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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Name>Celeste Rodriguez</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 13303 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to immigration services. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>immigration services</ns0:RelatingClause>
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<ns0:Subject>Immigration services: immigration bonds.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services, subject to an appropriation, to provide grants to qualified nonprofit organizations through contracts, in order to provide persons with certain immigration-related legal services, including, among other things, services to obtain other immigration remedies and benefits. Existing law defines immigration benefits as including advanced parole, employment authorization documents, and lawful Permanent Resident Card renewal.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would expand the meaning of immigration benefits for these purposes to also include assistance with immigration bonds.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 13303 of the
<ns0:DocName>Welfare and Institutions Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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(a)
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Subject to the availability of funding in the act that added this section or the annual Budget Act, the department shall provide grants, as described in subdivision (b), to organizations qualified under Section 13304.
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(b)
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Grants provided in accordance with subdivision (a) shall be for the purpose of providing one or more of the following services, as determined by the department:
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<html:p>
(1)
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Services to persons residing in, or formerly residing in, California, including, but not limited to, any of the following:
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(A)
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Services to assist with the application process for initial or renewal requests of deferred action under the DACA policy with
the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
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(B)
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Services to obtain other immigration remedies and benefits.
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(C)
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Services to assist with the naturalization process and an appeal arising from the process.
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(2)
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Services to provide legal training and technical assistance.
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(3)
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(A)
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(i)
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Funds available for the purposes of this section shall not be used to provide legal services to an individual who has been convicted of, or who is currently appealing a conviction for, a violent felony, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 of the Penal Code, or a serious felony as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7 of the Penal Code.
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(ii)
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For the purposes of this subparagraph, “legal services” does not include activities relating to client intake, which shall be provided regardless of an individual’s criminal history.
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(B)
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Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), this section does not prohibit eligibility for services pursuant to this section for an individual whose criminal record is shown to be inaccurate.
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(c)
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For purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
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(1)
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“DACA” refers to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status as described in guidelines issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security.
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(2)
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“Services to assist” includes, but is not limited to, outreach, workshop presentations, document review, Freedom of Information
Act requests, and screening services that seek to assist individuals with the services described in subdivision (b).
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(3)
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“Legal training and technical assistance” includes, but is not limited to, educational and capacity building activities that will augment the competent provision of legal services to immigrants, including for organizations located in and serving underserved communities.
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(4)
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“Immigration remedies” include, but shall not be limited to, U-visas, T-visas, special immigrant juvenile status, Violence Against Women Act self-petitions, family-based petitions, cancellation of removal, and asylum or other remedies that may also include remedies necessary to enable pursuit of immigration protections.
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(5)
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“Immigration benefits” include, but shall not be limited to, advanced parole, employment authorization
documents, lawful Permanent Resident Card renewal, and assistance with immigration bonds.
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<html:p>
(d)
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No more than 40 percent of grant funds awarded to an organization qualified under Section 13304 shall be advanced to that organization.
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(e)
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The department shall update the Legislature on the following information in the course of budget hearings:
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(1)
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The timeline for implementation and administration of this section, including important upcoming dates.
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(2)
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The participating
organizations awarded contracts or grants, and the aggregate amounts awarded for each service described in subdivision (b).
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(3)
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The number of applications submitted, and the aggregate amounts requested for each service described in subdivision (b).
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(4)
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The number of clients served.
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(5)
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The types of services provided and in what language or languages.
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(6)
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The regions served.
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<html:p>
(7)
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The ethnic communities served.
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(8)
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The identification of further barriers and challenges to the provision of services described in subdivision (b).
</html:p>
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(f)
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In accordance with Section 1621(d)
of Title 8 of the United States Code, this section provides services for undocumented persons.
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(g)
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The sum of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) is hereby appropriated to the Department of Social Services in the 2017–18 fiscal year for immigration services funding to be available for payment to existing entities under contract pursuant to this section for work on behalf of clients involved in, applying for, or subject to federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status.
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(h)
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Notwithstanding any other law, payments shall be made by the Controller to existing entities under contract pursuant to this chapter upon receipt of written notification from the State Department of Social Services of the amounts, contractors, and timing of the payments.
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