SENATE RULES COMMITTEE SR 29
Office of Senate Floor Analyses
(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) 327-4478
THIRD READING
Bill No: SR 29
Author: Arreguín (D) and Cervantes (D), et al.
Introduced: 3/6/25
Vote: Majority
SUBJECT: César Chávez Day
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This resolution calls upon all Californians to observe César Chávez’s
birthday, March 31, as a day of public service.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative findings:
1) César Estrada Chávez recognized that for many people, spanning many
generations and many ethnicities, the path to a better life frequently begins in
the fields. For many farmworkers, the American Dream means a life of self-
sacrifice, hard work, and perseverance.
2) In San Jose, César Chávez was introduced to the social teachings of the
Catholic Church and trained in community organizing strategies and tactics.
César Chávez and Fred Ross, an organizer for the Community Service
Organization (CSO), established CSO chapters across California and Arizona
during the 1950s, helping Latinos register to vote, pushing for basic public
services and infrastructure in the barrios, peacefully battling police brutality and
racial discrimination, and creating the most effective Latino civil rights group
of its era.
3) In 1962, after failing to convince the CSO to let him organize farmworkers,
César Chávez resigned from the only decent paying job he ever held and moved
his wife and eight children to Delano, California. There, with $1,200 in life
savings that was soon gone, César Chávez, his family, and close friends began
building the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the
United Farm Workers of America (UFW).
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4) In 1965, in a partnership with a union of Filipino American farmworkers, César
Chávez organized a major strike against grape growers in California. The
following year César Chávez led an unprecedented 340-mile march, from
Delano to Sacramento, that placed the farmworkers’ plight before the
conscience of the American people. Supporters carried slogans with the words
“HUELGA” (strike) and “VIVA LA CAUSA” (long live our cause), advocating
for improved compensation and labor conditions. Later efforts resulted in the
enactment of California’s historic Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975, the
first and still the only law in the nation to “encourage and protect” the right of
farmworkers to organize and bargain with their employers.
5) César Chávez successfully increased public awareness of farmworker working
conditions. To many Californians, the farmworkers’ struggles are an issue from
the past, a belief reflected by the fact that farmworker suffering typically takes
place in remote areas far from cities, thereby rendering farmworkers invisible to
our society. The fruits and vegetables that we enjoy in our daily lives are
produced by farmworkers who often endure long hours of backbreaking work
and still face challenges such as inadequate enforcement of pesticide, safety,
and labor protection laws in the fields.
6) In 2000, the Legislature passed, and Governor Gray Davis signed into law,
Senate Bill 984 (Chapter 213 of the Statutes of 2000), to create the first annual
state holiday in the country on César Chávez’s birthday, March 31. Under that
law, the State Board of Education also created a statewide curriculum on César
Chávez and encourages schools across the state to engage teachers and students
in service learning projects as a way of honoring the legendary farm labor and
civil rights leader.
This resolution calls upon all Californians to learn from César Chávez’s life and
his mission of nonviolence, social justice, and selfless service to others.
Related/Prior Legislation
SR 69 (Menjivar, 2024) – Adopted in Senate.
HR 78 (Calderon, 2024) – Adopted in Assembly.
SR 20 (Padilla, 2023) – Adopted in Senate.
HR 23 (Soria, 2023) – Adopted in Assembly.
SR 71 (Limón, 2022) – Adopted in Senate.
HR 97 (Reyes, 2022) – Adopted in Assembly.
SR 17 (Gonzalez, 2021) – Adopted in Senate.
HR 29 (Arambula, 2021) – Adopted in Assembly.
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FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No
SUPPORT: (Verified 3/17/25)
None received
OPPOSITION: (Verified 3/17/25)
None received
Prepared by: Hunter Flynn / SFA / (916) 651-1520
3/19/25 15:14:30
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