Public postsecondary education: intersegmental partnerships: STEM education.

Education Technology

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Alvarez
Last action: 2026-06-03
Official status: Referred to Com. on ED.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify exact details about funding or start dates for the programs.

California STEM Education Partnerships

This law establishes programs to help students in California study science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) from high school through college.

What This Bill Does

Establishes the Cal-Bridge Program as a partnership between community colleges, state universities, and the University of California to support STEM students moving towards PhDs.
Sets goals for the Cal-Bridge Program such as preparing students to apply for PhD programs in STEM fields.
Includes five sub-programs under Cal-Bridge that provide resources, research opportunities, and financial support to STEM scholars at different levels.
Establishes the ENLACE Program to help high school and college students prepare for STEM education and careers.

Who It Names or Affects

Students in California who want to study science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) from high school through college.
California Community Colleges, California State University, and the University of California.

Terms To Know

Cal-Bridge Program: A program that helps students in STEM fields move from community colleges or universities to PhD programs.
ENLACE Program: An independent program that works with Cal-Bridge to help high school and college students prepare for STEM education and careers.

Limits and Unknowns

The University of California will only follow parts of this law if its Regents approve them.
It's not clear how much funding the programs will receive or when they will start.

Bill History

2026-06-03 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on ED.
2026-05-27 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2026-05-26 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0.)
2026-05-18 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-05-14 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).
2026-05-14 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2026-05-06 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2026-04-28 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-04-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2026-04-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 22).
2026-04-08 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on ED.
2026-03-16 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on HIGHER ED. and ED.
2026-02-21 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2026-02-20 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2660, as amended, Alvarez.
Public postsecondary education: intersegmental partnerships: STEM education.
The Donahoe Higher Education Act sets forth the missions and functions of California’s public segments of higher education and their respective institutions of higher education. The California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California are the 3 public segments of postsecondary education in the state. Provisions of the act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California act, by appropriate resolution, to make them applicable.
This bill would establish the Cal-Bridge Program as a fully intersegmental partnership program between the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California to create a pathway that promotes the advancement of California’s diverse undergraduate public postsecondary student
population who major in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to pursue STEM doctors of philosophy (PhDs) and become members of California’s professorate or leaders in California’s technology industry. The bill would specify the goals of the Cal-Bridge Program, including, among others, preparing students to apply to PhD programs in STEM disciplines, as specified. The bill would include 5 Cal-Bridge subprograms to provide resources, research opportunities, and financial support to qualifying public postsecondary undergraduate, PhD, and postdoctoral STEM scholars. The bill would also establish the ENLACE Program as an operationally independent program that works in collaboration with the Cal-Bridge Program to create pathways that prepare California’s high school and college students for all levels of postsecondary STEM education and the state’s STEM workforce, as specified. The bill would require the ENLACE Program to consist of the ENLACE
K–12
High School
and Undergraduate Program to provide support to qualifying students
from
in
high school
through
and
undergraduate studies
majoring in
across
all STEM disciplines at public postsecondary educational institutions, as specified. The bill would authorize funding appropriated for purposes of the Cal-Bridge Program or the ENLACE Program to be used for specified activities. The bill would apply to the
University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, make it applicable.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF