The California Legislature approved a bill Friday that would allow undocumented students to hold campus jobs at UCLA and other public universities across the state.

The Opportunity for All Act – or Assembly Bill 713 – would bar the UC, California State University and California Community Colleges from denying students employment based solely on their ability to provide proof of federal work authorization. If approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom, California public universities would be required to implement the bill’s provisions by Jan. 6, 2027.

After the bill cleared the state Senate, the Assembly passed it in a 58-13 vote Aug. 28, sending it to Newsom’s desk for his signature or veto.

“Our students are simply asking for equal opportunity to work and contribute to our communities and the campus they call home,” said Assemblymember José Luis Solache Jr., who sponsored the bill, in an emailed statement. “This vote brings us closer to rectifying student employment inequity.”

Newsom vetoed a similar bill in 2024, citing concerns that it would violate a federal law that bans employers from hiring undocumented immigrants.

[Related: Newsom vetoes bill that would allow undocumented students to hold campus jobs]

Proponents of AB 713 have argued that the 1986 federal statute does not apply to California public universities and only applies to federal entities. This interpretation of the federal law reflects a legal framework championed by the Opportunity for All campaign, which UCLA students and faculty helped create in 2022 to call for equal access to campus employment opportunities.

AB 713 includes exceptions for jobs that require proof of work authorization under federal law or as a condition of a grant.

“Campus employment helps students meet basic needs, remain enrolled, build professional experience, and contribute directly to their institutions,” said a spokesperson for the Opportunity for All Coalition in an emailed statement. “For undocumented students, the lack of access to these opportunities forces them to rely on limited aid, family support, or off-campus work that may be unstable, underpaid, or disconnected from their educational goals.”

In 2025, the California Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that UC policy violated the California Fair Employment and Housing Act by barring undocumented students from holding on-campus jobs. The state law makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees or applicants based on immigration status.

The court ordered the UC to reconsider its employment policy but did not specify whether or not federal law bars state entities from hiring undocumented students.

[Related: CA Supreme Court reaffirms UC cannot bar undocumented students from on-campus jobs]

“Undocumented students should not have to wonder whether their dignity and opportunity are conditional on what is politically expedient,” said a spokesperson for the Immigrant Justice in Action Coalition, which supports the bill, in an emailed statement. “California has an opportunity to lead once again; it is up to the Governor whether we will answer that call.”

Allowing undocumented students to work on campus would help them build their resumes and achieve financial stability, said Jack Feng, the Graduate Students Association external vice president and a member of the Opportunity for All Coalition.

“If we are claiming the UC system is an engine of social mobility, socioeconomic mobility of our students, we really have to make sure that UC can live up to the promise of opening doors for our undocumented students,” Feng said.