All Roll Calls
Yes: 170 • No: 22
CaliforniaAB 1042025-2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
Budget Act of 2025.
Sponsored By: Jesse Gabriel (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
48 provisions identified: 43 benefits, 2 costs, 3 mixed.
More help with basic needs at community colleges
The law invests heavily in student basics at community colleges. It provides $75.754 million for basic needs and $32.466 million for student mental health, plus $43.288 million for basic needs centers and coordinators. It funds services for homeless and housing‑insecure students and foster youth, and supports veteran resource centers and Dreamer resource liaisons. It also lets a district hire the social services department to deliver campus help, and provides up to $3 million each year for textbooks or digital content for incarcerated or detained students, paid by September 1, with open resources encouraged and contracting streamlined.
More support for community college students
The law expands help for students with the most need. It gives $189.298 million for Extended Opportunity Programs and Services and $34.614 million for CARE, with at least $4.972 million for textbook help. It also funds disability services: at least $3.945 million to fix federal civil‑rights findings, $943,000 for High Tech Centers training, and $9.6 million for sign language and captioning. For the sign‑language funds, each district must spend $1 locally for every $4 received.
Workforce and nursing training at colleges
The law invests $290.4 million in the Strong Workforce Program and $22.929 million for state‑level help and sector investments. Of this, $60 million builds nursing education capacity, with intent to fund $60 million each year from 2025–26 through 2028–29. Some training funds require a 1:1 private industry match.
State loans for recovery and transit
The state can offer up to $1 billion in loans for Los Angeles County entities to aid January 2025 wildfire recovery. It can also offer up to $750 million in loans to keep transit services running in other regions. These loans take effect only if 2025 laws set repayment terms and, for non‑LA loans, authorize a regional transit measure.
Higher pay and more hiring at community colleges
The law boosts pay and staffing at community colleges. It provides $217.442 million for a 2.30% cost‑of‑living increase. It sets aside $150 million to hire more full‑time faculty, with state budget offices consulted before funds go out. Districts also get money to raise part‑time faculty pay, based on prior‑year student counts, through collective bargaining; if pay reaches parity, leftover funds may support other education needs. The state funds the Classified Employee Summer Assistance Program. It also gives $10 million to support equal employment plans and diversify hiring.
Health insurance push for part‑time faculty
The state funds an incentive so community college districts offer health insurance to part‑time faculty. This encourages more districts to provide coverage options. The law sets the program under existing Education Code rules.
College programs for justice-impacted students
The law provides $35 million for the Rising Scholars Network. Each year, 60% supports model programs for juvenile justice‑impacted students, with most of that going to up to 45 colleges on five‑year grants. Funds also support technical help and require use of Dual Enrollment and Guided Pathways approaches.
Faster degrees with online and prior learning
The law provides $20 million to expand online and technology‑delivered courses that count for degree credit across community colleges. It backs high‑demand and prerequisite classes and shared learning systems. It also provides $5 million each year so students can get credit for prior learning, helping them finish sooner and lower tuition.
More CSU aid and supports
The law funds more help for CSU students. It provides $5.5 million each year for fee waivers for Medal of Honor recipients, their children, and dependents of service‑injured veterans. It adds $12 million for foster youth programs. It gives $15.8 million to expand student mental health and requires CSU to report by March 1, 2026 and every year after. It also provides $35 million each year to close graduation gaps for low‑income and underrepresented students.
More help with community college aid
The law funds more outreach so students apply for financial aid. It provides $5.3 million for a statewide campaign, with $2.5 million focused on non‑English or bilingual households and underserved areas. It allows up to $45.2 million for direct contact with applicants, with at least $50,000 for every campus and the rest based on enrollment and low‑income measures. It also allows up to $5 million for financial aid technology and training to speed up processing.
More money for apprenticeships
The law funds apprenticeship classes and training. It sets a $10.32 per hour reimbursement for activities in multiple schedules and lets those funds be used through June 30, 2028. It also provides $30 million to the California Apprenticeship Initiative, available through June 30, 2031. These funds support instruction and statewide apprenticeship programs.
More support for Promise and waivers
The law funds California College Promise with $91.207 million. It reimburses districts at $0.91 per unit for Promise Grants (at least $14.036 million) and pays 2% of total waiver value to the Board (at least $14.19 million). It also sets aside up to $500,000 to reimburse colleges for federal aid repayments when fee‑waiver students fully withdraw before the census date.
UC food, housing, mental health, summer aid
UC campuses get $15.8 million for meal programs, food pantries, CalFresh help, and direct basic‑needs aid; campus financial aid offices distribute cash aid. The law provides $21.3 million to expand student mental health services. It adds $3.7 million for rapid rehousing for homeless and housing‑insecure California resident students who qualify for state aid; campuses must partner with community groups and report by February 1 each year. It also provides $4 million for summer‑term financial aid for California resident students eligible for state aid, including $1 million one‑time; these funds must add to, not replace, current summer aid.
Faster CalFIRE funding and contracts
The law lets the state move money quickly to fire emergencies. Cal FIRE can get a short‑term General Fund loan up to 45% of expected reimbursements and must repay by November 15 the next year. From July to September each year, the department may start work before a contract is fully signed and can directly buy up to $1.804 million in food, lodging, training, and PPE for fire staff. Finance can raise spending to match new reimbursements and align county fire contract funding. $2.25 million is set aside for facility repairs to add hand crews, available through June 30, 2030.
Firefighter hand‑crew jobs made permanent
The law provides $39 million to start moving some Firefighter I hand‑crew positions to permanent firefighter status. Lawmakers state they intend to add $78 million in 2026–27 to keep this transition going.
Online tools and cybersecurity for colleges
The law keeps systemwide online services running, including tutoring, counseling, and library access, with $10.613 million and $4 million for platforms. It funds $41.89 million to update shared tech tools and $12 million one‑time for a common cloud data platform; a detailed report is due by January 15, 2026. Districts get $25 million for cybersecurity and must file annual NIST/Cal‑Secure self‑assessments, twice‑yearly remediation updates, incident after‑action reports, and fraud statistics. It also provides $8 million to cover statewide education network (CENIC) administrative costs.
CSU funding tied to enrollment
CSU is expected to add 7,152 resident undergraduate FTES in 2025–26. If CSU enrolls fewer, the state can cut funding by $10,983 for each missing FTES. These cuts can add up to many millions.
UC funding tied to resident seats
UC must replace 902 nonresident undergraduates each year with residents at Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego through 2026–27. If UC falls short, the state must cut UC funding by the amount tied to each missing student in the deferred allocation. The state also defers $31 million in this replacement funding from 2025–26 to 2026–27.
College and school finance timing rules
The state delays $408.363 million in community college payments to 2026–27. The Chancellor’s Office may use unused growth dollars to fill unexpected shortfalls. Funds from Schedule (1) must offset certain mandated costs, and LEAs that accept separate mandate‑related funds must lower their mandate claims by what they received.
Child care and caregiver training at colleges
The law sends child care funds to community college districts that levied a child care override tax in 1977–78. Each district’s share matches what it had to provide for child care in 1979–80. It also funds foster and kinship caregiver education and training at colleges, with priority for trainings required by state child‑welfare law.
Easier transfer and course numbering
The law funds clearer course numbering and transfer paths. It provides $685,000 to support the statewide course identification numbering system. It gives $1.381 million for the HBCU Transfer Pathway and $698,000 for transfer and articulation projects, including common course numbering.
More support for nursing students
The law adds $8.475 million to strengthen community college nursing programs. It also provides $4.903 million for diagnostic and support services, preentry classes, and new delivery models to cut nursing student dropouts.
More support for underrepresented community college students
The law funds targeted student supports. It provides $1.1 million to expand A2MEND student charters at up to 50 colleges. It adds a one‑time $10 million grant program for LGBTQ+ student services, up to $900,000 per district, usable over five years. It also funds the AANHPI Student Achievement Program on an ongoing basis.
UC foster youth and Underground Scholars
UC receives $6 million each year for foster youth programs. It also gets $4 million each year to establish and sustain Underground Scholars programs for incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and system‑impacted students. Undergraduate‑serving campuses must have dedicated staff and share best practices annually.
UC medical education expansion and aid
The law provides $12.9 million to expand UC medical education, including a new program focused on Native American communities. One‑third of the money must be used for need‑based financial aid for students in these programs. UC must report each year by March 1 through 2027.
Easier loan terms for some hospitals
Some public hospitals with state financing authority loans get easier repayment terms. Payments start 36 months after the loan date, finish within 24 months, and carry 0% interest with no prepayment penalty. Hospitals must share financial documents if asked.
Corrections funds extended through 2026
Up to $5 million from the Corrections General Fund and up to $5 million from the Inmate Welfare Fund are reauthorized for the same purposes. Funds are available through June 30, 2026.
Faster help on civil rights cases
The law funds civil rights services through June 30, 2026. It provides $883,000 to continue the Community Reconciliation Unit for mediation and community engagement. It also allocates $1.422 million to speed investigations and increase conciliations at the Civil Rights Department.
Funds moved to harbors program
The Controller transfers $3 million from the Abandoned Watercraft Abatement Fund to the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund. This is a one‑time shift to support harbor and watercraft work.
Grants for local parks and projects
The law funds local community and environmental projects. It includes $13.62 million for Clear Lake restoration, $5.4 million for security and infrastructure at the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, and $5 million for the Los Angeles Holocaust Memorial. It also funds the Child and Family Center ($3.095 million), Rancho Bernardo Community Park ($2.5 million), vegetation management in San Diego ($1.5 million), Escondido YMCA repairs ($1.5 million), oil well capping in Santa Clarita ($1.1 million), and Portsmouth Square in San Francisco ($1 million).
Keeps Conservation Corps projects moving
The law lets the California Conservation Corps use remaining prior funds through June 30, 2026. It keeps earlier project money, like for the Greenwood Residential Center, available for its original purposes.
Tahoe land buys and site work
The law funds Tahoe Conservancy projects. It provides $1.3 million for opportunity acquisitions, $479,000 for minor capital work, $591,000 for Lake Tahoe Boulevard demolition and site stabilization, and $500,000 for a study of the Upper Truckee Marsh South.
UC firearm research funding boost
The UC Firearm Violence Research Center receives $4 million. $1 million is one‑time for 2025–26. UC and UC Davis cannot charge administrative fees to this funding.
Faster contracting for California vs. Hate
For 2025–26, $2.383 million for the California vs. Hate Resource Line is exempt from some state contracting rules. The exemption ends June 30, 2026. This speeds hiring and vendor work for the helpline that year.
Emergency communications and security projects
The state funds two emergency facilities. It spends $3.167 million to build checkpoint security at the Mather emergency services headquarters. It also invests $40.145 million to move the Red Mountain communications site in Del Norte County to improve emergency communications.
Child care compliance and rate work
The state provides $21.767 million to meet federal child care requirements, including work on a single rate structure. Funds can be encumbered through September 30, 2027 and paid through September 30, 2028. With Finance approval, related contracts are exempt from some state contracting and technology reviews to move work faster.
Keep CalWORKs hearings and child support funded
Finance can move funds to pay for CalWORKs administrative hearings when Social Services requests it. Finance can also adjust spending up or down to match child support collections and must notify lawmakers within 10 working days. These steps keep core services funded without new laws each time.
Relief for foster agencies’ insurance costs
The state gives $8.5 million to Social Services to help licensed foster family agencies that face higher liability insurance costs. Money is available through June 30, 2027. The department sets criteria with county and provider groups and can use written directives to distribute funds.
Home hardening funds require new law
The state reserves $3 million for a home hardening program. The money becomes available only if later legislation authorizes it. Until then, it cannot be spent.
College funding timing and fire backfills
The law replaces $8.065 million in lost property tax money for community college districts hit by January 2025 fire emergencies. It requires Schedule (4) funds to be split under Education Code Section 78222. It lets the Chancellor move categorical funds into the deferred apportionment schedule after first deferring Schedule (1) funds, to match the monthly deferral plan. It also allows up to $100,000 for maintenance costs under state regulations.
CSU campus investments: Humboldt and CSUN
The law provides $25 million to help Humboldt State transition to a polytechnic university. It also gives $806,000 one time to California State University, Northridge for the Student Success and Inclusion Center.
Help colleges add more students
The law gives $39.981 million to grow community college enrollment by 0.57% in 2025–26. This helps districts add classes and services, contributing to a 2.35% growth target when combined with prior funding.
K–12 fiscal oversight and school fund transfer
The Controller must send $4.857 million directly to the county office that runs FCMAT, and an added $500,000 is available with Finance approval. FCMAT also gets $374,000 to build interactive fiscal and demographic tools. The chosen county office must receive funds within 60 days of enactment and file an annual October 1 report on spending and services. The Controller must also move funds in 2025–26 into the State School Fund to support K–12.
School for the Deaf–Riverside design funding
The law reauthorizes money for working drawings to replace and expand the California School for the Deaf–Riverside athletic complex. The funds are available to spend until June 30, 2026.
Training and help for low-performing colleges
The law provides $7.5 million for the Chancellor to help low‑performing community college districts. If a district requests help, it must spend $1 locally for every $2 received. It also provides $20 million for statewide workshops, trainings, research, and an online clearinghouse; annual reports are due by December 31 and, starting in 2025–26, a three‑year report is due every three years.
UC no‑interest cash‑flow loan authority
For 2025–26, the Director of Finance may approve a no‑interest, short‑term General Fund loan to UC to cover state payment deferrals. UC must request the loan, and it can be approved no sooner than 30 days after budget leaders receive written notice.
Section 37.00 is repealed
The law repeals Section 37.00 of the 2025 Budget Act. The effect depends on what that section did before.
Targeted conservation and recycling shifts
The law gives $400,000 to the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, spendable through June 30, 2028. CalRecycle can use small leftover balances in several recycling funds through June 30, 2026. It also removes a specific California Tahoe Conservancy capital outlay line item.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Jesse Gabriel
Democratic • House
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 7/17/2025
Item 196 — Senate SFLOOR
Yes: 29 • No: 3
House vote • 7/17/2025
Item 1000 — Assembly AFLOOR
Yes: 73 • No: 1
legislature vote • 7/14/2025
Vote in CS62
Yes: 15 • No: 1
House vote • 3/20/2025
Item 34 — Assembly AFLOOR
Yes: 53 • No: 17
Actions Timeline
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 77, Statutes of 2025.
7/29/2025SenateApproved by the Governor.
7/29/2025legislatureEnrolled and presented to the Governor at 11:30 a.m.
7/18/2025legislatureSenate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 73. Noes 1. Page 2587.).
7/17/2025HouseAssembly Rule 63 suspended. (Page 2587.)
7/17/2025HouseIn Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
7/17/2025HouseRead third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 29. Noes 3. Page 2124.).
7/17/2025SenateRead second time. Ordered to third reading.
7/16/2025SenateFrom committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 1.) (July 14).
7/15/2025SenateFrom committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. & F. R.
7/14/2025SenateFrom committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. & F. R.
7/3/2025SenateReferred to Com. on B. & F. R.
4/2/2025SenateIn Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
3/20/2025SenateRead third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 53. Noes 17. Page 715.)
3/20/2025HouseRead second time. Ordered to third reading.
3/18/2025House(Ayes 53. Noes 17. Page 643.)
3/17/2025HouseOrdered to second reading.
3/17/2025HouseWithdrawn from committee.
3/17/2025HouseReferred to Com. on BUDGET.
2/3/2025HouseFrom printer. May be heard in committee February 8.
1/9/2025HouseRead first time. To print.
1/8/2025House
Bill Text
Chaptered
7/29/2025
Enrolled
7/17/2025
Amended Senate
7/14/2025
Amended Senate
7/3/2025
Introduced
1/8/2025