12/10/2025 Item 2B
ASSEMBLYMEMBER « DISTRICT 26
Patrick Ahrens
ASM.
PATRICK
AHRENS
1. Biography
2. Committees
3. Budget
4. Bills signed by the Governor
OUTLINE 5. Two-year bills for January
6. Priorities for 2026
7. Legislative Process
8. Questions
9. Contact me
2 POST MEETING MATERIAL 1
As a native of Silicon Valley, I am deeply committed to addressing challenges facing constituents in one of the most dynamic yet demanding regions of California. My
dedication to public service is shaped by my experiences growing up in a house with substance abuse issues and
having faced homelessness and housing insecurity during my college years. As a result, I have championed policies to expand access and affordability in higher education,
BIOGRAPHY focusing particularly on supporting community college students and ensuring pathways for economic mobility.
After my university years at De Anza and University of
3 Sunnyvale.
We supported 337 constituents this year, addressing issues related to the EDD and DMV, including 139 EDD cases that
DISTRICT IMPACTS
secured about $110,000 in support.
Assemblymember Ahrens participated in 1,400 meetings
and events, organized or partnered in 43 events, and
engaged with over 12,000 constituents. Our civic
engagement program includes 22 interns and roughly 60
volunteers who assist with community events.
4 2
Co-Chair of CA Technology Select Committees:
& Innovation Legislative
Caucus Asia/California Trade an
nvestmen
Standing Committees:
Technologley and Medical
Business and Professions
Budget Nurtion Enrolment and
COMMITTEES Conveyanctions and
Child Care Costs
Transportation
Domestic Violence
Subcommittee: Housing Finance and
Affordability
udget Subcommittee No.
in Human Service
ed Level Rise and th
alifornia Econom
5 he Stat
or allorian by profiting tor
$52 million for food banks.
2025-2026 support studeni in Bleak grants.
BUDGET Seach community eign
students.
Cook program 076 and
Public Safety Funding
serving terme Survivorsnizations
6 3
This bill requires public higher
education institutions to accept
proof of financial independence
AB 243 STUDENT and confirmation from local
education agencies or county
probation/welfare departments.
FINANCIAL AID It allows for the limited
disclosure of juvenile case file
information, including the
DEPENDENCY youth's name, date of birth, and
relevant dates, to protect their
privacy. Information will only be
STATUS: shared within an institution if
requested by the youth or with
JUVENILES. their consent.
(Signed by the Governor)
7 Ensures that families whose
AB 461: MORE, children are not regularly
attending school are offered
more help, not less. It does so
NOT LESS HELP
by removing harmful penal
code penalties for parents of
FOR CHILDREN children who are chronically
truant, including fines of up to
$2,000 and jail time of up to one
AND FAMILIES
(Signed by the Governor)
ACT OF 2025.
8 4
AB 1314: Ensures that all eligible youth
for transitional housing have the
best opportunity for placement
TRANSITIONAL
by requiring counties to create
contracts that provide maximum
HOUSING lexibility and minimize barriers
to youth placement
PLACEMENT. (Signed by the Governor)
AB 268: STATE This bill would add Diwali to the
list of state holidays, authorizes
HOLIDAYS: public schools and community
colleges to close on Diwali, and
authorizes state employees to
DIWALI. elect to take specified leave in
recognition of Diwali.
(CO-AUTHOR) (Signed by the Governor)
10 5
AB 1476: MEAL Allows sites distributing at least
one meal a day for senior
citizens through the Congregate
PROGRAM: Meals Program to provide meals
served hot or available as "to
SENIOR CITIZENS. go meals" that can be reheated
at home.
(CO-AUTHOR) (Signed by the Governor)
11 A two-year bill is legislation that
was introduced in the first year
of a two-year legislative session
and did not pass its house of
TWO-YEAR BILLS origin by the deadline in the
first year, meaning it carries
over into the second year to
continue its journey through the
legislative process.
12 6
AB 635: The Mobilehome Residency
Protection Program (MRLPP)
aims to address the most serious
MOBILEHOME violations of the Mobilehome
Residency Law. This bill
mandates the Department of
RESIDENCY LAW
and Community
Development refer the most
PROTECTION serious, harmful, and
economically significant
alleged violations of the MRLPP
PROGRAM. to the Attorney General.
13 AB 1203: WATER This bill requires the department
and the Office of Community
Partnerships to include a
CONSERVATION: statewide "water-wise"
designation in the Save Our
WATER WISE Water Campaign for businesses
in the CIl sector that meet or
exceed best management
DESIGNATION. practices for water use.
14 7
AB 1351: PUPILS:
WORK PERMITS: Creates a Youth Employment
System (YES) database for minor
ONLINE work permits.
DATABASE.
15 AB 1359:
REMOVES
PENALTIES FOR Refocuses efforts to get truant
kids back into classrooms using
FAMILIES proven effective interventions.
RECEIVING
CALWORKS.
16 8
y top issue areas for next yes
ill be
• Housing
2026 PRIORITY
• Foster Youth
BILLS • Technology
• Education
• Affordability
17 LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
Introduction
A bill is put inlo print A bill is referred to The bill is voted on A concurrent The Governor has 30 and eligible to be policy committee(s) by all 80 members of process happens in days to veto a bill or and appropriations the Assembly the Senate sign it into law referred
committee
18 9
Fall Harvest Laptop Giveaway
19 Trunk Or Treat Health Roundtable
20 10
Questions?
21 CONTACT US
in
LINKEDIN INSTAGRAM EMAIL OFFICE PHONE
PATRICK AHRENS @PATRICKJAMESAHRENS AHRENS [email protected] 408-446-2810 22 11