AB 1306 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Teacher preparation programs: school districts and county offices of education: English learners.

Summary

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to issue a clear multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential to an applicant who satisfies, among other requirements, the state requirements for teaching English learners. Existing law requires the commission to issue authorizations for a teacher to provide specific services to limited-English-proficient pupils, if certain minimum requirements are met, including, among other requirements, completion of at least 6 semester units, or 9 quarter units, of coursework in a 2nd language at a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Existing law authorizes the commission to approve any regionally accredited institution of higher education to recommend to the commission the issuance of credentials to a person who has successfully completed a teacher education program with the institution, if the program meets the standards approved by the commission. This bill would, notwithstanding any other law, authorize the commission to approve a teacher education program offered by a school district or county office of education administered for purposes of earning a cross-cultural language and academic development certificate or a bilingual authorization certificate, including a California Teacher of English Learners program. The bill would require the commission to apply the standards for approval of a program of professional preparation offered by a regionally accredited institution of higher education to a program of professional preparation offered by a school district or county office of education under these provisions.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Sep 2025

Assembly Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

Sep 2025

Signed into Law

Oct 2025

Introduced Feb 21, 2025 Signed Oct 13, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

09/08/25 - Enrolled → 10/13/25 - Chaptered · 2 edits · Oct 13, 2025

MINOR

No substantive policy changes occurred between the enrolled and chaptered versions of AB 1306. The differences are entirely procedural and formatting: the enrolled version's legislative process language (assembly/senate passage dates, governor receipt line) was replaced with the standard chaptered format including the chapter number (727), the governor's approval date (October 13, 2025), and the authenticated electronic legal material header. The statutory text of Section 44253.45 is identical in both versions.

TECHNICAL

Legislative process language (assembly passage, senate passage, governor receipt) was replaced with chaptered format: Chapter 727, approved by Governor October 13, 2025, filed with Secretary of State October 13, 2025.

Added 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' header standard for chaptered bills.

02/21/25 - Introduced → 03/24/25 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · Mar 24, 2025

MODERATE

The amendment transforms AB 1306 from a bill that merely stated legislative intent into one that creates a concrete new mechanism: it allows school districts and county offices of education to offer teacher preparation programs for English learner credentials, bypassing the existing requirement that such programs be offered by regionally accredited institutions of higher education. This is significant because it opens a new pathway for teachers to earn cross-cultural language and academic development certificates or bilingual authorization certificates through local educational agencies rather than only through colleges and universities.

Scope change

The bill expanded from a purely aspirational intent statement into a substantive regulatory change that creates a new pathway for English learner teacher credentialing through school districts and county offices of education, not just regionally accredited higher education institutions.

SCOPE

Added new Section 44253.45 to the Education Code, which authorizes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to approve teacher education programs offered by school districts or county offices of education for earning a cross-cultural language and academic development certificate or bilingual authorization certificate, including a California Teacher of English Learners program.

The bill title was expanded from simply 'relating to school employees' to explicitly reference adding Section 44253.45 and teacher credentialing, reflecting the broader substantive content.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement that the commission apply the same standards used to approve programs at regionally accredited institutions of higher education when approving programs offered by school districts or county offices of education under the new section.

FISCAL

The fiscal committee designation was changed from 'no' to 'no yes,' indicating a state-mandated local program or fiscal impact was identified during amendment.

Floor votes · Senate Sep 4, 2025 · Assembly May 8, 2025

How they voted

39–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 40

Sep 4, 2025

D Democratic30

29 Yea 1

96% Yea

R Republican10

10 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Oct 13, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor.

legislature

Sep 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.

lower

Sep 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2524.).

upper

Aug 29, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).

upper

Jun 23, 2025

Committee

In committee: Referred to suspense file.

upper

Jun 11, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 11). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

May 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on ED.

upper

May 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 69. Noes 0. Page 1487.)

lower

Apr 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 30).

lower

Apr 22, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended.

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 9).

lower

Mar 25, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on ED.

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on ED. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on ED.

lower

Feb 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. To print.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors