June has been a busy month at the Capitol, with policy and budget committee hearings in full swing. Many of California EDGE Coalition’s priority bills have continued to advance through the Legislature, including our co-sponsored bill, SB 1054 by Senator Cabaldon, which focuses on workforce data infrastructure.
The deadline for bills to pass out of second-house policy committees is July 2, just before the Legislature begins its month-long summer recess.
Beyond bill activity, the state budget has also taken several twists and turns. Both the Assembly and Senate released their own versions of the budget, and on June 11, reached an agreement. You can view the legislative budget agreement here.
Highlights include funding for Workforce Pell implementation, credit for prior learning, and dual enrollment, as well as protections for access to key social safety net programs, including health care, child care, and food assistance.
On June 15, the Legislature passed a placeholder budget bill, AB 109, which now awaits the Governor’s action. This process could still include further changes to the final spending plan. EDGE will continue to closely track budget discussions on key priorities as the Governor has until the end of the month to act on the state budget plan. View EDGE’s budget priorities here.
Stay tuned for more updates as the session progresses, including opportunities to engage in advocacy!
For more information about our positions on specific legislation, please contact Valerie Johnson, Policy and Advocacy Manager, at vjohnson@caedge.org.
EDGE Bill Positions
SB 1054 (Cabaldon) – Better Data, Better Coverage, Better California Act. This bill requires the Employment Development Department to collect and share hours-worked and occupation data from employers, helping protect hundreds of thousands of Californians from losing Medi-Cal and CalFresh benefits under new federal work reporting requirements, while also strengthening California’s workforce data infrastructure. Factsheet
Position: Co-Sponsor
Status: Pending in Assembly Labor Committee, hearing date 6/24/26
AB 1534 (Irwin) Workforce Pell Grants. This bill establishes a state approval process for short-term workforce programs seeking access to newly authorized federal Workforce Pell Grants, ensuring program quality and incorporating guardrails to protect students. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Pending in Senate Education Committee, hearing date 6/24/26
AB 1871 (Fong) College and Career Access Pathways – Dual Enrollment. This bill would reform the College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) Dual Enrollment Program to remove student-level barriers and expand participation. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Pending in Senate Appropriations Committee, hearing date 6/29/26
AB 2466 (Fong) Strong Workforce Program. This bill would authorize regional consortia to use Strong Workforce Program funds to support paid work-based learning for students and employers, with the goal of increasing employability and expanding job opportunities in high-demand fields. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Pending in Senate Appropriations Committee
AB 1980 (Caloza) Equal Representation in Construction Apprenticeships Grant Program. This bill would require the Department of Industrial Relations, through the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, to establish the Equal Representation in Construction Apprenticeships Grant Program to increase equitable access to building and construction career pathways for women, nonbinary individuals, and other underrepresented groups. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Pending in Senate Appropriations Committee, hearing date 6/29/26
AB 2300 (Arambula) Workforce Development: Applicable Law. This bill modernizes the administrative framework for California’s workforce development system by exempting Employment Development Department grants to local workforce development boards from state contracting requirements and streamlining reporting, auditing, and guidance-issuance processes under the California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Pending in Senate Labor Committee as of 6/10/26
SB 1340 (Richardson) Small Business Contracts. This bill would require annual reporting on the share of state contracts awarded to small and micro businesses, making it easier to track whether agencies are meeting California’s goal of directing at least 25% of contracting dollars to small businesses. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Pending in the Assembly Economic Development, Growth, & Household Impact Committee, hearing date 6/23/26
SB 1006 (Padilla) Cal Grant B. This bill would have indexed the Cal Grant B awards to inflation so financial aid for non-tuition costs keeps pace with what students need to stay enrolled. Factsheet
Position: Support
Status: Held in the Senate Appropriations Committee on 6/14/26