State agencies and departments: strategic plans: diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Assembly Member Sharp-Collins advances a proposal that would require every state executive-branch agency under the Governor’s authority to develop a strategic plan and to report progress on steps to adopt that plan each spring, with a new emphasis on data-driven planning and inclusive practices aimed at advancing racial equity and addressing disparities. The first formal reporting deadline would be April 1, 2026, with annual reports to the Governor and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee thereafter.

Under the amended framework, agencies must describe the elements to be included in the strategic plan, the process for developing and adopting it, the timetable for completion, and steps to develop performance measures that could be used for a performance budgeting system or a performance review. The plan’s development must involve consultation with employee organizations, the Legislature, client groups served, suppliers, and contractors. Additionally, the bill adds a new provision directing agencies to develop or update strategic plans to reflect the use of data analysis and inclusive practices to advance racial equity and to respond to identified disparities, covering the organization’s mission, vision, goals, data tools, policies, programs, operations, community engagement, tribal consultation policies and practices, and other actions as necessary to serve all Californians, if feasible.

Contextually, the changes would fit within the State Government Strategic Planning and Performance and Review Act framework by imposing a fixed annual reporting cadence, requiring performance measures that could feed into budgeting or performance reviews, and broadening stakeholder input, while adding an equity-oriented dimension through data-driven planning and enhanced tribal engagement. The provisions articulate a more formal role for data analysis and inclusive practices in guiding agency direction and oversight.

Implementation considerations include the absence of an explicit new appropriation, though agencies may incur costs related to analytics, stakeholder engagement, and updating data tools and policies. The mandate uses qualifiers such as “if feasible,” which introduces discretion in execution, and enforcement mechanisms beyond annual reporting are not specified. The initial milestone is the 2026 reporting cycle, followed by ongoing annual reporting, with questions remaining about standards for data tools, metrics, and how tribal consultation will be harmonized with existing protocols.