On October 13th, Governor Newsom took action on more than 900 bills passed by the Legislature, marking the close of the 2025 legislative session, the first year of the two-year session. All bills that were signed by the Governor will become law and take effect on January 1, 2026, unless they contain an urgency clause. Building on last year’s progress, the Governor signed several key measures advocated by EDGE throughout the year. Some of these new laws address the benefits cliff issue, expand access to financial aid, and strengthen work-based learning opportunities to better support adult learners, opportunity youth, and workers, while also helping employers build a stronger workforce and bolster California’s overall economic growth.
Alongside our legislative efforts, EDGE advocated in support of several budget priorities, including investments in skills training, social safety net support, and preservation of workforce development programs at the risk of significant reductions. The final 2025-26 budget, enacted by Governor Newsom and the Legislature in late June, totals $321.1 billion, with $228.4 billion from the General Fund. To close the $11.8 billion shortfall, the budget incorporated targeted spending reductions, funding shifts, and the use of reserves. Amid fiscal constraints and reduced federal investments that affected state funding priorities, the budget preserved some essential supports for Californians facing socioeconomic barriers. However, many individuals still need greater assistance to complete their education and training programs, secure good jobs, and support their families. For further details, please check out our complete budget overview here.
Our 2025-26 Policy Agenda centered on safeguarding a social safety net for underserved Californians, advancing key components of the Master Plan for Career Education, expanding career tech education and apprenticeship opportunities, and uplifting the importance of data collection to inform policy and investment decisions. Throughout the 2025 session, EDGE actively engaged in multiple education and workforce development efforts, with a focus on advancing policies and investments to create pathways to quality jobs for all Californians, especially those facing barriers to economic mobility, such as adult learners, opportunity youth, dislocated workers, immigrants, and justice-involved individuals, while also addressing employer workforce needs.
The Legislature is currently in recess and will reconvene on Monday, January 5, 2026. The Governor is required to submit the 2026–27 state budget proposal by January 10. As the second year of the two-year legislative cycle begins, bills designated as two-year bills from the 2025 session will have an opportunity to move forward in January.
Stay tuned for updates as EDGE begins developing its 2026 legislative and budget priorities to continue advancing opportunity and pathways to prosperity for Californians.
The following is a summary of EDGE’s 2025 bill and budget priorities with their final outcomes.
2025 EDGE Priority Bills
AB 42 (Bryan) – Simplifying CalWORKs/CalFresh. This bill ensures all student grants, loans, fellowships, and scholarships are excluded from income calculations for CalWORKs and CalFresh recipients, helping underserved Californians access the full support needed to complete education and training programs.Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Chaptered
AB 323 (Fong) – Strong Workforce Program Fund Authorization. This bill authorizes Strong Workforce Program (SWP) funds to support students, employers, or both, in offering paid work-based learning opportunities that enhance employability and job placement. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Chaptered
AB 1098 (Fong) – California Education Interagency Council. This bill establishes the California Education Interagency Council within the Government Operations Agency to align education and workforce systems, support adult skill development, and address the changing nature of work and the economy. Senate Floor Analyses
Position: Support
Status: Chaptered
SB 275 (Smallwood-Cuevas) – Eligible Training Provider List. This bill would have streamlined the eligibility process for training providers on the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) by shifting from annual to biannual documentation, aligning with federal standards. This reduces administrative barriers, keeps programs accessible during review, and supports workforce development in California. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Vetoed. View the Governor’s message.
SB 638 (Padilla) – California Education Interagency Council. This bill creates an advisory role of the California Education Interagency Council to provide policy advice and recommendations in areas including career technical education, college and career pathway programs, and workforce development initiatives.Senate Floor Analyses
Position: Support
Status: Chaptered
AB 95 (Fong) – California Education Interagency Council. This bill would establish the California Education Interagency Council to improve coordination across California’s education and workforce systems. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Held in Assembly Appropriations Suspense File (05/23/2025); Two-Year Bill. This bill was implemented via AB 1098 (Fong) and was signed by the Governor.
AB 537 (Ahrens) – California College Promise for All. This bill aimed to make changes to the eligibility requirements for the California College Promise program to allow part-time community college students to qualify for the enrollment fee waiver. This proposal would have ensured that more students have access to the financial resources needed to succeed. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Held in the Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File (08/29/2025)
AB 731 (Fong) – College and Career Access Pathways – Dual Enrollment Partnerships. This bill would have removed key barriers to make CCAP dual enrollment programs more accessible and equitable for all students. It simplifies the application process, eliminates the need for principal approval, and offers flexibility on the 15-unit cap. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Held in the Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File (08/29/2025)
AB 988 (Fong) – Dual Enrollment Advisory Board. This bill would have established the Dual Enrollment Advisory Board to develop recommendations on a statewide dual enrollment framework designed to provide universal access to dual enrollment courses to all public high school students. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Held in Assembly Appropriations Committee Suspense File (05/23/2025); Two-Year Bill
AB 1122 (Bryan) – Universal Access to Dual Enrollment. This bill would have expanded equitable access to dual enrollment opportunities by ensuring that all school districts offered a dual enrollment pathway that led to a degree, credential, certificate, or transfer. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Held in Assembly Education Committee (04/30/2025); Two-Year Bill
SB 575 (Laird) – California Cradle-to-Career Data System. This bill would have allowed the Cradle-to-Career Data System’s Governing Board to request limited earnings and tax credit information from the Franchise Tax Board, aiming to enhance understanding of workforce dynamics and economic trends and aid in closing critical gaps in earnings data. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Held in Senate Revenue & Taxation Committee (04/23/2025); Two-Year Bill
2025 EDGE Budget Priorities
Investments In Workforce Development
California Education Interagency Council. The budget included $1.5 million to enhance planning and coordination between California’s higher education and workforce development systems, one of the goals in the Governor’s Master Plan for Career Education.
Regional Initiative for Social Enterprises (CalRISE) Program. The budget sustained a one-time $17 million General Fund allocation for CalRISE, which offers financial and technical assistance to employment social enterprises to strengthen their capacity to create and retain jobs in underserved communities.
Investments In Education & Students
Credit for Prior Learning Expansion. The budget approved $15 million one-time and $5 million ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund for the Credit for Prior Learning Initiative, a critical effort enabling more Californians to convert their real-world experience into college credits.
Rising Scholars. The budget provided $10 million in ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund to expand the Rising Scholars Network, a statewide initiative within the community college system that supports students who are currently or formerly justice-involved by expanding access to higher education.
Flexible Emergency Aid. The budget included an increase of $20 million, one-time, Proposition 98 to provide flexible emergency financial aid assistance to California Dream Act Application (CADAA) filers, supporting immigrant students.
Dreamer Resource Liaisons Investment. The budget approved an increase of $15 million, one-time Proposition 98 for community colleges to support Dreamer Resource Liaisons, to assist undocumented students in accessing resources and support services, such as navigating financial aid, legal aid, and other crucial resources to pursue their education and training.
Cradle-to-Career Data (C2C) System. The budget provided a $3 million ongoing increase from Proposition 98 to support both the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) and the C2C Data System. CCGI helps students plan and prepare for college by providing tools and resources for academic planning, college applications, and financial aid.
Social Safety Net for Underserved Communities
Child Care. The budget included a $59.4 million ongoing General Fund increase for a 2025–26 cost-of-living adjustment to child care programs and reduced funding for the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program by $30 million, while maintaining $63.7 million in ongoing support ($53.4 million General Fund) to help foster children access stable child care through vouchers and navigator services.
California Food Assistance Program Expansion (CFAP). The final budget approved a future spending commitment (subject to appropriation) for the expansion of $117.2 million in 2027-28, growing to $163.2 million in 2028-29. CFAP provides food assistance to Californians who are excluded from federal nutrition programs because of their immigration status. However, tying 2027–28 funding to future revenues creates uncertainty that delays critical support and deepens food insecurity. EDGE remains committed to continuing its advocacy for essential food resources that serve immigrant communities.
Enrollment Freeze for Full-Scope Medi-Cal Expansion for Undocumented Adults (Age 19 and Older).The final budget addressed the state budget deficit in part through an enrollment freeze on full-scope Medi-Cal for undocumented adults, generating projected savings of $77.9 million in 2025–26, growing to $3.3 billion in 2028–29. Although these savings come primarily from expected reductions in enrollment among undocumented Californians, freezing new enrollments will limit access to vital healthcare services for many families. EDGE remains committed to working with key partners to ensure immigrant communities continue to have access to essential healthcare services.
For questions, please contact Anna Alvarado, Chief of Policy & Government Affairs, at aalvarado@caedge.org