CA Considers Letting Undocumented Residents Serve On State Boards

LOS ANGELES, CA -- A Los Angeles-area state senator proposed a bill this week that would allow undocumented immigrants serve on state boards and commissions.

Senate Bill 174, the California Inclusion Act, authored by state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), would open civil service on local and state boards and commissions to all Californians, regardless of immigration status.

“California’s 2 million undocumented immigrants are a source of energy for our state, and their voices should matter when it comes to policies that affect our healthcare, schools, families, and economy,” Lara said in a statement. “It is shocking to read the words of fear and exclusion that are still in California law but belong in history’s trash can. The California Inclusion Act is another step toward utilizing the talents of our diverse population and righting a historical wrong.”

SB 174 also "amends discriminatory and unconstitutional provisions adopted in 1872, during a time of exclusion and fear when California leaders pushed for laws targeting Chinese immigrants and others the law called 'transient aliens,'" Lara's office said.

The state of California has hundreds of boards and commissions that advise the legislature and governor on policy affecting the state’s diverse communities – including areas such as farm labor, Asian and Pacific Islander American affairs, California history, education, employment development, healthcare, children and families, parks and recreation, and the status of women and girls.

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