Assembly committee unanimously backs amendment to add second student regent to UC Board

The Assembly Higher Education Committee voted unanimously to pass ACA 18, the Stewart Student Empowerment Amendment, advancing the constitutional change that would add a second voting student regent to the University of California Board of Regents.

Assemblymember Colosa, the bill's lead author, told the committee the amendment would double student voting representation on the 26‑member board to include both an undergraduate and a graduate student. "This ACA would change that," Colosa said, arguing that current representation — a single voting student seat — leaves hundreds of thousands of UC students without a meaningful voice on decisions that affect tuition, housing and student services.

Coauthor Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens said students are the university's principal stakeholders and that expanding voting student representation would bring more perspectives to board decisions. "Representation only works when it reflects the people it's being served," Ahrens said, and he asked members for an ‘aye’ vote.

Student leaders who helped craft the amendment described how the student voice is currently limited. "The UC system is bound by constitutional autonomy and is almost entirely regulated by the UC Board of Regents," said Aditi Hariharan, president of the University of California Student Association (UCSA). She said UCSA represents more than 235,000 undergraduates and that the amendment would provide students with sustained input on budgeting, tuition policy and campus basic‑needs programs.

Alexis Atzielinski Zaragoza, identified in testimony as the 47th student regent, recounted instances where a student vote produced tangible changes, including amendments to cohort tuition and faster responses to student complaints. "We are the only individuals on the Board of Regents that must have a current relationship with the campus community," Zaragoza said, urging the committee to send the measure forward so California does not wait for federal action.

Supporters in the hearing room included student‑government leaders and UCSA representatives who said parity with the California State University and California Community College systems — both of which have two voting student members — was a compelling rationale. Vincent Rosso, director of government relations for UCSA, identified his organization as a sponsor of the bill.

After brief committee discussion and expressions of support from members, the committee clerk read the motion to "do pass as amended and refer to the Committee on Appropriations." The committee conducted a roll call vote and the chair announced the measure passed out of committee; the final recorded tally was 9‑0 in favor.

The committee referred ACA 18 to the Appropriations Committee; if it ultimately clears the legislative process, the measure would be placed on the November ballot for voter approval because it is a constitutional amendment. The committee chair thanked staff and participants and adjourned the hearing. The committee's next meeting was announced for Tuesday, June 9 at 1:30 p.m. in State Capitol Room 126.

Notes on transcript spellings and record: the committee record included inconsistent spellings of several member and participant names in the transcript; this article uses the spellings and role descriptions as they were stated during testimony and as introduced on the record.