11/2025
California State Legislature
Approved by the Governor.
09/11/2025
California State Legislature
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
09/04/2025
Assembly
In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
09/04/2025
Senate
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).
09/02/2025
Senate
Ordered to special consent calendar.
08/29/2025
Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
08/29/2025
Senate
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
08/18/2025
Senate
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
07/09/2025
Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
07/01/2025
Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on ED. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on ED.
06/11/2025
Senate
Referred to Coms. on HUMAN S. and ED.
05/29/2025
Senate
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
05/29/2025
Assembly
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 69. Noes 0. Page 1779.)
05/27/2025
Assembly
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
05/23/2025
Assembly
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).
04/30/2025
Assembly
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
04/23/2025
Assembly
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
03/25/2025
Assembly
Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.
03/24/2025
Assembly
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. Read second time and amended.
03/11/2025
Assembly
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (March 11). Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.
03/05/2025
Assembly
Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.
03/04/2025
Assembly
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. Read second time and amended.
02/03/2025
Assembly
Referred to Coms. on HUM. S. and HIGHER ED.
01/06/2025
Assembly
Read first time.
12/19/2024
Assembly
From printer. May be heard in committee January 18.
12/18/2024
Assembly
Introduced. To print.
Sources
Record Created
Dec 19, 2024 8:01:46 AM
Record Updated
Oct 14, 2025 8:27:31 AM