California’s students may not need to provide proof of citizenship to apply for on campus positions if AB 713 passes through the Senate.
Rep. José Luis Solache of California’s 62nd district introduced the bill in late 2025. Titled the “Opportunity for All Act,” Solache’s proposal focuses on allowing undocumented students to gain positions working on Cal State campuses.
At Cal Poly, the bill would apply to employment at on-campus facilities like the Rec Center, Mustang Lanes and the Kennedy Library.
Currently, federal law prohibits hiring undocumented workers under all circumstances. AB 713 would provide an exclusion for colleges funded by the state of California.
Undocumented students at Cal State schools already pay tuition and are eligible for financial aid through the California Dream Act Application but are not able to work on campus, which could decrease affordability for college.
However, last year, the California Supreme Court ruled that California colleges’ ban on employing undocumented students was discriminatory, which lays the groundwork for AB 713.
Chula Vista Assembly Member David Alvarez is a strong supporter of the bill.
“These students have fulfilled their obligation and are ready to be our future teachers, scientists, doctors and public servants,” Alvarez said in a Jan. 13 Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education hearing. “This bill will provide them with the opportunity to work.”
Architectural engineering freshman Vineet Subramanyan sees no reason for undocumented students to be restricted on campus.
“If these students already get benefits from the state of California, then they should not be restricted from being employed due to their documentation status,” Subramanyan said. “They are members of the school population and should be able work to benefit the school community.”
Jared Van Ramshorst, a political science professor, believes the law will benefit campus as enrollment numbers continue to rise.
“These kinds of positions are in demand,” Van Ramshorst said. “We particularly, at Cal Poly, exist in a stem-oriented institute where there are a lot of possibilities to employ students for work student positions. A lot of Cal States are shrinking, but we are growing.”
Van Ramshorst also acknowledged Cal Poly’s efforts toward Hispanic-Serving Institution status and AB 713’s role in that endeavor.
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“Cal Poly has talked about becoming an HSI,” Van Ramshorst said. “If anything, this [bill] creates a much more comfortable and intimate setting where undocumented students can integrate themselves into the university further.”
Ultimately, Van Ramshorst sees the new legislation as a step toward a more inclusive Cal Poly for everybody on campus.
Opposers of the bill argue that undocumented students “take” jobs from students who are United States citizens. However, research shows the number of jobs in the economy is not set, and it constantly fluctuates, Van Ramshorst said.
The bill passed through the Assembly in January and is now in a Senate committee. If passed, state colleges will have until 2027 to implement the change into their hiring process.