2025 Legislative Priorities
About HOPE's 2025 Legislative Priorities
HOPE® empowers Latinas through civic leadership, policy advocacy, and by spotlighting their vital role in California’s growth. Although Latinas make up 20% of the state’s population and 40% of all women, systemic barriers persist in leadership, education, economic opportunity, and healthcare.
HOPE is actively advocating for the passage of key legislation that addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing Latinas in California. These efforts are part of HOPE’s 2025 Policy Platform, which outlines solutions across four priority areas: Representation, Economic and Educational Parity, and Healthcare Access and Equity. Grounded in data, this platform drives meaningful and lasting change for Latinas statewide.
Senate Bill 702 (Limón): Transparency in Boards and Commissions
HOPE SPONSORED BILL
The Challenge:
Despite California’s commitment to equity and inclusion, there is currently no formal system for tracking or reporting the demographic makeup of appointments to the state’s 560+ boards and commissions. Without transparency, it’s difficult to assess whether these decision-making bodies truly reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. This lack of accessible information weakens public trust and limits accountability in the appointment process.
The Solution:
Senate Bill 702, authored by Senator Monique Limón, offers a straightforward fix: greater transparency. SB 702 requires the Governor’s Office and the Legislature to annually report and publicly post aggregate demographic data—such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, and other voluntarily reported characteristics—of individuals appointed to statewide boards and commissions. The Governor’s Office must also maintain an updated website listing board vacancies, current members, and meeting frequency.
By shining a light on who holds power in these spaces, SB 702 fosters inclusive governance and empowers communities to engage in shaping state policy. The annual reports will help ensure appointments are equitable, representative, and accessible to all Californians.
Expanding Access to Dual Enrollment
HOPE SPONSORED BILLS
The Challenge:
While California’s dual enrollment programs are designed to give high school students a head start on college, many barriers still prevent equitable access. Students from Latino, low-income, and underserved communities are disproportionately underrepresented in dual enrollment participation. In fact, 82% of California high schools have zero students enrolled in community college courses, often due to complicated application processes, limited course availability, and lack of online learning options.
The Solution:
HOPE is proud to co-sponsor three pieces of dual enrollment legislation, in partnership with organizations like the Education Trust West and the California High School Coalition to expand access to dual enrollment, remove student level barriers to participation, and provide schools with the support they need to implement these programs!
- AB 731 (Fong): Removing Student-level barriers to dual enrollment
This bill would streamline the dual enrollment application process and provide students with more flexibility on how they meet the existing 15-unit cap on courses. It also would improve program evaluation by enhancing data collection and reporting on student outcomes.
- SB 438 (Cabaldon): Removing school funding penalty for CCAP
SB 438 will expand access to College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnerships by adjusting the minimum instructional time requirements for high school students enrolled in this programs.
By making dual enrollment more accessible, these bills help level the playing field and equips more students with the tools they need for academic and career success.
Health Equity: Protecting Access to Healthcare for Latinas
BUDGET REQUEST: Medi-Cal Continuous Coverage for Children
The Challenge:
Over one million Californians have lost Medi-Cal coverage since the expiration of federal pandemic-era protections, with 92% of disenrollments resulting from occurring due to procedural issues such as missed paperwork, not ineligibility. Vulnerable populations, including children, seniors, people with disabilities, and those with limited English proficiency, are most impacted. Children have been especially hard hit, with nearly 450,000 losing coverage—over 120,000 of them under age six. These losses disproportionately affect children of color and threaten access to vital healthcare during critical developmental years. Latinas, already facing systemic barriers and higher uninsured rates, are particularly at risk. California must act swiftly to prevent further coverage losses and advance health equity, especially with federal flexibilities set to expire in December 2024.
The Solution:
The proposed $33 million budget request would reinstate multi-year continuous Medi-Cal coverage for children under age six, eliminating harmful administrative barriers and reducing unnecessary terminations. By making pandemic-era flexibilities permanent—such as 12-month continuous eligibility and simplified income verification—California can ensure that eligible families, especially those in BIPOC and low-income communities, stay connected to care. Continuous coverage supports children’s healthy development, protects investments in early childhood and mental health, and aligns with California’s equity priorities. With a 1:1 federal match, this smart, cost-effective policy prevents gaps in care and helps keep the state a leader in health access.
Economic Mobility
BUDGET REQUEST: 15$ Million annually for the SEED Initiative to Support Immigrant Economic Mobility (championed by Assemblymember Juan Carrillo)
The Challenge:
There is a lack of sustainable economic support and opportunity for undocumented and limited English proficient (LEP) immigrants in California, despite their substantial contributions to the state’s economy, including $8.5 billion in annual state and local taxes. This is particularly the case for undocumented and LEP entrepreneurs, who utilize their small and micobusinesses as a means for wealth building in California.The Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) Initiative has helped address this by providing entrepreneurship training, coaching, and microgrants, but its remaining $2.5 million in funding will be exhausted by 2025. Without renewed investment, a critical pathway to economic opportunity for these communities is at risk.
The Solution:
The Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) Initiative budget request asks for $15 million annually over the next four years to provide critical funding to community-based organizations that support immigrant entrepreneurs. This funding will offer micro-grants, entrepreneurial training, and technical assistance to individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) and immigrant social entrepreneurs, helping them start and sustain a small business. Continued investments in SEED will expand economic opportunities for immigrant entrepreneurs, strengthen our local economy, and ensure that small businesses have the opportunity to thrive in the economy.
Testimonial
HOPE’s work to influence legislation and budget priorities brings an important voice to the state and nation’s capital. Most importantly, HOPE has instilled in hundreds of Latinas from every part of California, every income level, every education level, and every industry sector, that civic participation is a responsibility.
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Support HOPE AdvocacyContact
To learn more about HOPE’s legislative priorities and advocacy work, please contact Maria Morales, Policy Director.