California’s Latino lawmakers choose priority bills for 2024. Here are their top issues

California’s Latino Caucus gathered Tuesday morning to announce its legislative priorities for 2024 — highlighting a package of bills which concentrates on the state’s undocumented immigrants.

The caucus, consisting of 35 members, is influential in the Legislature and has championed a series of wins over the last decade, including laws to allow residents to apply for driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status and expand Medi-Cal access.

This year, members voted to prioritize bills that will further strengthen the social safety net for undocumented residents while keeping in mind a projected budget deficit of up to $73 billion. However, some of these measures likely face an uphill battle as the state seeks to close the deficit without cutting programs that are already providing services to Californians.

“We’re really about preserving what we have fought for in previous budget cycles,” said Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside and chair of the caucus. “That preservation is so critical.”

Several Latino lawmakers spoke at a press conference Tuesday to present the 16 priority measures, many of which are continued efforts from recent years. Newer priority bills center around education and farmworker issues.

Among the repeat priorities is Assembly Bill 4, authored by Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno. The measure continues a push to extend health care coverage to more undocumented residents by broadening income eligibility.

Earlier this year, California officially opened its Medi-Cal eligibility to all undocumented age groups. However, many low-income undocumented residents remain ineligible because coverage is based on income relative to the federal poverty level.

As of 2024, the Medi-Cal income cap for one person is roughly $20,000.

“That’s barely enough money for most people to keep a roof over their head and food on their tables, let alone to deal with rising health care costs,” Arambula said.

Another priority bill hoping to have better luck this year is AB 311, authored by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles. The bill would expand food assistance benefits to all undocumented immigrants.

Last year, lawmakers postponed the bill with an acknowledgment that a full expansion would not be funded. Older undocumented residents are expected to become eligible for food benefits in 2025.

“People go hungry, and we can’t wait a number of years,” Santiago said.

Sen. Monique Limón will be on her fourth effort to pass a law documenting the diversity of gubernatorial appointments.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed the three past Limón bills. Each one would have required the governor’s office to issue annual reports on the demographic information of appointees to state boards and commissions.

In his most recent veto message, Newsom said the demographic information required by the bill “would not necessarily accurately reflect the diversity of appointees.”

“Our continued work on this bill is not about placing blame on any one entity,” Limón said of her latest bill, Senate Bill 782. “Rather, it’s about showing the reality that the data presents. A reality that we’re not able to fix if we cannot see.”

Caucus prioritizes education

Many of the caucus’ newest priorities this year will focus on education, ranging from children as young as five to young adults in their early 20s.

Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, led the presentation of education legislation with SB 1056. The measure would mandate California parents to send their children to one year of kindergarten before they attend first grade. If passed, the legislation would take effect in the 2026-27 school year.

Assemblyman David Alvarez, D-San Diego, and Cervantes also presented legislation that would open up historic opportunities for undocumented students at California universities and colleges.

Alvarez’s legislation, AB 2586, would direct the University of California, California State University and California Community Colleges systems to open up employment to undocumented students without legal work permits.

Cervantes’ bill, deemed a constitutional amendment, is focused solely on the UC system as it has greater autonomy due to its public trust status.

“ACA 20 is the only vehicle in the legislature this session that would impose real meaningful requirements on the UC to provide these opportunities to undocumented students,” Cervantes said.

The two pieces of legislation come months after the UC Board of Regents backed away from a commitment to find a pathway to hire undocumented students without legal work permits.

Caucus follows up on farmworker housing investigation

One of the final priority bills presented this year could affect more than 7,000 farmworkers and family members who live at the state’s migrant centers. Arambula’s AB 2240 would result in California keeping its 24 migrant farmworker housing complexes open year-round.

The centers currently operate for only about six months, during the height of the agricultural work season. The complexes then close and remain vacant for months.

Last year, a Sacramento Bee investigation found many farmworkers mostly migrate because they cannot find places to live once they lose their affordable housing, and their children’s education suffers from the constant moves.

“This will help to create stability and to support our farmworker community,” Arambula said.