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Community to Capitol District News
May, 2025 |
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I am pleased to collaborate with other local governmental agencies to support the mental health of our community. The County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services Office offers resources for you to help yourself or a loved one find mental health care or addiction services. You can call or text 9-8-8 to speak to someone who can help you locate resources. Learn more here: Behavioral Health Services
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, dial 9-1-1.
May 7th is the deadline by which you need a REAL ID in order to board a flight within the United States or enter any Federal Government Building. REAL IDs are issued at your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). If you have a valid United States Passport, you may use that to travel until your driver's license is up for renewal, and then get a REAL ID. To learn more about the process and what documents you must provide in order to get a REAL ID, visit www.dmv.ca.gov.
In the spirit of Mental Health Awareness Month, I am thrilled to announce that I have been selected to Chair the Select Committee on Youth Mental Health and Treatment Accessibility. I am looking forward to tackling this critical issue for our youth in the community and across the state. To further support mothers, I am working with my colleagues from the Legislative Women's Caucus to introduce a resolution marking Maternal Mental Health Month.
It has been a very busy time in the Capitol with several of my bills advancing forward. AB 237, my public safety bill that makes it easier to prosecute credible threats made to schools, houses of worship, universities, hospitals, and other safe spaces, is now in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Additionally, AB 279, my bill that that updates school library standards to keep pace with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), has made it to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. AB 841, my bill that studies how we can improve personal protective equipment (PPE) for firefighters when they battle battery fires, has also made it to the Appropriations Committee.
Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel introduces legislation
focusing on public safety and protecting the rights of Californians.
University of California San Diego medical students visited our office to express how critical it is that their institution and California State Universities don't face budget cuts. I have grave concerns about the long-term impact of budget cuts on our public higher education systems. As the only Assemblymember to request and be granted membership on all three Education Committees, I happily joined many of my colleagues in the Assembly and Senate in a bipartisan letter asking the Budget Committee Chairs to reject cuts to the UC and CSU systems. It's critical to safeguard our public universities and protect our education systems.
Medical students representing the San Diego County Medical Society
visit Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel's Sacramento office
to discuss the importance of education.
It was an honor to welcome constituents for the California Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Coalition Advocacy Day in Sacramento to increase awareness for expanded resources to serve this diverse, and growing population. My bill, AB 1186, helps state agencies identify the populations they serve to better facilitate in-language services, and sets guardrails for how that information can be shared. This bill was born out of the need to better understand the diverse population and effectively serve the needs of people broadly classified as Asian Americans.
Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel addresses a crowd
as part of CA AANHPI Advocacy Day in Sacramento.
Did you feel the earthquake last month? The best time to prepare for an emergency is before the emergency. The second-best time is now. Cal OES, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, is a wealth of information to help you and your loved ones prepare for earthquake, fire, flood, or other emergencies. Visit Earthquake Preparedness | California Governor's Office of Emergency Services to learn more about preparation and what to do during and immediately after an earthquake. Our office has Emergency Preparedness Guides for older adults, people with disabilities, and people with access and functional needs. Visit our office to pick up your copy, or contact us to have one mailed to your home.
San Diego has a proud military history. This year, the Marine Corp turns 225 years old. Our region has the highest percentage of veterans in the United States. Last month, I visited the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and Western Region and was honored to witness Graduation Day, tour a naval ship, and speak to active duty service members about what matters to them. Protection for their families and their benefits while they serve, and afterward, are their top concerns. As a joint author of AB 53, the Military Services Retirement and Surviving Spouse Benefit Payment Act, I am making sure that military benefits are protected. This bill would provide a $20,000 state tax exemption for retired members of the Armed Forces and recipients of the Department of Defense (DoD) Survivor Benefits Program beginning in 2025. This bill makes living in San Diego more affordable for our veterans by enabling them to keep more of their benefits. It is very important to me that our service members who served here, can afford to live here.
Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel (Center) stands with a group of Marines at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and Western Region.
Service organizations are the lifeblood of our communities. They knit us together keeping our communities healthy and thriving. I was proud to attend the Annual Hats Off to Volunteers Awards Ceremony sponsored by the Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation. The event highlighted how volunteers create opportunity for our community members. Hats Off honored volunteers from over 50 local organizations that improve the lives of children, seniors, and those with special needs in the community.
Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel (left) recognizes the outstanding work of many community volunteers in Rancho Bernardo at the Annual Hats Off to Volunteers Award Ceremony.
Community Colleges provide an educational pathway toward social mobility and generational wealth. I stopped by the Palomar College Solidarity and Strength Festival hosted by The Council of Classified Employees and the Palomar Faculty Federation. The festival was a celebration of strength of our community and student potential. Community college instructors work hard to provide high-quality education. In many cases, they are part-time faculty members and therefore not eligible for health benefits. My bill, AB 1171, would help address this by providing benefits for part-time faculty.
Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel (second from right) celebrates with the Palomar Faculty Federation and Palomar College District Board Trustee Roberto Rodriguez (right) and Palomar Faculty Federation leadership.
Last month, I supported the City of Vista's and Vista Fire Protection District's application for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Workforce Development grant. The grant would create jobs in the region and enhance wildfire resilience and public safety. In partnership with Vista Unified School District, this grant facilitates a pathway in public service careers for high school graduates. In addition, it trains graduates to directly address wildfire risk across 36.5 square miles in the City of Vista and Vista Fire Protection District. Ten percent of all clearance efforts will assist low-income homeowners, ensuring equitable protection for vulnerable members of our community.
If your organization would like a letter of support for a grant application, please complete the form on our website. We are here to help!
You can request a letter of support by visiting our website at Request a Letter of Support Request | Assemblymember Dr. Darshana R. Patel
May 1: May Day celebrates the progress labor unions have made for worker rights
May 5: Day of Awareness for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls
May 5: Cinco de Mayo, commemoration of the Mexican army's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862
May 7: REAL ID implementation date. All persons without a valid U.S. Passport aged 18 and older will need a REAL ID to fly domestically and to access a federal building. For more information Apply for REAL ID - California DMV
May 9: Military spouse appreciation day
May 10: National Small Business Day
May 10: Fiesta de los Penasquitos Festival 4:00pm to 10:00pm
May 18: Escondido Street Festival 10:00am to 6:00pm
May 25: Vista Strawberry Festival 8:00am to 6:00pm
May 26: Memorial Day honors those who lost their lives in military service to the United States
| Staff Spotlight: |
| Gonzalo Rocha-Vazquez, District Office Field Representative |
Gonzalo joined the office in January 2025. Prior to joining Team Patel, Gonzalo served as a District Representative in the Office of California State Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins. Gonzalo received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science: Comparative Politics and Latin American Studies from the University of California, San Diego. Gonzalo is a graduate of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's (CHCI) Virtual Leadership Program and the San Diego Leadership Alliance (SDLA) Institute. Currently, he is completing the Chicano Federation's Leadership Training Institute (LTI) and LEAD San Diego's IMPACT program. In his free time, he enjoys training Jiu Jitsu with his teammates.
Gonzalo Rocha-Vazquez, Field Representative, covers policy areas such as banking and finance, business and professions, human services, jobs and economic development, military and veteran's affairs, public safety, revenue and taxation, and transportation.
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:
- Recovered over $100,000 in owed unemployment benefits for constituents
- Awarded over 50 certificates to volunteers in Rancho Bernardo
- Recognized 200+ students for their end-of-year accomplishments
- Awarded certificates of appreciation to local businesses and organizations for good work in the community
- Enabled a constituent to receive full Medi-Cal benefits
- Facilitated temporary licenses via the DMV
- Received a ~$750,000 planning grant from the Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate to Innovation to reduce extreme heat risk in underserved communities
Please reach out to us!
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.
