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HOPE is proud to advocate for proposals moving though California’s Legislative and Budget Process that impact California’s 7.74 million Latinas. If successfully passed, each proposal has the potential to support the next Latinas in our state who make up 34% of women and are nearly 1 in 5 Calfiornians.
In 2023, HOPE is proud to unite to advocate for critical policies that fight for Representation, Economic and Educational parity, and Health Care Access and equity.​
HOPE 2023 LEGISLATIVE PRORITIES
SB 702 (Limon)
Gubernatorial Appointments
To ensure California leadership reflects its greater population, the collection of gubernatorial appointee’s demographic data is a critical step to achieving gender, racial and ethnic parity in California’s boards and commissions. This annual report will serve as a tool to shed light where inequities in representation exist, encourage outreach to communities of interest, and address any system barriers. Additionally, this bill forms a workgroup of community leaders and subject area experts to inform community outreach and engagement in the appointment’s process. We believe that California's democracy is strengthened when it reflects a #ACaliforniaLIkeMe. Senator Monique Limon, a HOPE alumna, is the author of this bill.
AB 368 (Holden)
College and Career Access Pathways partnerships
AB 368 is authored by Assemblymember Chris Holden, who has previously authored legislation driving legislation in the dual enrollment space. This bill would outline and provide clarity by defining "underrepresented students" as high school students who meet one or more of the following criteria: first-time college students, low-income students, current or former foster youth, homeless students or are at risk of being homeless, students with disabilities, students with dependent children, undocumented students, or students who are members of a group that have historically comprised a minority of the population of the United States. It would also ensure that disaggregated data is collected to access later that the program targets the students it is intended to serve.
AB 393 (Luz Rivas)
Childcare: dual language learners
AB 393 is critical in implementing the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care recommendations for our dual language children. The bill proposes to mirror state preschool programs' current dual language identification requirements in childcare. Currently, existing law requires the SPI to develop a family language instrument and criteria for a family language and interest interview for CSPP providers who serve children aged 3 and 4. This bill proposes a similar process for two types of childcare programs – the General Child Care and Migrant Child Care programs, which serve children aged birth to 13.
AB 665 (Carrillo)
Minors: consent to mental health services
This bill addresses a deeply inequitable policy that creates barriers for youth on Medi-Cal to access mental health treatment. This bill will ensure youth on Medi-Cal no longer have to meet a higher standard by aligning the Health and Safety Code and the Family Code sections containing the consent criteria. Data shows that a disproportionate number of children covered by Medi-Cal are children of color. By creating a higher standard for youth on Medi-Cal, existing law perpetuates systemic racism. No young person should have to wait until they are in severe distress or be of adult age to be able to access critical mental health services. This bill is authored by a HOPE alumna, Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo.
AB 921 (Bonta)
Mental health: workforce
The prevalence and understanding of behavioral health needs have increased in California, especially among youth. Suicide, depression, anxiety, trauma, and drug overdose deaths are at record levels, especially among people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. Non-profit community based organizations are the backbone of service delivery in California to address these challenges but face a profound workforce crisis, especially with the recruitment and retention of people of color and bilingual staff. Paraprofessional staff – those without a master's degree - are highly effective with engagement and counseling but often lack the resources and mentorship opportunities to connect with these agencies.
AB 821 would establish a mentorship program connecting students in behavioral health programs with community-based organizations. The bill would require the Department of Health Care Access to coordinate a cost-of-living stipend that a student mentee may use for specific expenses. It would also require an increased stipend to encourage bilingual students to participate in the program. AB 921 would allow many people of color, those with bilingual skills, and people with lived experience who cannot pursue advanced education an opportunity to have a job by the end of the training program.
ADDITIONAL LEGISLATIVE PRORITIES
STRONG SUPPORT
Education
AB 506 (Mike Fong)
California State University: graduation requirement: ethnic studies
This bill would delay the requirement for the California State University to require one 3-unit ethnic studies course as
an undergraduate graduation requirement by one year to instead commence with students graduating in the 2025–26 academic year. The bill would require the California State University to collaborate with the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the Academic Senate of the California State University, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, the California Community Colleges Ethnic Studies Faculty Council, and the California State University Council on Ethnic Studies to develop a process for the California State University to approve community college ethnic studies courses, as meeting the requirements of a California State University ethnic studies course provided pursuant to these provisions, for students who transfer to the California State University from California Community Colleges.
AB 680 (Blanca Rubio)
Public postsecondary education: nonresident tuition: exemption
This bill would authorize, as an alternative to the above-referenced 3 or more years exemption conditions, either (1)
completion of 60 semester units of credit or 90 quarter units of credit at a campus or campuses of the California Community
Colleges, or (2) attainment of an associate degree for transfer.
AB 888 (Cervantes)
Student financial aid: immigrants seeking asylum
This bill would also provide eligibility to a noncitizen who has filed a designated application for asylum and has a
valid employment authorization document and social security number. The bill would make related findings and declarations.
SB 767 (Rubio)
Elementary education: kindergarten
This bill, beginning with the 2024–25 school year, would require a child to have completed one year of kindergarten
before that child may be admitted to the first grade at a public elementary school, except for a child who has been lawfully
admitted to a public school kindergarten or a private school kindergarten in California, but has not yet completed one school
year, and is judged to be ready for first-grade work, as specified, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.
REPRESENTATION & Civic engagement
AB 549 (Wilson)
Gender discrimination
This bill would require all state agencies, in consultation with the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls,
to conduct an evaluation of their own departments to ensure that the state does not discriminate against women through the allocation of funding and the delivery of services. The bill, on or before January 1, 2025, and on or before January 1 every 2 years thereafter, would require state agencies to report their findings and recommendations, as specified, to the commission.
SB 435 (Gonzalez)
State agencies: collection of demographic data
This bill would require specified state agencies, in the course of collecting demographic data directly or by contract
as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of California residents, to use separate collection categories and tabulations for each major Latino group, Mesoamerican Indigenous nation, and Mesoamerican Indigenous language group, as specified.
SB 846 (Limón)
Voter registration: California New Motor Voter Program
This bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to transmit specified information to the Secretary of State for a person submitting a driver's license application who provides documentation demonstrating United
States citizenship and that the person is of an eligible age to register or preregister to vote. The bill would deem this information to constitute a completed affidavit of registration for such persons, and require the Secretary of State to register or preregister the person to vote, unless the Secretary of State determines they are ineligible. The bill would require, if a person is registered or preregistered to vote in this manner, that the county elections official send a notice to the person advising that they may decline to register or preregister to vote, designate a party preference, or select a language preference. The bill would also require the county elections official to send a notice to a person who is already registered to vote, but for whom the Secretary of State changes their registration information after receiving updated name or address information from the department.