Every child deserves a strong start.
Assemblymember Bonta has championed legislation to cut child poverty, expand early childhood education, protect children's health and mental health, and build the cradle-to-career systems that give every California child a real shot at a good life. As Founding Chair of the California Legislative Children's Caucus and Chair of the Assembly Health Committee, she works every day to make California's promise real for the 8 million children who call this state home.
"Nearly one in every five children in California are living in poverty in the fourth largest economy in the world. We know that in California, we can do better for our kids. That's why I founded the California Legislative Children's Caucus — to build a bipartisan, bicameral movement focused on child-centered solutions."
Highlighted Legislation:
AB 1996 – No More Child Poverty Act
California has one of the highest child poverty rates in the nation — a moral failure we cannot accept. AB 1996 sets an ambitious, accountable goal: cut child poverty in half within ten years. The bill establishes an 18-member council to track progress and hold the state government accountable to measurable benchmarks, ensuring that the policies and budget priorities we pass actually move the needle for children and families living in poverty.
Further Legislative Efforts:
| Bill Number | | Description |
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| AB 1969 | (Bonta, 2026) | The It Takes a Village Act: establishes a three-year grant program to build and strengthen cradle-to-career networks across California. |
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| AB 2092 | (Bonta, 2026) | Establishes the Early Childhood Integrated Data System (ECIDS) to coordinate data across agencies serving young children. |
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| AB 51 | (Bonta, 2024) | Establishes the California Universal Preschool Planning Grant Program. |
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| AB 2381 | (Bonta, 2024) | Sought to increase reimbursement rates for California state preschool programs. |
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| AB 2476 | (Bonta, 2024) | Sought to strengthen alternative payment programs for childcare services. |
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| AB 1454 | (Rivas, 2026) | Strengthens pupil literacy through improved credential program standards and instructional materials. |
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| AB 2430 | (Muratsuchi, 2026) | Expands after-school and expanded learning programs for high school pupils. |
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| AB 2325 | (Alvarez, 2026) | Creates the Pathways to Bilingual Teaching Program to expand bilingual teacher pipelines. |
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| SB 1067 | (Weber Pierson, 2026) | Requires math screenings for students. |
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| SB 472 | (Stern, 2026) | Expands Holocaust and genocide education in schools. |
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| SB 510 | (Richardson, 2026) | Requires pupil instruction on the treatment of African Americans in California history. |
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| Bill Number | | Description |
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| AB 298 | (Bonta, 2026) | Eliminates out-of-pocket health costs for youth. |
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| AB 350 | (Bonta, 2026) | Expands youth access to fluoride varnish. |
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| AB 2651 | (Bonta, 2026) | Herd Immunity Notifications in K-12 Schools |
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| AB 2630 | (Bonta, 2024) | Streamlined oral health assessments for pupils. |
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| AB 2340 | (Bonta, 2024) | Required informational materials on EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment) services under Medi-Cal. |
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| AB 1644/AB 1975 | (Bonta, 2023–24) | Two consecutive efforts to make medically supportive food and nutrition services a permanent Medi-Cal benefit. |
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| AB 2208 | (Stefani, 2026) | Improves Medi-Cal cost sharing, retroactivity, and accessibility for families. |
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| AB 836 | (Stefani, 2026) | Midwifery Workforce Training Act, expanding access to birth care providers. |
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| AB 594 | (Solache, 2026) | Expands student health insurance access. |
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| AB 1907 | (Addis, 2026) | Allows automatic enrollment in health care coverage through Covered California. |
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| AB 1876 | (Addis, 2026) | Strengthens nondiscrimination protections in health care coverage. |
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| SB 669 | (McGuire, 2026) | Supports rural hospital standby perinatal services. |
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| SB 520 | (Caballero, 2026) | Establishes a nurse-midwifery education program. |
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| Bill Number | | Description |
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| AB 1709 | (Lowenthal; Bonta, 2026) | Limits social media access for minors to protect youth mental health. |
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| AB 921 | (Bonta, 2024) | Sought to expand the mental health workforce and establish a mentorship program for behavioral health students. |
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| AB 2914 | (Bonta, 2024) | Sought to expand the mental health workforce and establish a mentorship program for behavioral health students. |
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| AB 1540 | (Mark González, 2026) | Expands 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline services for LGBTQ+ youth. |
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| AB 772 | (Lowenthal, 2025) | Establishes a model policy for schools to address off-campus cyberbullying. |
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| AB 2247 | (Elhawary, 2026) | The Trauma Healing and Resilience Investment for Victimized and Exposed Youth Act. |
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| AB 2189 | (Nguyen, 2026) | Establishes the Statewide Special Education Parent Advocacy Collaborative. |
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| Bill Number | | Description |
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| AB 1376 | (Bonta, 2025) | Landmark reform limiting youth probation terms, keeping young Californians in school and out of the justice system. |
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| AB 1261 | (Bonta, 2025) | Supports young immigrants facing deportation proceedings. |
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| AB 1186 | (Bonta, 2024) | Eliminates restitution fines for minors and caps outstanding restitution liability after ten years. |
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| AB 1148 | (Bonta, 2024) | Eliminates restitution fines for minors and caps outstanding restitution liability after ten years. |
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| AB 1628 | (M. Rodriguez, 2026) | Strengthens child protection through the safe surrender program. |
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| AB 49 | (Muratsuchi, 2025) | Protects children from immigration enforcement on school grounds. |
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| AB 1994 | (Alvarez, 2026) | The Defending Immigrant Victims Act, protecting immigrant children and families from harm. |
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| Bill Number | | Description |
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| AB 397 | (Mark González, 2025) | Expands the young child tax credit under state personal income tax law. |
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| AB 1321 | (Bonta, 2024) | Sought to establish coordinated neighborhood and community services grants to address poverty and improve outcomes for children and families. |
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| AB 368 | (Bonta, 2022) | Sought to establish a food prescriptions program to address food insecurity as a health issue. |
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| AB 65 | (Aguiar-Curry, 2026) | Expands paid disability and parental leave for school and community college employees. |
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