AB 1829

AB1829:v96#DOCUMENT

Bill Start

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1829

An act to amend Sections 79204 and 79205 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1829, as amended, Fong. Community colleges: CalWORKs Recipients Education Program: services.

Existing law establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals using federal, state, and county funds. Existing law establishes the CalWORKs Recipients Education Program (program) in the California Community Colleges under which community college districts are required to provide educational services and special services to recipients of aid under CalWORKs who are attending a community college, to the extent funding is provided in the annual Budget Act. Existing law requires special services for CalWORKs recipients to assist CalWORKs recipient students and those students transitioning off of CalWORKs in achieving long-term self-sufficiency through coordinated student services offered at a community college. Existing law authorizes those special services to include workstudy. Existing law prohibits program payments to an employer for workstudy from exceeding 75% of the wage for the workstudy positions and requires an employer to pay at least 25% of the wage for the workstudy positions.

This bill would add direct aid designed to meet ongoing basic needs and services, as described, as a special service for which program funds may be used. The bill would also require special services for CalWORKs recipients to assist CalWORKs recipient students and those students transitioning off of CalWORKs in achieving economic mobility through coordinated student services offered at a community college. The bill would authorize programs to waive the requirement that an employer pay at least 25% of the wage for workstudy positions if the number of on-campus and off-campus workstudy positions will not decrease. By expanding program services, 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.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 79204 of the Education Code is amended to read:

79204.

(a) In addition to the funding received pursuant to Section 79202, and to the extent that funding is provided in the annual Budget Act, a community college district shall receive funding for purposes of providing special services for CalWORKs recipients.

(b) Special services for CalWORKs recipients shall assist CalWORKs recipient students and those students transitioning off of CalWORKs in achieving long-term self-sufficiency and economic mobility through coordinated student services offered at a community college. Special services may include any of the services funded in accordance with subdivision (e).

(c) Services funded pursuant to this section shall be provided only to both of the following:

(1) Current CalWORKs recipients until their initial educational objectives are met.

(2) Former CalWORKs recipients for a period of not more than two years, subject to the conditions of Section 79208.

(d) Funds received for purposes of this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, existing funds and services provided for CalWORKs recipients attending a community college.

(e) The chancellor shall develop an equitable method for allocating these funds to all community college districts based on the relative number of CalWORKs recipients in attendance in each district and shall allocate funds for all of the following purposes:

(1) Job placement.

(2) Coordination with county welfare offices and other local agencies, including, but not limited to, local workforce investment boards.

(3) Childcare and workstudy.

(4) Instruction.

(5) Postemployment skills training and related skills training.

(6) Campus-based case management, limited to on-campus assistance and services not provided by county caseworkers that do not supplant other counseling and academic support services funded through existing California Community Colleges categorical programs.

(7) Direct aid designed to meet ongoing basic needs services and resources, as described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 66023.5.

SEC. 2.

Section 79205 of the Education Code is amended to read:

79205.

(a) Funds allocated pursuant to Section 79204 for purposes of subsidized childcare shall be used only for children of CalWORKs recipients through campus-based centers or parental choice vouchers subject to rules consistent with those applied to related programs operated by the State Department of Education, including those rules relating to eligibility, reimbursement rates, and parental contribution schedules.

(b) Subsidized campus childcare shall be provided to CalWORKs recipients only if they are engaged in welfare-to-work activities pursuant to Section 11320.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, through the completion of their initial education and training plan and for up to three months thereafter or until the end of the academic year, whichever period of time is greater.

(c) Funds allocated pursuant to Section 79204 for workstudy shall be used for payments to those employers that currently participate in campus-based workstudy programs or are providing work experiences that are directly related to and in furtherance of student educational programs and work participation requirements. Those payments shall not exceed 75 percent of the wage for the workstudy positions, and, except as provided in subdivision (d), the employers shall pay at least 25 percent of the wage for the workstudy positions. These funds may be expended on behalf of a CalWORKs recipient only if the recipient’s total hours of education, employment, and workstudy meet the recipient’s obligations as specified in Section 11322.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(d) Programs may waive the 25 percent employer contribution required by subdivision (c) if the number of on-campus and off-campus workstudy positions will not decrease.

SEC. 3.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.