AB 320 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Public social services: eligibility: income exclusions.

Summary

Existing law establishes various means-tested public social services programs administered by counties to provide eligible recipients with certain benefits, including, but not limited to, cash assistance under the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program and health care services under the Medi-Cal program. Existing law establishes various awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission and establishes eligibility requirements for these awards for participating students attending qualifying institutions. Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and provides for their governance. Existing law establishes county boards of education and school districts throughout the state to administer the public elementary and secondary schools within their respective jurisdictions. Existing law requires county boards of education and school district governing boards to appoint at least one high school pupil as a pupil member of the board in response to a petition from high school pupils requesting the appointment of one or more pupil members. Existing law authorizes the county board of education and the governing board of a school district to award a pupil member elective course credit or monthly financial compensation, or both, as provided. This bill would, to the extent permitted by federal law, prohibit that compensation from being considered as income or resources when determining eligibility and benefit amount for any means-tested program and any scholarships for public colleges and universities, as specified. To the extent that the bill would expand eligibility for programs administered by counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would authorize the State Department of Social Services to implement, interpret, or make specific the income exclusion for programs under its jurisdiction by means of all-county letters or similar written instructions from the department until regulations are adopted. The bill would specify that its provisions apply to programs under the department's jurisdiction beginning on the date that the department notifies the Legislature that the California Statewide Automated Welfare System can perform the necessary automation to implement the income exclusion for those programs. The bill would require the department to issue guidance as necessary to begin automation no later than July 1, 2026. 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.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Aug 2025

Assembly Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

Sep 2025

Signed into Law

Oct 2025

Introduced Jan 24, 2025 Signed Oct 13, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

09/02/25 - Amended Senate → 09/11/25 - Enrolled · 4 edits · Sep 11, 2025

MODERATE

The enrolled version of AB 320 removes the amendments to existing Education Code Sections 1090 and 35120, retaining only the new standalone sections (1090.1, 35120.1, and 11157.3) that exclude pupil board member compensation from income/resources calculations for means-tested programs. CalFresh is dropped from the list of covered programs, and the Welfare and Institutions Code section is renumbered from 11157.2 to 11157.3. The bill's core purpose remains unchanged: ensuring that high school student board members do not lose eligibility for public benefits or scholarships due to compensation received for their board service.

SCOPE

The amendments to Education Code Sections 1090 and 35120 were removed entirely. The Senate version had rewritten those sections to include subdivision (h) and (f) authorizing pupil member compensation with an inline income exclusion. The enrolled version relies solely on the new standalone sections, implying those subdivisions already exist in current law.

CalFresh was removed from the list of means-tested programs for which pupil member compensation is excluded from income/resources. The Senate version's amendments to Sections 1090 and 35120 listed CalFresh among covered programs, but the standalone sections retained in the enrolled version only list CalWORKs, General Assistance, Medi-Cal, and CAPI.

TECHNICAL

The Welfare and Institutions Code section was renumbered from 11157.2 to 11157.3, likely to resolve a numbering conflict with another bill or existing statute.

DEFINITION

The term 'assets' used in the Senate version's amendments to Sections 1090 and 35120 is replaced consistently with 'resources' throughout the enrolled version, aligning with standard welfare law terminology.

06/18/25 - Amended Senate → 09/02/25 - Amended Senate · 6 edits · Sep 2, 2025

MODERATE

The September 2025 amendment restructures AB 320 by adding two new standalone Education Code sections (1090.1 and 35120.1) that contain the income exclusion for pupil board member compensation along with new implementation provisions. It also narrows the explicit list of covered means-tested programs by removing CalFresh, Kin-GAP, and AAP from the named examples, and adds a phased rollout mechanism tied to the California Statewide Automated Welfare System with a July 1, 2026 deadline for the Department of Social Services to begin automation.

REQUIREMENT

New sections 1090.1 and 35120.1 of the Education Code are added as standalone provisions that exclude pupil member compensation from income/resources calculations, duplicating the exclusion already embedded in sections 1090(h)(2) and 35120(f)(2).

ENFORCEMENT

The State Department of Social Services is authorized to implement the income exclusion via all-county letters or similar written instructions without going through Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking, until formal regulations are adopted. These letters have the same force and effect as regulations.

TIMELINE

A phased implementation mechanism is added: the income exclusion applies to DSS-administered programs only on the date DSS notifies the Legislature that the California Statewide Automated Welfare System can perform the necessary automation. DSS must issue guidance to begin automation no later than July 1, 2026.

SCOPE

The explicit list of covered means-tested programs is narrowed. CalFresh, Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program (Kin-GAP), and Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) are removed from the named examples in both Education Code sections and the new Welfare and Institutions Code section. The remaining named programs are CalWORKs, General Assistance, Medi-Cal, and CAPI. The 'including but not limited to' language means other programs could still be covered.

DEFINITION

The term 'assets' is replaced with 'resources' throughout the income exclusion provisions, aligning the bill's language with standard Department of Social Services terminology.

TECHNICAL

Welfare and Institutions Code section 11157.2 is renumbered to 11157.3 and gains two new subsections (c) for all-county letter authority and (d) for the SAWIS-based operative date.

Floor votes · Senate Sep 8, 2025 · Assembly May 8, 2025

How they voted

38–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 40

Sep 8, 2025

D Democratic30

28 Yea 2

93% Yea

R Republican10

10 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Oct 13, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor.

legislature

Sep 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3102.).

lower

Sep 8, 2025

Introduced

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

lower

Sep 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 2592.).

upper

Sep 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

upper

Aug 29, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).

upper

Jul 14, 2025

Committee

In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

upper

Jul 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 2). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Jun 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED.

upper

Jun 17, 2025

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 16).

upper

May 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to Coms. on HUMAN S. and ED.

upper

May 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 69. Noes 0. Page 1485.)

lower

Apr 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 30).

lower

Mar 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (March 11). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on HUM. S.

lower

Jan 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee February 24.

lower

Jan 24, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. To print.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors