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California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Assembly Bill

AB 537: Community colleges: California College Promise.

Passed one chamber Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

AB 537 is a assembly bill introduced in the California Assembly on February 11, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Community colleges: California College Promise. Primary sponsor: Patrick Ahrens (D). Most recent recorded action (August 29, 2025): In committee: Held under submission.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law establishes the California College Promise, under the administration of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to provide funding, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to each community college meeting prescribed requirements. Existing law authorizes a community college to use that funding to waive some or all of the fees for 2 academic years for first-time community college students and returning community college students, as defined, who are enrolled in 12 or more semester units or the equivalent, or less for students certified as “full time” by a staff person in the disabled student services program, as specified, and who complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application, except as provided.

This bill would instead require, for purposes of eligibility for the California College Promise, that students be enrolled in 9 or more, rather than 12 or more, semester units or the equivalent, or less for a student certified as eligible, based on a commitment by the student that is analogous to the 9 semester unit or equivalent workload, by a staff person in the disabled student services program. The bill would additionally require, as a condition of participating in, and receiving funding for, the California College Promise, community colleges and community college districts to refrain from referring to any other student financial aid funding or program as the California College Promise, and require community colleges to provide a written notification to initial recipients of the California College Promise that includes specified information related to the 2 academic years of eligibility for the California College Promise.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Patrick AhrensPrimary sponsorDemocraticAssembly26

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. In committee: Held under submission.
  2. In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
  3. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
  4. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (June 25).
  5. Referred to Com. on ED.
  6. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
  7. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1903.)
  8. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
  9. Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
  10. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 23).
  11. Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)
  12. In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page