Bill Full Text
Home
-
Bills
-
Bill
-
Authors
-
Dates
-
Locations
-
Analyses
-
Organizations
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<ns0:MeasureDoc xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:ns0="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1#" xmlns:ns3="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" version="1.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1# xca.1.xsd">
<ns0:Description>
<ns0:Id>20250SB__119498AMD</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>98</ns0:VersionNum>
<ns0:History>
<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-19</ns0:ActionDate>
</ns0:Action>
<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_SENATE</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-03-24</ns0:ActionDate>
</ns0:Action>
</ns0:History>
<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
<ns0:MeasureType>SB</ns0:MeasureType>
<ns0:MeasureNum>1194</ns0:MeasureNum>
<ns0:MeasureState>AMD</ns0:MeasureState>
</ns0:LegislativeInfo>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Caballero</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_ORIGINATING">(Coauthor: Senator Durazo)</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Caballero</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Durazo</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
</ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Title> An act to add Section 13309 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to immigration services. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>immigration services</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Immigration Legal Fellowship Project.</ns0:Subject>
</ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:DigestText>
<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 certain immigration-related legal services to persons residing in, or formerly residing in, the state. Under existing law, those grants are aimed at obtaining certain immigration remedies and benefits, assisting with the naturalization process and an appeal arising from the process, or providing legal training and technical assistance. </html:p>
<html:p>This bill would establish the Immigration Legal Fellowship Project within the department for the purpose of expanding access to high-quality immigration legal services by supporting legal fellowships for qualified individuals who provide immigration legal services under the grant programs described above. The bill would require the department to award grants or enter into contracts with nonprofit entities to operate legal fellowships that include specified components, including, among other things, the recruitment, placement, coordination, and hosting of legal fellows. The bill would authorize the department to establish eligibility criteria, application requirements, and funding priorities for the program. The bill would require the department to include specified information relating to the use of funds appropriated for the purposes of the project in reports and updates provided to the Legislature
regarding other immigration-related programs. The bill would provide that the implementation of these provisions is contingent on an appropriation for these purposes.</html:p>
</ns0:DigestText>
<ns0:DigestKey>
<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>NO</ns0:LocalProgram>
</ns0:DigestKey>
<ns0:MeasureIndicators>
<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
<ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
</ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
</ns0:MeasureIndicators>
</ns0:Description>
<ns0:Bill id="bill">
<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_B836CF68-B40F-47E6-92A2-9CEAA1E4EF7F">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" ns3:href="urn:caml:codes:WIC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2F%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'13309'%5D)" ns3:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" ns3:type="locator">
Section 13309 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Welfare and Institutions Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
</ns0:ActionLine>
<ns0:Fragment>
<ns0:LawSection id="id_47A9BBEF-3CED-47E2-BAE0-4FCF4031130B">
<ns0:Num>13309.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_E569E96C-5CB9-4576-B0E3-AD257B801F9E">
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Immigration Legal Fellowship Project is hereby established within the State Department of Social Services for the purpose of expanding access to high-quality immigration legal services, including, but not limited to, removal defense, in rural and underserved regions of California.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The department shall administer the project to support legal fellowships for qualified individuals who provide immigration legal services pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, representation in removal proceedings, affirmative immigration relief, and related legal services provided pursuant to this chapter.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The department shall award grants or enter into contracts
with nonprofit entities to operate legal fellowships, which shall include, at a minimum, all of the following components:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Recruitment, placement, coordination, and hosting of legal fellows.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Training, mentorship, and supervision of legal fellows.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Technical assistance and programmatic support necessary to ensure the effective delivery of legal services by legal fellows.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For purposes of administering this project, the department may establish eligibility criteria, application requirements, and funding priorities, including, but not limited to, criteria specific to serving rural and underserved communities.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The department shall include information on the use of funds
appropriated for the purposes of this section in reports or updates provided to the Legislature regarding the department’s immigration programs, including, at a minimum:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The number of fellowships funded.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The geographic regions served.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The types of legal services provided and in what language or languages.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The timeline of implementation and administration of this section.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The identification of further barriers and challenges to the delivery and provision of legal services described in subdivision (b).
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
This section shall not be construed to limit the authority of the department to administer other
immigration-related programs authorized under this chapter.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Implementation of this section is contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(h)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Nonprofit entity” means an entity that meets the requirements set forth either in Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(5) of the Internal Revenue Code or in Section 23701 of the Revenue and Taxation Code and that meets the requirements in subdivision (a) of Section 13301.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Qualified individual” means a licensed attorney or a recent law school graduate.
</html:p>
</ns0:Content>
</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
</ns0:LawSection>
</ns0:Fragment>
</ns0:BillSection>
</ns0:Bill>
</ns0:MeasureDoc>