The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing legislation that fosters cultural inclusion, safeguards historical truth, and strengthens educational equity throughout California. As part of our broader advocacy work at the state level, we are actively monitoring a series of legislative proposals that reflect the core values and long-standing concerns of the Armenian-American community. Some of these bills have recently advanced through key stages of the legislative process. Read about these updates:
AB-91: MENA Inclusion Act
AB-91, introduced by Assembly Member John Harabedian, requires state and local agencies in California that collect demographic data on ancestry or ethnic origin to include separate categories for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) populations. The bill ensures that data collection more accurately reflects the diversity of these communities, improving representation in public policy, research, and funding allocation. Agencies would also be mandated to update these categories based on each decennial U.S. Census and publish the collected data in demographic reports.
UPDATE: The bill passed the Assembly Committee on Appropriations on May 23rd, passed the Assembly floor on June 2nd, and was read for the first time in the Senate on June 3rd.
SB-472: Holocaust and Genocide Education Fund
SB-472, introduced by Senator Henry Stern, seeks to enhance Holocaust and genocide education in California’s K-12 schools by establishing the Holocaust and Genocide Education Grant Program under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. This initiative will provide funding to local educational agencies—including school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools—to support instruction and professional learning on critical historical topics, such as the Armenian Genocide. The bill also mandates that all local educational agencies submit annual reports detailing their Holocaust and genocide education efforts to the Department of Education.
UPDATE: SB-472 passed the Senate Committee on Appropriations on May 23rd and was approved by the Senate on June 4th. It is now on its way to the Assembly, where it will be read for the first time.
AB-865: Dual Language Immersion Education Instructional Materials Grant Program
Introduced by Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez, AB-865 establishes the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Education Instructional Materials Grant Program, allocating $5 million for the 2026–27 fiscal year to assist local educational agencies in acquiring or developing instructional materials in the partner languages used in DLI programs. The grant funding is divided into two categories – Grant A and Grant B – each with distinct eligibility criteria. Grant A, which comprises $3.5 million of the total funding, is designated for agencies offering DLI programs in the five most commonly spoken languages among California’s English learner students. Grant B supports agencies offering DLI programs in all other languages. Each grant award will be $100,000, with 35 awards available under Grant A and 15 under Grant B.
UPDATE: The bill was held in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations on May 23rd and is currently pending approval.
AB-395: Holidays
Introduced by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, AB-395 seeks to promote greater cultural and religious inclusivity across California’s public education institutions and state agencies by encouraging the accommodation of major religious, cultural, and ancestral observances when scheduling key events and public meetings. On May 1st, the bill was amended to include January 6th – an important day of religious and cultural significance for the Armenian community – with the possibility of incorporating additional holidays or days of commemoration in the future.
UPDATE: The bill passed the Assembly Committee on Appropriations on May 23rd and was subsequently approved by the full Assembly on June 2nd. It was read for the first time on the Senate Floor on June 3rd and has since been referred to the Senate Rules Committee for reassignment.
If you have questions or comments about these bills or the legislative process, please contact our Government Affairs Coordinator, Sonia Meroian, at sonia@ancawr.org.