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SB-271 • 2026

Public postsecondary education: students with dependent children: childcare services, resources, and programs.

Public postsecondary education: students with dependent children: childcare services, resources, and programs.

Children Education Housing
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Reyes
Last action
2025-10-11
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 600, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not explicitly state that the bill ensures all available financial aid includes supplemental awards such as Cal Grants. It only mentions that information on these awards should be provided to students.

Childcare Services and Resources for College Students with Dependent Children

This law expands support services for college students who have children, including childcare resources and financial aid information.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands the definition of basic needs services to include childcare services and direct financial support for students with dependent children.
  • Requires each campus to provide information on childcare development centers and offerings to students with dependent children through their financial aid offices.
  • Requests or requires child development programs at colleges to refer students seeking childcare to the Basic Needs Center and financial aid office.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students enrolled in California Community Colleges, California State University, or University of California who have dependent children.
  • Campuses within the three segments of public postsecondary education in California.

Terms To Know

Basic Needs Coordinator
A person at each college campus responsible for helping students with basic needs like food, housing, and childcare.
Cal Grant award
Financial aid provided by the state of California to help pay for college tuition and other expenses.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill imposes additional duties on community college districts, which may require local funding.
  • The effectiveness of these changes depends on how well campuses implement new requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-11 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 600, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-11 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-23 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-13 California Legislative Information

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 3031.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-13 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-12 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3390.) Ordered to the Senate.

  7. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended.

  9. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    Joint Rule 61(a)(13) suspended. (Ayes 58. Noes 17. Page 3062.)

  10. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  11. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 29).

  12. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  13. 2025-07-16 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  14. 2025-07-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.

  15. 2025-06-16 California Legislative Information

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

  16. 2025-06-05 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  17. 2025-06-04 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1522.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  18. 2025-06-02 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  19. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  20. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  21. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1193.) (May 23).

  22. 2025-05-16 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 23.

  23. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    April 21 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  24. 2025-04-04 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 21.

  25. 2025-04-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 633.) (April 2). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  26. 2025-03-20 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED.

  27. 2025-03-19 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 2.

  28. 2025-02-14 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on ED.

  29. 2025-02-05 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 7.

  30. 2025-02-04 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 271, Reyes.
Public postsecondary education: students with dependent children: childcare services, resources, and programs.
Existing law establishes the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state.
Existing law requires each community college campus and each California State University campus, and requests each University of California campus, to establish the position of the Basic Needs Coordinator to assist students, among other responsibilities, with basic needs services and resources, including childcare, and to establish a Basic Needs Center where basic needs services, resources, and staff are made available to students, as provided. Existing law requires each Basic Needs Center to, among other things, connect students to the financial aid department or financial aid office, as appropriate, to ensure that students are receiving all available
financial aid.
This bill would expand the definition of basic needs services and resources to include childcare services and resources, as defined, and would authorize that childcare services and support to include direct financial and service support. The bill would explicitly state that all available financial aid includes supplemental awards such as the Cal Grant award for students with dependent children. If a campus has an existing center or office that supports parenting students, the bill would authorize a Basic Needs Center to direct that student to the student parent center or office if the student would be better served by that center or office.
Existing law requires each campus of the California State University and the California Community Colleges, and requests each campus of the University of California, to host on its internet website a student parent internet web page that contains information that clearly
lists all on- and off-campus student parent services and resources, as specified.
This bill would require the financial aid office of each campus of the California Community Colleges and the California State University, and request the financial aid office of each campus of the University of California, to provide students with dependent children information on the campus’ childcare development center and childcare offerings, if applicable, a referral to the campus Basic Needs Center, and information on supplemental awards such as the Cal Grant award for students with dependent children, as provided.
Existing law authorizes public postsecondary institutions to establish and maintain child development programs on or near their campuses.
This bill would require child development programs or preschools established by the California Community Colleges and the California State
University, and request child development programs or preschools established by the University of California, to provide students with dependent children seeking childcare with a referral to the campus Basic Needs Center and the campus’ financial aid office, as specified.
By imposing additional duties on community college districts, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 66023.5 of the Education Code proposed by SB 148 and AB 148 to be operative only if this bill and either SB 148 or AB 148 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
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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