Student observer asks regents to support state bills on food aid, housing and immigration alerts; UC officials outline advocacy and alumni disaster response

Brenda Sanchez, student observer to the regents and an undergraduate at UC Irvine, asked the committee to take supportive stances on a package of California bills and student priorities, citing personal and peer experiences with food insecurity, unexpected institutional debt, housing cost shortfalls, and fear of immigration enforcement.

Sanchez urged support for several bills she said the UC Student Association is sponsoring or backing, naming them as they were read into the record: Assembly Bill 79 (author name unclear in transcript), which would place county liaisons on UC campuses to help students access CalFresh, Medi‑Cal and other public benefits; Assembly Bill 850 (Pacheco), which Sanchez said would require clear financial notices before students withdraw so they can avoid unexpected institutional debt; a bill she cited to adjust housing cost estimates so financial awards better match actual…