SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Assembly Committee on Education voted to approve Senate Bill 638, authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). The transformative measure would create the California Middle Class Pipeline Project, tasked with eliminating traditional barriers to career technical education and workforce development programs. The Pipeline Project would work with educational institutions and private industry to reimagine career technical education in the state, bringing it in line with the needs of the 21st century economy. Earlier this week, the California Legislature approved and Governor Newsom signed the 2025/2026 State Budget into law in which Senator Padilla secured $1.5 million to establish the Middle Class Pipeline as well as $150 million for strategic grant for workforce development programs in high-unemployment and low-income regions of the state.