SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra), Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, announced that a range of his education-related bills have been signed into law by Governor Newsom. The legislation addresses priorities across California’s education systems, from expanding college access and student support to strengthening workforce pathways and improving transparency and accountability.

“This legislative package reflects my continued work to remove barriers for students, strengthen the connection between education and careers, and ensure our colleges and universities have the tools to support students throughout their educational journey,” said Assemblymember Fong. “I thank Governor Newsom for signing this package into law and look forward to the impact they will have on students across California.”

The education-related bills signed by Governor Newsom include:

AB 1809 – Job Order Contracting Sunset Extension

Removes the sunset on the authorization for school districts and community college districts to use Job Order Contracting (JOC), helping schools and community colleges save money and complete needed repairs more expeditiously.

AB 1829 — CalWORKs Recipients Education Program

Strengthens support for low-income student-parents by allowing existing California Community Colleges CalWORKs Recipient Education Program funds to address basic needs and expanding access to off-campus work-study opportunities through greater employer match flexibility.

AB 1871 – Dual Enrollment

Expands access to dual enrollment by removing barriers that can prevent students from participating in College and Career Access Pathways programs, helping more high school students access college coursework and get an early start on higher education.

AB 1928 – Title IX Student Representation

Strengthens support for students navigating sexual harassment (Title IX) proceedings by ensuring each party can have both a support person and an advisor with them throughout the campus grievance process.

AB 2374 – AANHPI Serving Institute Designation

Establishes a state level designation for Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANHPI-Serving Institution) to recognize public and private postsecondary education institutions that demonstrate intentional commitment towards supporting Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students.

AB 2392 – AI Tools Training

Requires the California State University (CSU) and California Community Colleges (CCC), and requests the University of California (UC), to create a joint workgroup to develop responsible AI procurement and training standards and provide training to students, faculty, and staff before using AI tools, helping ensure campus communities are prepared to use emerging technology responsibly and effectively.

AB 2436 – In-State Tuition for Olympic Athletes

Expands long-term educational opportunities for Team USA athletes by permanently allowing qualifying Olympic and Paralympic student-athletes training in California to receive resident classification and pay in-state tuition and fees at California’s public colleges and universities.

AB 2466 – Strong Workforce Program

Strengthens the connection between education and employment by allowing California Community Colleges Strong Workforce Program funds to support paid work-based learning, helping students gain hands-on experience and prepare for careers in high-demand fields.

AB 2523 – CCC/CSU/UC Governing Board Contact Information

Increases transparency and public access to California’s public higher education governing boards by requiring CSU and California Community Colleges to make board members’ biographies and official contact information readily available online and requesting UC to do the same.

AB 2726 – Surplus Technology in K-12/CCC

Gives schools and community colleges greater flexibility to responsibly dispose of surplus technology, promoting the reuse and recycling of older equipment while helping ensure students and educators have access to updated technology for teaching and learning.

Together, these measures build on Assemblymember Fong’s work as Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee to expand educational opportunities, strengthen student support systems, and better connect California students with pathways to degrees, credentials, and careers.

All ten bills will take effect January 1, 2027.