State Policy & Advocacy
State Policy Priorities
CalCAPA’s state priorities focus on policy that strengthens the California Community Action network’s ability to build strong infrastructure for delivering results, support flexible funding for local solutions, and promote stability opportunities and economic mobility for low-income communities and families.
As Community Action Agencies respond to rising needs and increasing uncertainty for families, our network upholds the importance of impactful state legislation and budget priorities that drive economic mobility, opportunities for low-income communities, and agency capacity building.
Submit your state policy priorities here for our network’s consideration:
Current State Advocacy Actions
- 02-02-2026 CalCAPA Response to Governor Newsom’s Proposed 2026-2027 Budget
- 01-27-2026 Request for Information to Director Wimbley on LIHEAP to Leverage IIJA Weatherization Funding
- 01-06-2026 Request to Governor Newsom for State Investment in LIHEAP to Leverage IIJA Weatherization Funding
- 11-14-2025 Request to Governor Newsom for Urgent Need for State Support for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
2026 State Legislation
PRIORITY BILLS
SB 1240 (McNerney) “Office of Nonprofit Empowerment” – SUPPORT
Summary: This bill would create the Office of Nonprofit Empowerment with the primary responsibility of overseeing and coordinating state policy in support of California’s nonprofit organizations.
Status: Passed Senate Floor (31-0-9), pending referral in Assembly
AB 2348 (Bonta) “Medi-Cal: Community Supports” – SUPPORT
Summary: This bill would extend and formalize “community supports” under Medi-Cal beyond the demonstration framework established under CalAIM, in efforts to emphasize the integration of health care and wraparound social services.
Status: Passed Assembly Floor (78-0-2), pending referral in Senate
AB 1832 (Ransom) “2-1-1 Information and Referral Response System” – SUPPORT
Summary: This bill would establish the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) as the regulatory authority over implementing 2-1-1 dialing in California and create a state fund for 2-1-1 services, in efforts to support greater coordination across health and human services systems.
Status: Passed Assembly Floor (72-0-8), pending referral in Senate
SB 924 (Hurtado) “Low-Income Energy Assistance Programs” – SUPPORT
Summary: This bill would address energy assistance for low-income households, with a focus on improving access to and effectiveness of programs that help offset utility costs, to address the structural barriers that prevent vulnerable Californians from benefiting fully from energy savings programs.
Status: Passed Senate Floor (35-1-4), pending referral in Assembly
SB 881 (McNerney) “Income Taxation: Credits: Voluntary Contributions: Food Bank Donations” – SUPPORT
Summary: This bill would extend and strengthen California’s existing tax incentives for food donations in order to address food insecurity and reduce agricultural waste. This would reduce food waste while increasing access to fresh, nutritious food by extending an existing, proven program rather than creating a new framework.
Status: Passed Senate Floor (39-0-1), in Assembly, referred to Rev & Tax Committee
SB 1422 (Durazo) “Medi-Cal: Eligibility: Immigration Status” – SUPPORT
Summary: This bill would delete provisions of existing state law that freeze program enrollment in full-scope Medi-Cal coverage for individuals who do not have satisfactory immigration status, to ensure that all immigrant adults age 19 and older are able enroll in Medi-Cal.
Status: Passed Senate Appropriations, Has not passed the Senate floor, third reading on 06/01/2026
MONITORING BILLS
SB 902 (Grayson) “Childcare: Electronic Signatures” – SUPPORT
Status: Passed Senate Floor (36-0-4), in Assembly, referred to Human Services and Judiciary Committees
AB 1907 (Addis) “California Health Benefit Exchange: Automatic Health Care Coverage Enrollment.” – SUPPORT
Status: Passed Assembly Floor (74-0-6), pending referral in Senate
AB 1165 (Gipson) “California Housing Justice Act of 2025” – SUPPORT
Status: Passed Assembly Floor (54-12-14), pending referral in Senate
SB 1110 (Becker) “Early Learning and Care: Rates.” – SUPPORT
Status: Held in suspense in Senate Appropriations on 05/14/2026
AB 2470 (Arambula) “Public Social Services: Domestic Violence Services” – SUPPORT
Status: Held in suspense in the Assembly Appropriations on 05/14/2026
AB 1690 (Ahrens) “Personal Income Tax Law: Young Child Tax Credit” – SUPPORT
Status: Held in suspense in the Assembly Appropriations on 05/14/2026
AB 1709 (Lowenthal) “Covered Platforms: Age Restriction: e-Safety Advisory Commission” – SUPPORT
Status: Passed Assembly Floor (76-0-4), pending referral in Senate
AB 2162 (Bryan) “Housing: County Funding Allocations: Nonminor Dependents and Young Adults” – SUPPORT
Status: Passed Assembly Floor (78-0-2), pending referral in Senate
AB 2221 (Irwin) “Supervision of Trustees and Fundraisers for Charitable Purposes Act.” – SUPPORT
Status: Passed Assembly Floor (73-0-7), pending referral in Senate
AB 1618 (Rogers) “Food Insecurity Survey” – SUPPORT
Status: Held in suspense in the Assembly Appropriations on 05/14/2026
2025 State Legislation
AB 1318 (Bonta) – SUPPORT
Summary: This new law expands the definition of a “qualified nonprofit organization” for state grants and contracts to include either federal or state tax-exempt status
Status: Signed by Governor and Chaptered 10/07/2025
AB 339 (Ortega) – OPPOSE
Summary: Public agencies must now provide no less than 45 days written notice to the recognized employee organization before Issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Quotes (RFQ), or renewing or extending an existing contract for services.
Status: Signed by Governor and Chaptered 10/13/2025
SB 647 (Hurtado) – SUPPORT
Summary: The bill would have required the Energy Commission to notify applicants to its building decarbonization program about additional related incentives authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission and would have added an Energy Commission–selected member to the Low-Income Oversight Board.
Status: Vetoed by Governor 10/03/2025
SB 324 (Menjivar) – SUPPORT
Summary: This bill was related to the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative and would have required Medi-Cal managed care plans to contract with qualified community providers for enhanced care management (ECM) and community supports when available and made other improvements to the programs.
Status: Held in suspense 08/29/2025
AB 13 (Ransom) – SUPPORT
Summary: This bill would have made changes to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), including requiring specified geographic representation of commissioners and specified reporting to the Legislature concerning utility rate-setting cases at the CPUC.
Status: Held in suspense 08/29/2025
Opportunities to Advocate at the State
Join Community Action leaders and state partners for information-sharing, relationship-building, and dialogue around policies that affect low-income Californians and the programs designed to assist them.
CalCAPA 2026 Advocacy Day
When: May 14, 2026, 10:00AM-4:00PM
Where: California State Capitol, West Side, Sacramento, CA