List of California state agencies
Wikimedia list article

The Government of California's executive branch includes numerous types of entities such as departments, commissions, boards, panels, bureaus, and offices.
The generic term for any entity is "department". Most entities are grouped together to form "agencies", which are led by a secretary of the Governor's Cabinet. Thus, department directors report to a cabinet secretary. The agencies are commonly described as "superagencies", especially by government insiders, to distinguish them from the common usage of the term "government agency". The seven superagencies are Government Operations; Labor and Workforce Development; Transportation; Natural Resources; Environmental Protection; Health and Human Services; and Business, Consumer Services, and Housing.
The Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) are also led by secretaries, not department directors. Several departments, such as CDFA and CDCR, report directly to the Governor and their chief executive officers are members of the Governor's cabinet.
Lastly, several departments are led by a constitutional executive officer who is elected separately from the Governor, such as the Department of Justice (Attorney General) and the Department of Insurance (Insurance Commissioner).
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