YPA California
Young people are done being left behind. Our generation is caught between high prices, barriers to building a career, and eroded communities. In California, we're coming together across party lines to fight for our own California Dream.
Our California Chapters
Every YPA chapter in California.
Universities · 17
California State - Northridge
Northridge
California State - Sacramento
Sacramento
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont
Pitzer College
Claremont
Pomona College
Claremont
San Diego State University (SDSU)
San Diego
Scripps College
Claremont
University of California - Berkeley
Berkeley
University of California - Irvine
Irvine
University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles
University of California - Riverside
Riverside
University of California - San Diego
San Diego
University of California - Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
University of California - Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz
University of San Francisco
San Francisco
University of Southern California
Los Angeles
High Schools · 2
Clovis North High School
Fresno
Livermore High School
Livermore
Our Platform
Young people are facing shrinking economic opportunity, an affordability crisis, and mass erosion of communities. Neither political party is prioritizing these pressing issues affecting our generation. Here is what we're fighting for in California.
OPPORTUNITY
Despite America's status as the land of opportunity, many young people are struggling to find fulfilling and stable careers.
Higher education is more expensive than ever and is no longer a promise of success. Meanwhile, those in alternative career paths are on track to make less than their parents. AI has already automated millions of entry-level jobs, spiking youth unemployment, and is on track to automate vast swaths of industry, cutting off access to meaningful careers.
We work to:
- →Advocate for the creation of millions of apprenticeships and training programs in both blue-collar and white-collar fields to give our generation an AI-resilient entry point into careers.
- →Make 4-year colleges more cost effective, ending legacy admissions, and reform occupational licensing requirements to make employment more accessible.
- →Explore how we can retain purpose in a mass-automation scenario, for instance by better supporting families and community institutions through policy.
AFFORDABILITY
From housing to basics, it is getting too expensive to live a fulfilling and dignified life.
The California Dream promises us the ability to buy a home, but that feels like a fantasy to many of us. While 42% of young people are barely getting by financially, we pay a disproportionate amount of taxes and benefit significantly less from government spending than other generations.
We work to:
- →Make housing more affordable by reforming zoning laws that artificially increase the price of housing and create incentives to encourage more housing construction.
- →Stop manipulative corporate practices that raise prices, like AI price fixing and dark patterns.
- →Explore reforming the tax system to be more fair for our generation.
COMMUNITY
Our generation has been gutted by loneliness and a lack of strong communities, and 83% of young people are not deeply connected to any community.
Emerging technology like social media and AI companions are designed to steal our attention away from the things that truly matter to us, while eroding our ability to build relationships. Our civic communities have also crumbled, and while our generation believes in the potential of America, only 41% are proud of our country.
We work to:
- →Eliminate the manipulative effects of attention-based technology like social media and AI companions, while encouraging innovation for tech that is truly pro-social.
- →Through our work, we create community and purpose for our generation, bound by a shared mission to make the California Dream our reality.
Legislation
Bills we've written, endorsed, or advocated on in California.
AB 1709
Passed the legislatureTargeted Ban on Addictive Design Features
Prohibits social media platforms from serving addictive features and feeds to users under 16, going after autoplay, endless feeds, and algorithmic recommendations built to maximize time on the app.
Youth advocates urged the legislature to replace the bill's original under-16 access ban with a targeted prohibition on addictive design. We encourage other states and Congress to treat AB 1709 as the model going forward.
Read our statement →CA SB243
Signed Into LawCompanion Chatbots
The law requires AI companion chatbot platforms to disclose that AI chatbots are not human and implement safeguards for suicide/self-harm content, including crisis referrals.
Track this bill →CA AB2023
Passed Assembly Committee, referred to AppropriationsAI Companion Child Safety
Requires operators of AI companion chatbots to conduct annual child safety risk assessments, implement design and usage safeguards to mitigate risks to minors, and undergo independent audits of compliance.
Track this bill →CA AB1064
VetoedLEAD for Kids Act
This bill would have banned AI companion chatbots for children if they could encourage harmful behaviors (e.g., self-harm, violence, substance use, eating disorders).
Track this bill →Campaigns & Lobby Days
How members in California have shown up.
Spring 2026 · Nationwide
American Dream Lobby Days
Students in NC, CA, and MI all lobbied on behalf of protections to ensure opportunity, affordability, and community for our generation. This coordinated nationwide effort brought young advocates to state capitols across the country to push for our American Dream Platform priorities.
Op-Eds
Members and staff making the case in California outlets and about California policy.
Santa Cruz Sentinel · September 25, 2025
How AI companions are putting young people at risk and what can be done about it
By Joshua Brons
Joshua Brons from UC Santa Cruz explores the dangers of AI companion apps and advocates for stronger protections for young users.
Washington Examiner · October 17, 2025
California fails to protect families from AI exploitation
By Sparkle Rainey
Sparkle Rainey argues that California's regulatory approach leaves families vulnerable to AI chatbot manipulation.
In the News
Press Release · September 1, 2026
Young People's Alliance Celebrates Passage of AB 1709, California's Targeted Ban on Addictive Design Features
YPA celebrates the passage of AB 1709, which prohibits social media platforms from serving addictive features and feeds to users under 16, after youth advocates urged the legislature to replace the bill's original under-16 access ban with a targeted prohibition on addictive design.
Press Release · March 12, 2026
Young People's Alliance Applauds Court Decision Allowing California Age-Appropriate Design Code to Move Forward
YPA commends the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision allowing most provisions of California's Age-Appropriate Design Code to take effect after years of legal challenges fueled by tech industry groups.
Press Release · March 19, 2026
New Report Reveals Gen Z's Complicated Relationship with AI: Embrace It for Tasks, Reject It for Human Connection
YPA released 'The Need for a New American Dream: How Young People Are Navigating a System That Wasn't Built for Them,' based on listening sessions with ~210 students across 22 campuses.
Listening to California Students
The Need for a New American Dream
How Young People Are Navigating a System That Wasn't Built for Them
Our report is based on listening sessions with ~210 students across 22 campuses in Michigan, North Carolina, and California, and was covered in Politico's Morning Tech newsletter. It found young people embrace AI for basic tasks but reject it in human-centered roles, ranked home affordability and stable livelihood as top priorities, and applied to an average of 25 jobs or internships before landing a role.
Read the findings →Join YPA California
Whether there is already a chapter on your campus or you want to start one, there is a place for you in this movement.