(Sacramento) - Assembly Bill 393, authored by Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva (D-Orange County) and leaders of the California Faculty Association (CFA), has successfully passed its first hurdle in the state legislature, with a bipartisan vote in the Assembly Committee on Higher Education. The bill will place a moratorium on student tuition and fees at Californiaâs public community colleges and state universities. Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva authored AB 393: The Student Protection Act in response to the financial challenges faced by todayâs college students, including deepening debt and long work hours necessary to supplement their educational costs. âWe know that our students are not only struggling to pay their tuition, but are also struggling to pay for necessities like rent and food,â said Quirk-Silva. âThis moratorium on tuition will give working class students and their familiesâ assurance that the cost of higher education will be within their reach.â Those who testified on behalf of the bill included Cal-State Student Isaiah De La Cruz. Hereâs more in this Assembly Access video.