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AB-2660 • 2026

Public postsecondary education: intersegmental partnerships: STEM education.

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
2026-04-23
Official status
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).
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not specify detailed funding amounts, leaving this as an unknown.

Cal-Bridge and ENLACE Programs for STEM Education

This law establishes two programs to support students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields: Cal-Bridge and ENLACE. These programs aim to help students advance from undergraduate studies through PhDs.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes the Cal-Bridge Program as a partnership between California Community Colleges, California State University, and the University of California to support STEM students advancing towards PhDs.
  • Specifies goals for the Cal-Bridge Program such as preparing students to apply to PhD programs in STEM disciplines.
  • Includes five subprograms under Cal-Bridge that provide resources, research opportunities, and financial support to STEM scholars at various levels.
  • Establishes the ENLACE Program to prepare high school and college students for postsecondary STEM education and careers.
  • Requires the ENLACE Program to have a K-12 and Undergraduate component supporting STEM majors from high school through undergraduate studies.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields at California community colleges, state universities, and potentially the University of California.
  • High school students interested in pursuing STEM education and careers.

Terms To Know

Cal-Bridge Program
A program that connects different levels of higher education to help STEM students advance from undergraduate studies through PhDs.
ENLACE Program
An independent program working with Cal-Bridge to prepare high school and college students for postsecondary STEM education and careers.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The University of California will only apply parts of this law if the Regents approve it.
  • It is not clear how much funding will be available for these programs.

Bill History

  1. 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).

  2. 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.

  3. 2026-03-16 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on HIGHER ED. and ED.

  4. 2026-02-21 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  5. 2026-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2660, as introduced, 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 and Undergraduate Program to
provide support to qualifying students from high school through undergraduate studies majoring in 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 
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