County committee backs SB 12 to create immigrant affairs agency and SB 48 to expand school safe‑access protections

At its Feb. 10 meeting, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Personnel, Administration and Legislation Committee recommended the Board take positions of support on two California Senate bills and advanced both to the full Board for consideration.

Chair Tam identified the two legislative requests as Senate Bill 12 (author: Lina Gonzalez), which would establish a California Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Agency, and Senate Bill 48 (same author), which aims to protect safe access to schools by creating a one‑mile zone around campuses and restricting use of school data for immigration enforcement. Chair Tam said both items were being forwarded with a recommendation for support from Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bass; with no objections, the chair said the committee will advance the recommended positions to the full Board.

Supervisor Portanagas summarized the bills for members and the public. On SB 12 she said the bill would establish "a permanent central coordinating agency focused on streamlining services, creating grant programs, engaging stakeholders and more to enhance support for immigrant and refugee families in California," noting that other states such as New York, Colorado and Massachusetts have similar agencies. On SB 48 she described the bill’s core provisions as creating a one‑mile safe zone around schools and "safeguarding against the use of school data for deportation efforts," and cited a representative of the State Superintendent’s Office who reported an attendance decline of up to about 3 percent following recent federal activity.

Amy Costa of Full Moon Strategies also briefed the committee earlier about two special-session bills the governor signed related to wildfire response; she said one package included $25 million for litigation costs and $25 million for legal aid. Costa said the governor’s signing message and a letter to the journal were intended to clarify legislative intent, and that the administration signaled the legal-aid funds are aimed at protecting vulnerable Californians (people with disabilities, homeless youth, victims of trafficking and wage theft, tenants facing unlawful eviction) and are not intended for immigration legal services for noncitizens convicted of certain serious felonies.

Why it matters: SB 12 would create a statewide entity to coordinate immigrant and refugee programs that could change how state and local services are delivered or funded; SB 48 would limit immigration enforcement activity near schools and restrict school data uses, actions that proponents say are intended to protect students and families and that critics have said may raise enforcement or data‑access questions.

The committee recorded no public comments on these items and adjourned.