On Saturday, September 13th, the 2025 legislative session officially concluded. The Legislature passed the remaining bills, and are now pending on the Governor’s desk for approval. Several of EDGE’s priority bills advanced from their final floor votes – including bills related to removing barriers for training providers, addressing the benefits cliff, and establishing a statewide coordinating entity to align education and workforce development strategies. We now pivot our advocacy efforts, calling on the Governor to sign critical legislation impacting underserved students, working families, employers, and the economy.
The Governor has until October 13th to sign or veto all the legislation that was approved by the Legislature. Bills that are signed by the Governor will go into effect on January 1, 2026, unless stated otherwise.
Please join us in our advocacy efforts and submit letters of support to the Office of Governor Newsom, urging him to sign these bills into law! Take action here.
Stay tuned for more updates as we await final decisions from the Governor on key remaining bills and explore opportunities for next year’s advocacy efforts!
Below is an official list of bills that EDGE took positions on. For more information about our positions on specific legislation, please contact Jason Henderson, Policy Analyst, at jhenderson@caedge.org.
EDGE Bill Positions
Active Bills:
AB 42 (Bryan) – Simplifying CalWORKs/CalFresh. This bill would ensure 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: Pending on the Governor’s Desk (09/08/2025)
AB 323 (Fong) – Strong Workforce Program Fund Authorization. This bill would authorize 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: Pending on the Governor’s Desk (09/05/2025)
AB 1098 (Fong) – California Education Interagency Council. This bill establishes the California Education Interagency Council (Council) within the Government Operations Agency (GovOps) 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: Pending on the Governor’s Desk (09/13/2025)
SB 275 (Smallwood-Cuevas) – Eligible Training Provider List. This bill streamlines 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: Pending on the Governor’s Desk (09/16/2025)
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. This bill also revises and restructures the CTEIG program. Senate Floor Analysis
Position: Support
Status: Pending on the Governor’s Desk (09/13/2025)
Bills not moving this 2025 session:
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
AB 537 (Ahrens) – California College Promise for All. This bill seeks to make changes to the eligibility requirements for the California College Promise program to allow community college students enrolled in 9 or more units to qualify for the enrollment fee waiver. This proposal ensures more students can access 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 removes key barriers to make CCAP dual enrollment 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 establishes 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 Enrollment to Dual Enrollment. This bill seeks to expand equitable access to dual enrollment opportunities by ensuring that all school districts offer a dual enrollment pathway that leads 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 will allow 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