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Community to Capitol
October, 2025 |
With the legislative session now behind us, my team and I are turning our attention to the fall months ahead. This year's session was productive and impactful, shaped by your input on issues like affordability, public safety, healthcare access, and education. I am excited to spend the fall recess in our district, meeting with constituents, touring local businesses, and learning firsthand about the opportunities and challenges you face. These conversations will directly guide my work to craft smart, community-driven policies when we return to Sacramento. Together, we are making sure that our region gets the resources it needs to be strong, resilient, and supported. Thank you for staying engaged and making your voice central to the work we do!
| Legislative Update: My Bills on the Governor's Desk |
I'm proud that three crucial bills I introduced, shaped by conversations with constituents, are now on the Governor's desk.
AB 841
AB 841 convenes a working group to develop stronger protective equipment and decontamination procedures to address the growing risks firefighters face from lithium-ion battery fires. As these fires, occurring at storage facilities and in electric vehicles across California, burn hotter, longer, and release toxic substances, they pose new threats to firefighter health, public safety, and the state's emergency response capacity. Updated protocols are urgently needed to keep pace with these evolving hazards. AB 841 takes a long-overdue step towards addressing these risks, and I strongly encourage the Governor to sign the bill.
AB 1074
AB 1074 removes bureaucratic barriers that prevent low-income parents from accessing CalWORKs support while working to reunify with children in foster care. By creating a single, statewide system, the bill streamlines access to aid, reduces costly foster care placements, and strengthens family reunification efforts. It passed with bipartisan support and now awaits the Governor's signature.
AB 1119
AB 1119 tackles California's teacher shortage by directing the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to create more efficient pathways for dual credentialing, expanding the pool of teachers prepared to serve students with and without disabilities. With dually credentialed teachers in decline even as the number of students with disabilities grows, this bill strengthens efforts to build inclusive classrooms statewide. By modernizing credentialing, California can better achieve its goal of one education system for all students.
Do you have an idea for a bill? I want to hear about it! Click here to submit ideas for legislation to my staff to review.
| Connecting in the Community |
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
LEAD Visionary Awards
The annual Visionary Awards are always a great opportunity to reconnect and build new relationships with leaders from all sectors. This year we celebrated the amazing contributions of several community leaders, including CSUSM's very own President Dr. Ellen Neufeldt. It was inspiring to hear their stories and witness the positive impact they've had on San Diego. Congratulations to these visionary leaders shaping our region!
California State University San Marcos
Blueprint for Success
An exciting night with CSUSM where I learned about their blueprint to ensure the student and community's success. Your goals to innovate, accelerate, and cultivate in order for everyone involved at CSUSM to thrive were prevalent in conversations. Thank you for inviting me to learn more about your programs such as SWIFT or your new Student Wellness Center along with being a great partner to our region.
YMCA Ribbon Cutting
It has been a long time coming as, our office celebrates the newly renovated Rancho Family YMCA with its refreshed aquatic center and two new studios with state-of-the-art equipment. Our communities look for third spaces like these where they can attend recreational classes, work out the gym, or join athletics programs. Thank you for the hard work you put in to create safe spaces for our district.
| Uplifting Community Voices: Shaping Solutions |
Senior Scam Stoppers
I was honored to host the Senior Scam Stopper seminar at the Ed Brown Senior Center on Thursday, September 25, where experts from CSLB, DFPI, and CDI equipped seniors and caregivers with practical tools to spot, avoid, and report fraud. At the seminar, we addressed common scams targeting older adults, such as shady home repair offers, identity theft, and fake investments, and emphasized how to protect personal information and financial security. I remain committed to empowering our senior community and ensuring they have direct access to trusted resources and support.
Click below to view the training and learn more about Senior Resources.
Learn4Life Escondido Innovation High
Thank you to Learn4Life for sharing the work you do to empower and uplift students. Your staff and faculty ensure that students are not falling through the gap and provide the necessary individualized support and resources that every student needs to succeed. I appreciate the work that you do.
Dandiya Under the Stars
As we head into the Navaratri season, I was happy to attend Dandiya Under the Stars hosted by House of India at Balboa with my family. Thank you to House of India for always hosting events that provide a space where the Hindu community can gather and celebrate their culture.
| Spirit of the 76th Photo Contest |
I'm inviting high school students to share photos they feel capture the Spirit of the 76th through a Photo Contest!
High School students, who live in the district or attend high school within the district, are welcome to submit photos capturing the spirit of our district as photos. The subject could be iconic landmarks, events, buildings or businesses, landscapes, or anything you feel represents the diversity of our district!
All entrants will receive a California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition and the 15 winners will have their photo framed and exhibited in the State Capitol or District Office.
Deadline to submit is Sunday, September 28 at 11:59 PM and winners will be announced on Friday, October 3 on social media.
| Apply For a District Office Internship |
The District Office is now accepting applications
for our Fall Internship Program!
The California State Assembly District Office Internship Program offers high school and college students a unique opportunity to participate in and experience the work of a state Assembly office. The program exposes students to district office operations and the activities of a legislator's work. These experiences include working with constituents, conducting community outreach efforts, assisting community-based organizations, organizing civic events and projects, database development and upkeep, staffing the office, and other activities.
Internships are available to those who are currently enrolled in high school or college. Depending on their high school or college programs, our office is willing to coordinate with a student's education institution for school credit for participating as an intern.
Many legislators and senior policy staff began their careers by interning in a district office. It is an invaluable way to gain a true understanding of California's democratic process, as well as an excellent opportunity to make important contacts while serving the community.
Interns will gain valuable education and work experience by fully participating in agreed-upon hours of work. All internship work is voluntary and students will not receive any monetary compensation. Unpaid internships are available to all part-time or full time students. For college Students: Depending on their high school or college programs, students may also receive different types of school credits for participating as an intern.
If you are interested in participating in the 76th Assembly District Office Internship Program, simply complete the online application below.
As space becomes available, qualified candidates will be invited for an interview. Thank you for your interest in this very unique opportunity to serve your community.
Our office is open and serving constituents in a number of ways. You can contact us by completing the form on our website, calling, emailing, or stopping by our office. We are here to help! We are proud to be open during hours that serve working people Monday through Friday.
Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel's contact form from the website.
What can we do for you? My office's job is to connect you with resources and help solve problems. Here are some recent ways we have helped constituents:
- My office helped a constituent sort out a delay with the State Controller's Office so they could finally receive the $7,093 CalSTRS death benefit from their late parent.
- A constituent stopped into my office to share some concerns about a local parcel posing a fire risk to neighbors and mt staff was able to connect with them local city staff to address those concerns.
- My office assisted a constituent who had been working for years trying to reclaim their money from the State of California. Using the Controller's Unclaimed Property portal, my staff was able to recover nearly $5,000 for the constituent.
Yours in service,
Dr. Darshana R. Patel
Assemblymember, District 76
We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory and homelands of the Luiseño/Payómkawichum people. For more information please go to www.csusm.edu/cicsc.
