This post was updated April 11 at 12:23 p.m.

The Undergraduate Students Association Council declined to place the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum on the 2025 USAC election ballot during its Tuesday meeting.

USAC is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings are open to all students and usually take place in person at the Bruin Viewpoint Room and on Zoom every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Students can find the links for the meetings on the agenda posted on the USAC website or watch a livestream on the USAC Live! channel on YouTube.

Public comment:

• Leila Salam, the chair of the California Public Interest Research Group’s UCLA chapter, said the group is working on its recruitment drive and has been educating students for its oceans campaign.

• Paul Rodriguez Fitzgerald, a Chicana and Chicano studies and history transfer student, spoke in support of the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum – which proposed to raise student fees by $25 to provide student food, housing, transportation and financial security; strengthen services; and supplement state funding. Fitzgerald said as a transfer student, the Community Programs Office has provided him with resources and a community.

• A student who said they are undocumented and did not give their last name spoke in support of the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum. He said CPO provided resources that were not otherwise accessible because of his citizenship status.

• Amani Carson, a second-year civil engineering student, spoke in support of the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum and said CPO gave them a space to navigate campus and a sense of community.

• Adrian Andrés Hindu, a third-year anthropology transfer student, spoke in favor of the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum. They said CPO feels like family, and they appreciate the work it does on campus.

• Isaiah Daco, a first-year political science and psychology student, spoke in support of the Basic and Essential Needs referendum. He said CPO serves more than just students and has resources accessible to the surrounding community.

• A third-year student who did not give their last name said CPO has always been a safe space where they can access food.

• Jessica Piamonte, a first-year biochemistry student, spoke in support of the Basic and Essential Needs referendum. They said that as a volunteer for CPO, they have seen the benefits of food distribution for students.

• Another student who did not give their last name spoke in support of the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum. They said CPO supports not only students but also the surrounding community.

• Lumina Chan, a third-year physiological science transfer student, spoke in support of the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum. They said the referendum would fund resources that support them and other international students.

• Julie Huyen Bui, a second-year mechanical engineering student, spoke in favor of the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum. They said that as a first-generation student, CPO provided them with spaces and resources that they otherwise would not be able to access.

• Another student who did not give their last name spoke in support of the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum. They said the referendum would not only support CPO but also surrounding basic needs organizations.

• Alyssa Pamintuan, a second-year linguistics and psychology student, spoke in favor of the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum. They said they have not only personally benefited from the resources CPO offers but also seen as an employee the impact the office has on other students.

• A first-year student spoke in favor of the Basic and Essential Needs referendum. They said working for CPO has allowed them to provide food for Thanksgiving and other holidays to students who did not have the resources to celebrate.

• A first-year neuroscience student spoke in support of the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum. They said having access to resources is important for people from low-income backgrounds like them, adding that these resources should be expanded.

Funding:

• The council allocated $13,090.33 from the Contingency Programming Fund to three USAC entities and 30 non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $2,056 from the Student Wellness Programming Fund to one USAC entity and three non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $2,260.06 from the Travel Grant Mini Fund to six non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $1,564.75 from the Academic Success Referendum Fund to three non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $35 from the UCLA Housing Laundry Fund to seven people.

• The council allocated $30 from the ​​Replacement BruinCard Fund to three people.

• The council allocated $18,214 from the Supplemental Fund for Service to nine USAC entities and seven non-USAC entities.

Special presentation:

• External Vice President Javier Nuñez-Verdugo presented a recap of the United States Student Association’s National Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. Nuñez-Verdugo said the association is a coalition of student leaders at colleges and universities who come together to advocate for the collective needs of their student bodies. They said they and members of their office met with Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff as well as Rep. Ted Lieu. They added that the conference focused on reestablishing the association as a national organization and developing organizing strategies that are not reliant on the federal government.

Officer reports:

• President Adam Tfayli said his updates were written but did not update his written report for the week.

• Internal Vice President Josh Garland said an application for an open position on the ASUCLA Board of Directors is currently being advertised, and he encouraged council members to share the advertisement.

• Nuñez-Verdugo said the annual UC Student Association transfer advocacy day will be held in May and added that they attended UCSA’s annual Latine Lobby Day with General Representative Diego Emilio Bollo.

• Bollo said in his written report that he attended the opening of the Latinx Success Center and attended the UCSA Latine Lobby Day with Nuñez-Verdugo. He added in his report that he lobbied California state legislators alongside students from Latinx, first-generation, low-income and undocumented communities.

• General Representative Tommy Contreras said in his written report that he co-sponsored a resolution urging that hybrid learning options be offered to vulnerable students. Contreras said in the report that he met with Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Life Mick Deluca to discuss establishing a financial education and awareness committee.

• General Representative Chris Ramsey said in his written report that he met with UCLA Financial Aid and Scholarships, which he said implemented several changes to its portal to make scholarships more accessible and available to students. He said in the report that he is currently working on integrating information about the scholarship application into New Student Orientation.

• Academic Affairs Commissioner Cristopher Espino said he hosted a “know your rights” event for the community and passed out ”know your rights” cards.

• Campus Events Commissioner Robbie Hall said in his written report that he is beginning his office’s transition to his successor.

• Community Service Commissioner Carolyn Wang said in her written report that she has been working on planning for the Good Clothes Good People amendment referendum, which would not increase student fees but expand the resources the center could provide. The referendum will appear on the upcoming USAC election ballot if approved by the UC Office of the President.

• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kyland Talbott said his updates were written but did not update his written report for the week.

• Facilities Commissioner Joy Huang said in her written report that she has been campaigning for the Universal Access Transit Pass Renewal Referendum, which would reauthorize the pass for a fee of $6.80 per quarter.

• Financial Supports Commissioner Nico Morrone said in his written report that applications to his and Transfer Student Representative Mona Tavassoli’s office’s commuter parking permit scholarship program are due Friday.

• Student Wellness Commissioner Chiara Frank said in her written report that she has been collaborating with Contreras on the Bruin Emergency Relief Referendum and supporting the GCGP amendment referendum.

• Tavassoli said in her written report that she met with UCLA Commuter Support & Programs to discuss her and Morrone’s office’s scholarship program.

• International Student Representative Syed Tamim Ahmad said in his written report that he met with the UCLA Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars’ director, Sam Nahidi, about supporting students amid visa revocations.

[Related: Trump administration revokes visas of multiple UCLA, UC students]

Agenda items:

• The council unanimously approved a resolution urging the UCLA Academic Senate to provide hybrid learning options for international students and students without permanent legal status.

• The council unanimously approved a bylaw change that readjusted the constitutional projects under Wang’s office.

• The council voted against placing the Basic and Essential Needs Referendum on the upcoming ballot. The referendum would have increased student fees by $25 per quarter starting next fall. Increased funding would have expanded services such as 580 Café free meals, the CPO food closet, commuter rider service and student scholarships.

• The council unanimously voted to make next Monday the first day that on-campus campaigning is allowed for the 2025 USAC elections.