Victory! Governor Newsom has signed several NextGen bills into law – get caught up 👏🏛

October 20, 2025

Welcome to a brand new issue of NextGen's What's Next newsletter! It's been a few weeks since our last issue, and we have exciting updates to share. With the Governor's bill signing period now wrapped up, marking the end of this year's legislative session, we're pleased to report that eight of our priority bills were signed into law—though we did have one important bill vetoed. Governor Newsom signed NextGen-supported bills across climate, consumer protection, education, food insecurity, and housing.

In this edition, we'll share highlights from recent climate events our team attended, celebrate our digital equity partner Tech Exchange's 30th anniversary, spotlight Priscilla Garcia from our Opportunity Young Adult program, and cover several other topics capturing our attention.

Let’s take a look at What’s Next at NextGen:

★ NextGen 2025 Legislative Wins and A Look Ahead to 2026: On Monday, October 13th at midnight the Governor’s official signing period concluded and the NextGen team is feeling pretty satisfied with the results. In the face of major federal policy changes and state fiscal obstacles, NextGen is celebrating several hard-fought victories as eight of our priority bills were signed into law to help build more climate resilient communities; reduce economic hardships for millions of California families; improve educational outcomes; and address the need for more affordable housing. Although our team is celebrating these successes, we’re deeply disappointed that the Governor vetoed AB 1400 (Soria), which would have created a four-year nursing degree pilot program at 10 community college districts to help address California’s nursing shortage. Read more about our official response to this year’s legislative results and learn more about NextGen’s prospective advocacy and policy work in 2026!

★ Catch Up with NextGen’s Climate Team: Several major climate bills were signed into law this session and the NextGen climate team was an instrumental part of helping to pass this innovative climate bill package! This year’s legislative session once again showcased California’s global climate leadership, and we passed AB 1207 which will reauthorize and strengthen our cap and invest program. In 2026, NextGen looks forward to working with State Legislators, the Governor’s office, and our partner organizations to continue building a more equitable, prosperous, and climate resilient California.

Over the last few weeks, the NextGen climate team participated in two major climate convenings. Chloe Ames, Policy Advisor, attended the annual Community College Climate Summit, where she took part in discussions about the various ways California’s community colleges are planning to expand their climate related activities – both from a curriculum and workforce training standpoint as well as a facility operational and building infrastructure standpoint. In addition, Policy Advisor, Jamie Pew, attended Climate Week NYC, an annual event that brings together thousands of climate leaders from around the globe to discuss all things climate: new clean energy technologies, how to achieve a low-carbon future, workforce training needs, and lots more. Learn more about NextGen’s climate advocacy work!

★ Celebrating 30 Years of Tech Exchange: The NextGen team was honored to join our partners at Tech Exchange in celebration of their 30th anniversary! For the past three decades, Tech Exchange has worked tirelessly to connect and empower Californians throughout the state by providing digital devices and computer training as well as fighting for digital literacy. NextGen is proud to work alongside Tech Exchange as part of our collective efforts to address digital equity through our advocacy and policy work, and we look forward to our future collaborations. Get more information on Tech Exchange and their work!

Mark your calendar for our upcoming virtual Student Debt Workshop happening on Monday, October 27 at 6PM PST with Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, where we will cover the current student loan system landscape – federal updates, the status of different types of student loans, repayment options, and much more.

RSVP Here

★ Did You Know? Recently, California's Racial Equity Commission met to continue their work on the way to producing the state's Racial Equity Framework. The Racial Equity Framework will act as a resource guide for California state departments and agencies to follow in order to help them address the legacy of systemic racism that may be embedded in various state programs and policies. The Framework will include best practices and evidenced based learning that can serve as guideposts in the effort to identify and grapple with social and racial inequities in government programs. Only a few more meetings of the Commission remain before they need to wrap things up and issue their final report, so be sure to act now if you would like to add your voice and input to their process by providing thoughts and comments about their work!

★ Member Spotlight: In this edition of What’s Next, NextGen is shining a spotlight on Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, who represents California’s 42nd Assembly District which covers portions of both Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. Assemblymember Irwin is the Chair of the Joint Committee on Climate Change Policies and a member of the Agriculture, Business & Professions, Privacy & Consumer Protection, Rules, and the Utilities & Energy Committees. She is also the Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Cybersecurity and Co-chairs the National Conference of State Legislatures Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, Privacy, and Cybersecurity.

Assemblymember Irwin’s legislative accomplishments cover a broad range of policy areas, including: expanding the academic programs at CSU Channel Islands; bolstering the state’s cybersecurity infrastructure; and improving access to mental health services for veterans when she served as Chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. Most recently, Assemblymember Irwin authored the NextGen priority bill, AB 1207, which reauthorizes and strengthens California’s Cap-and-Invest program and is integral to helping the state achieve its climate goals. The NextGen team is incredibly thankful for Assemblymember Irwin’s commitment to building a better California. Keep up with Assemblymember Irwin’s work on Instagram!