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Committee advances bill to exclude student board stipends from CalWORKs and Medi‑Cal income calculations
Summary
The Senate Human Services Committee advanced AB 320 as amended to the Assembly education committee. The bill would prevent compensation received by student members of county boards of education from being counted as income for means‑tested programs including CalWORKs and Medi‑Cal.
Assemblymember Bennett presented AB 320 on behalf of student board members and asked the Senate Human Services Committee to accept committee amendments and advance the measure. AB 320 would ensure compensation earned by student board members of county boards of education is not considered income for means‑tested assistance programs such as CalWORKs and Medi‑Cal.
Pamela Gibbs, executive director of governmental relations for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, testified in support and described student board members' experience on county boards. She said the role helped students “find their voices through civic engagement,” and quoted a former student member: “this role had a profound impact on students at my school throughout the county and even across California.” Supporters told the committee the bill is technical and bipartisan and that without the change, student participation could risk families’ benefit eligibility.
Several organizations and local officials expressed support from the public record, including Martha Guerrero representing the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors; Senia Jimenez with End Child Poverty in California; and Amanda Kirschner from the California Welfare Directors Association (CWDA). No witnesses testified in opposition during the hearing.
The committee held the bill on call pending a roll call and later voted to pass AB 320, as amended, to the Assembly education committee. The committee recorded an affirmative vote and the clerk reported the bill “out on a vote of 5 to 0.”
Action summary and next steps: AB 320 will proceed to the Assembly education committee per the committee motion. The measure, as described at the hearing, would not change eligibility rules for programs other than preventing student board stipends from being counted as income for specified means‑tested programs. The committee did not adopt additional policy changes beyond the amendments the author accepted.
Votes at the hearing were recorded by roll call; the committee moved AB 320 as amended to the Assembly education committee.
