Bill > AB155

This bill establishes the California Civic Media Program, to be administered by the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), with the goal of supporting California's journalism ecosystem. The program aims to enhance public understanding of communities and government, support local news organizations, particularly those serving underrepresented communities, and strengthen journalism that promotes civic engagement. The bill creates the California Civic Media Fund with $10 million from the General Fund, which will be supplemented by private donations. A nine-person advisory board will be appointed to provide recommendations on allocating private funds, with board members representing various media and journalism organizations. The fund has strict guidelines: no more than 7.5% can be used for administration, priority will be given to local and community news organizations, and public money expenditures cannot exceed the total private funding in any fiscal year. The program seeks to support a robust press corps, promote social integration, and ensure the sustainability of online publications, with a particular focus on serving underrepresented communities and reinforcing journalism's role in democracy.

Budget and Finance

Budget (Assembly)

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB155