SB 148: Higher education budget trailer bill.

Official summary

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

(1)Existing law requires each campus of the California Community Colleges to establish the position of Basic Needs Coordinator to assist students with on- and off-campus housing, food, mental health, and other basic needs services and resources, among other responsibilities, and to establish a Basic Needs Center where basic needs services and resources, including food services and resources, and staff are made available to students, as specified. Existing law requires each community college campus to report specified information related to basic needs services and resources to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, and requires the chancellor’s office to develop and submit to the Governor and the Legislature an annual report based on, among other things, the data and information reported by campuses.

This bill would require, for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 fiscal years, each community college campus to provide classified employees with access to food pantry services offered by the Basic Needs Centers and report data and information related to that access to the chancellor’s office, as specified, and would require the annual reports submitted by the chancellor’s office to include that data and information. By expanding the services provided by Basic Needs Centers, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)Existing law establishes the Middle Class Scholarship Program (MCSP) under the administration of the Student Aid Commission. Existing law, subject to an available and sufficient appropriation, makes an undergraduate student eligible for a scholarship award under the MCSP if the student is enrolled at the University of California or the California State University, or enrolled in upper division coursework in a community college baccalaureate program, and meets certain eligibility requirements. Existing law generally sets the MCSP award at an amount that equals the difference between the student’s cost of attendance and the sum of other scholarships, grants, or fee waivers, including those administered by federal, state, and institutions, awarded to the student in excess of $7,898 in expected student contribution, and, for dependent students with a household income exceeding $100,000, a percentage of the parents’ contribution, as specified.

If a federal, state, or institutionally administered student need-based scholarship, grant, or fee waiver of less than $300 is identified following determination of a student’s MCSP award, this bill, for purposes of determining the student’s MCSP award amount, would not require the student’s MCSP award to be recalculated. The bill would require each institution participating in the MCSP to sign an institutional participation agreement with the commission acknowledging the institution’s willingness to administer the MCSP program, as specified.

(3)Existing law establishes the Zero-Textbook-Cost Degree Grant Program to reduce the overall cost of education for students and to decrease the time it takes students to complete degree programs offered by community colleges. Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to distribute grants to community college districts that meet specified criteria to develop and implement associate degrees or career technical education certificate programs earned entirely by completing courses that eliminate conventional textbook costs by using alternative instructional materials and methodologies, including open educational resources. Existing law authorizes grant recipients to use the funds for developing and implementing degrees to obtain professional development and technical assistance to assist in the development of degrees.

This bill would authorize grant recipients to also use the funds for developing and implementing degrees to obtain professional development and technical assistance to assist in the development of open educational resource materials. The bill would authorize the chancellor’s office to allocate any unallocated resources appropriated for purposes of the program, on or after June 30, 2025, to a community college district to contract for the establishment of statewide open educational resources infrastructure, as provided.

Sponsors

“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. October 13, 2025Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 745, Statutes of 2025.
2. October 13, 2025Approved by the Governor.
3. September 15, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.
4. September 12, 2025Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 29. Noes 0. Page 2953.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
5. September 12, 2025In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
6. September 11, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 63. Noes 12. Page 3322.) Ordered to the Senate.
7. September 10, 2025Ordered to third reading.
8. September 10, 2025Withdrawn from committee.
9. September 10, 2025Assembly Rule 96 suspended. (Ayes 56. Noes 19. Page 3164.)
10. September 8, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.
11. March 24, 2025Referred to Com. on BUDGET.
12. March 20, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.