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Appropriations Committee advances SB 307 to protect CSU students affected by immigration enforcement
Summary
The Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced SB 307, requiring the California State University to adopt precautionary policies so undocumented students do not lose academic standing or financial-aid eligibility when immigration enforcement prevents class attendance; the measure asks the UC regents to adopt similar policies.
Sen. Cervantes presented Senate Bill 307 to the Assembly Appropriations Committee on July 16, 2025, saying the measure would require the California State University system to implement precautionary measures to protect undocumented students who are subject to federal immigration enforcement activities.
The bill would require campuses to ensure that a student's absence or inability to meet academic requirements because of immigration enforcement activity “does not affect their qualifications for exemption from paying nonresident tuition,” and would direct staff and designated Dreamer resource liaisons to help undocumented students access financial aid and academic resources. “It also requires the regents of the University of California to adopt similar measures,” Cervantes said during the presentation.
The bill’s sponsor cited statewide figures during the presentation: California enrolls about 87,000 undocumented students in higher education, and roughly 27,000 undocumented students graduate from California high schools each year. Cervantes said those numbers underscore the urgency of establishing consistent protections across public higher-education systems.
Eric Paredes, speaking for the California Faculty Association, identified himself as a supporter and sponsor of the bill. No witnesses in opposition were recorded in the hearing.
A committee member offered brief public praise for the bill during questions, calling the measure “timely” amid federal immigration enforcement activity. Cervantes closed by asking members for an “aye” vote. The committee moved the bill forward; the clerk recorded that the item was “out on a b roll call.” The transcript does not include a roll-call tally in the record available here.
SB 307 would also require campus systems to adopt policies on administrative withdrawals, grade handling and reenrollment for undocumented students who are detained, deported or otherwise unable to attend classes because of enforcement activity. The bill text and implementing details — including whether and how the UC regents adopt parallel policies — were not specified in the hearing record.
The committee is the Appropriations Committee; the hearing record notes committee rules for public participation and a 40-minute limit on public testimony for bills placed on the suspense file. The bill was advanced out of committee for the next steps in the legislative process.
Ending: The transcript indicates SB 307 was advanced by the committee on a roll call, with the full vote tally not specified in the available record.
