An act to amend Section 12815 of the Government Code, relating to state government, and making an appropriation therefor. government.
AB 2103 would amend the Government Code to create the Engaged California Program within the Office of Data and Innovation. The program is intended to provide a state-run digital platform for structured, ongoing dialogue between Californians and state government, using deliberation and shared learning to generate actionable recommendations on public services and policy. The bill directs the office to design, operate, and maintain the platform, establish standards and best practices for its use, and keep it current for future deployment.
The bill also sets out how topics for deliberation would be chosen and carried out. Topics must address a clear problem, be relevant to Californians, be suitable for public deliberation, and be actionable. Topic selection would involve consultation with stakeholders, and the Speaker of the Assembly, the President pro Tempore of the Senate, or the Secretary of Government Operations could select topics. Once a topic is selected and funding is available, the office would be required to solicit participation from a diverse group of Californians, identify relevant state agencies, and coordinate outreach and communications with those agencies. The bill further requires reporting on deliberation topics, participant demographics, recommendations, agency responses, and whether recommendations were implemented.
AB 2103 would also change how the Data and Innovation Services Revolving Fund can be used. It would allow the fund to receive supplemental funding for the Engaged California Program from partner organizations, including philanthropic groups, civil groups, and other state entities, while prohibiting outside funders from participating in topic selection or the deliberations themselves. Any money received for the program would be continuously appropriated to the office, and unspent funds appropriated for the program in fiscal year 2026-27 would remain available in 2027-28. The bill also preserves existing confidentiality protections for data and records accessed by the office and imposes restrictions on disclosure of protected information.
The bill’s impact on state law is to expand the Office of Data and Innovation’s statutory duties beyond internal service delivery and data governance into public engagement and civic deliberation. It would create a new state program, authorize new uses of the revolving fund, require interagency coordination, and establish reporting obligations to the Legislature. It also adds guardrails around privacy, data use, and outside funding to limit conflicts of interest and protect personal information.
Overall, the bill appears to have strong support in committee. The recorded vote on the bill was unanimous, and the measure was reported out with a do pass recommendation and re-referred to Appropriations. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor of debate in the materials, but the available voting history suggests broad agreement on the concept. The main points of potential contention are likely to involve the use of public funds, the scope of the office’s new role in convening public deliberations, and the involvement of outside partner organizations in funding the program, even though the bill expressly bars those funders from participating in topic selection or deliberation.
AB 2103 would amend Government Code Section 12815 to add the Engaged California Program to the Office of Data and Innovation’s statutory responsibilities and to authorize related funding, reporting, and operational requirements. It would affect the Office of Data and Innovation, the Government Operations Agency, participating state agencies, and the Data and Innovation Services Revolving Fund. The bill also creates a continuous appropriation for program funds and imposes privacy and confidentiality requirements for records, data, and personal information used in the program.
The available voting history indicates favorable sentiment toward the bill. The measure received a unanimous committee vote and was advanced with a do pass recommendation, suggesting broad support for the concept of a state-run public deliberation platform. Because no committee transcript was provided, there is no detailed record of debate, amendments, or expressed concerns in the materials, but the procedural history points to a generally positive reception.
The most likely areas of contention are fiscal and governance-related rather than ideological. The bill makes an appropriation and creates a continuous funding mechanism for the new program, which may draw scrutiny in Appropriations. Another possible concern is the role of partner organizations and philanthropic or civic funders: while the bill allows supplemental funding, it bars those funders from selecting topics or participating in deliberations to reduce conflicts of interest. There may also be questions about how broadly the Office of Data and Innovation should be empowered to direct state agencies, manage sensitive data, and convene public deliberations on policy topics.