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AB-363 • 2026

Community colleges: CalWORKs Recipients Education Program: eligibility and services.

Community colleges: CalWORKs Recipients Education Program: eligibility and services.

Budget Children Education Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Bryan
Last action
2026-02-02
Official status
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not specify details about funding amounts or implementation timelines.

Expanding CalWORKs Recipients Education Program

This law changes rules about who can join a program that helps people get education and what services they can use.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands the definition of CalWORKs recipients to include those with dependents receiving aid under CalWORKs.
  • Allows students who have used up their time limit for CalWORKs cash aid but still have dependent children getting aid to join the program.
  • Adds direct aid and services designed to meet ongoing basic needs as special services that can be funded by the program.
  • Changes work-study rules so employers don't need to pay 25% of wages anymore, allowing full funding from the program.
  • Removes limits on providing subsidized campus childcare for participants.

Who It Names or Affects

  • CalWORKs recipients and their dependents
  • Community college districts

Terms To Know

CalWORKs Recipients Education Program
A program in California community colleges that provides educational services to people receiving CalWORKs aid.
State-mandated local program
A program where the state requires local agencies or school districts to provide certain services, often with additional funding.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill imposes a state-mandated local program which may require reimbursement from the state for costs incurred by local agencies.
  • Details about how much funding will be provided are not specified in this summary.
  • It is unclear if all community college districts will have the resources to fully implement these changes.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

  2. 2026-01-31 California Legislative Information

    Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.

  3. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Held under submission.

  4. 2025-04-23 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

  5. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  6. 2025-03-24 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.

  7. 2025-03-20 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  8. 2025-03-19 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (March 18).

  9. 2025-02-18 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on HIGHER ED. and HUM. S.

  10. 2025-02-04 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 6.

  11. 2025-02-03 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 363, as amended, Bryan.
Community colleges: CalWORKs Recipients Education Program: eligibility and services.
Existing law establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals using federal, state, and county funds. Existing law establishes the CalWORKs Recipients Education Program (program) in the California Community Colleges under which community college districts are required to provide educational services and special services to recipients of aid under CalWORKs who are attending a community college, to the extent funding is provided in the annual Budget Act. Existing law authorizes those special services to include workstudy. Existing law prohibits program payments to an employer for workstudy from exceeding 75% of the wage for the workstudy positions and requires an employer to pay at least 25% of the wage for the workstudy positions.
Existing law requires subsidized campus childcare to be provided to students participating in the program only if they are engaged in certain activities, through the completion of their initial education and training plan and for up to 3 months after completion or until the end of the academic year, whichever period of time is greater.
This bill would expand
the definition of CalWORKs recipient for program purposes to include a person whose dependent is a recipient of aid under CalWORKs.
who can participate in the program to include students who have exceeded the 60-month limit on CalWORKs cash aid and have one or more dependents who are recipients of aid under CalWORKs.
The bill would add direct aid designed to meet ongoing basic needs and
services, as described, as a special service for which program funds may be used.
The bill would authorize program payments to an employer for workstudy to pay 100% of the wage for the workstudy positions and would delete the
requirement that an employer pay at least 25% of the wage for the workstudy positions.
The bill would authorize programs to waive the requirement that an employer pay at least 25% of the wage for workstudy positions if the number of workstudy positions will not decrease. The bill would delete the limit on the provision of subsidized campus childcare for program participants.
By expanding program eligibility and services, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by
the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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