AB 1665 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

School athletics: coaches: youth athletics behavioral and mental health training.

Summary

Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to have general control of, and be responsible for, all aspects of the interscholastic athletic policies, programs, and activities in its school district, as provided, and requires the governing board of a school district to ensure that all interscholastic policies, programs, and activities in the school district comply with state and federal law. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to enter into associations or consortia with other governing boards for purposes of governing regional or statewide interscholastic athletics, as provided. Existing law describes the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) as a voluntary organization that consists of school and school-related personnel with responsibility for administering interscholastic athletic activities in secondary schools and states the intent of the Legislature that the CIF, in consultation with the State Department of Education, implement specified policies relating to interscholastic athletics. Existing law, the 1998 California High School Coaching Education and Training Program, declares the intent of the Legislature to establish a California High School Coaching Education and Training Program, to be administered by school districts with an emphasis on specific components, including, among other components, sports psychology. Existing law requires every high school sports coach to complete, at their own expense, a coaching education program that meets the guidelines established by the California High School Coaching Education and Training Program. This bill would add a component on mental health training, as specified, to the list of components to be emphasized by the 1998 California High School Coaching Education and Training Program. The bill, commencing with the 2027–28 school year, would require a person who serves as a coach in an interscholastic athletic program at a high school, including a private school, that is a member of the California Interscholastic Federation to complete an initial training, and a subsequent training every 2 years, on mental health, as provided. The bill, commencing with the 2027–28 school year, would also require a school district, county office of education, or charter school that elects to offer an athletic program, other than an interscholastic athletic program, to ensure that the athletic program's coaches complete an initial training, and a subsequent training every 2 years, that covers sudden cardiac arrest, as provided, and youth athletics behavioral and mental health training, as provided. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 35179.1 of the Education Code proposed by AB 1626 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1626 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would make the operation of its provisions contingent upon the enactment of AB 1626 of the 2025–26 Regular Session.

Issues: ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Jun 2026

Assembly Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

Aug 2026

Governor

Introduced Jan 29, 2026 Last action Aug 26, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

08/30/26 - Enrolled → AB1665 · 1 edit

MINOR

This diff reflects a transition from the formal enrolled document format (with page numbers, signature blocks, and chapter number placeholders) to the website publication format (with navigation elements, version history links, and status information). The substantive bill text is identical in both versions - no policy language was changed.

TECHNICAL

The document was reformatted from the official enrolled bill layout (with page numbers, Chief Clerk/Secretary of Senate/Governor signature blocks, and chapter number) to a web publication format including site navigation, version history links, and status metadata. No substantive legislative language was altered.

04/06/26 - Amended Assembly → 08/21/26 - Amended Senate · 6 edits · Aug 21, 2026

MODERATE

The Senate amendment removes a standalone section (33315.8) that required non-interscholastic coaches at any school to complete department-approved mental health training, and instead aligns all mental health training requirements with provisions in companion bill AB 1626. It also changes the training frequency for CIF interscholastic coaches from annual to every two years, adds a new legislative finding about coaches as trusted adults who can observe behavioral health concerns, and makes the entire bill contingent on AB 1626 being enacted by January 1, 2027.

SCOPE

Section 33315.8 is deleted entirely. This section had required coaches in non-interscholastic athletic programs at any public or private school to complete an initial and biennial mental health training program approved by the state department. Its removal narrows the bill's direct reach over non-CIF coaches.

A new Section 2.5 amends Section 35179.1 to incorporate changes proposed by AB 1626, including a new legislative finding (paragraph 3) stating that coaches are trusted adults well positioned to observe changes in behavior, mood, or functioning indicating a need for behavioral health support.

REQUIREMENT

Section 33315.7(b) now references 'youth athletics behavioral and mental health training aligned with the training described in Section 35179.87, as added by Assembly Bill 1626' instead of referencing the deleted Section 33315.8. This ties the non-interscholastic coach requirement to AB 1626's framework rather than a standalone standard.

Section 49032.1 changes the training frequency for CIF interscholastic coaches from 'annually complete' to 'complete initial training, and subsequent training every two years.' It also changes the standard from a program 'approved by the department and meets the components set forth in' Section 35179.1(c)(7) to one that simply 'aligns with' that paragraph.

TIMELINE

A new Section 4 makes the entire bill contingent on AB 1626 being enacted and becoming effective on or before January 1, 2027. It also specifies that Section 2.5 only becomes operative if both bills are enacted, each amends Section 35179.1, and this bill is enacted after AB 1626 (in which case Section 2 would not become operative).

DEFINITION

The mental health training component in Section 35179.1(c)(7) is revised to reference 'all topics specified in Section 35179.85, as added by Assembly Bill 1626' rather than the prior standalone description of an age-appropriate focus on wellness including physical and psychological wellness, indicators, causes, strategies, and helpful resources.

03/18/26 - Amended Assembly → 04/06/26 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · Apr 6, 2026

MODERATE

The April 6 amendment significantly softened AB 1665 by removing the CIF enforcement mechanism that would have prohibited coaching without mental health training, reduced the required training frequency for CIF-governed coaches from annual to every two years, and made the training alignment language less prescriptive. At the same time, it expanded scope by adding a behavioral and mental health training requirement tied to companion bill AB 1626.

ENFORCEMENT

Section 33354.5 was entirely removed. This section would have required the CIF to prohibit individuals from coaching high school sports unless they completed a department-approved student mental health training course, and required coaches to present evidence of completion when applying for or renewing their CIF certification permit.

REQUIREMENT

Section 49032.1 changed the training frequency for CIF-governed interscholastic coaches from 'annually complete' to 'complete initial training, and subsequent training every two years,' reducing the ongoing burden by half.

Section 49032.1 changed the standard from 'meets the components set forth in paragraph (7)' to 'aligns with paragraph (7),' making the requirement less prescriptive and giving more flexibility in how training content is structured.

Section 35179.1 paragraph (7) was expanded to add 'mental health: age appropriate training that covers all topics specified in Section 35179.85, as added by Assembly Bill 1626 of the 2025-26 Regular Session,' incorporating specific behavioral and mental health topics from the companion bill into the coaching education program.

SCOPE

A new subsection (b) was added to Section 33315.7 requiring non-interscholastic athletic program coaches to complete 'Youth athletics behavioral and mental health training aligned with the training described in Section 35179.87, as added by Assembly Bill 1626 of the 2025-26 Regular Session,' expanding coverage beyond pupil mental health to include behavioral health topics.

TECHNICAL

Assembly Member Gabriel was added as a co-author, and Harabedian, Pellerin, Zbur, Alanis, and Alvarez were added as coauthors, reflecting a broader coalition behind the bill.

01/29/26 - Introduced → 03/18/26 - Amended Assembly · 7 edits · Mar 18, 2026

MODERATE

AB 1665 was significantly expanded from a narrow bill targeting only CIF-governed interscholastic coaches to a comprehensive law covering all high school athletic coaches in California, including those in non-interscholastic programs at both public and private schools. The amended version adds multiple new Education Code sections requiring pupil mental health training (and sudden cardiac arrest training for public school non-interscholastic coaches) starting with the 2027-28 school year, and amends the existing 1998 Coaching Education and Training Program to formally include pupil mental health as a required component.

Scope change

Expanded from covering only CIF-governed interscholastic high school sports coaches to covering all high school athletic coaches in California, including those in non-interscholastic programs at public and private schools. The bill now touches the 1998 Coaching Education and Training Program as well as adding standalone requirements for different categories of coaches.

SCOPE

The bill now covers non-interscholastic athletic programs at public schools (school districts, county offices of education, charter schools) and private schools, not just CIF-governed interscholastic athletics. This dramatically broadens which coaches are subject to the new training requirements.

REQUIREMENT

New Section 33315.7 requires public school entities offering non-interscholastic athletic programs to ensure coaches complete an initial training and a subsequent training every two years covering both sudden cardiac arrest (per Section 33479.6) and pupil mental health, starting with the 2027-28 school year.

New Section 33315.8 requires private school coaches in non-interscholastic athletic programs to complete an initial training and a subsequent training every two years in a department-approved pupil mental health coaching education program, starting with the 2027-28 school year.

New Section 49032.1 requires coaches in CIF-member high school interscholastic athletic programs to annually complete a department-approved pupil mental health training program before the start of each sport season, starting with the 2027-28 school year.

Section 35179.1 (the 1998 California High School Coaching Education and Training Program) is amended to add a new component on pupil mental health: an age-appropriate focus on wellness including physical and psychological wellness, indicators, causes, strategies, and helpful resources, with a deadline of July 1, 2027. This training may be provided by entities offering free, online, or other types of courses.

DEFINITION

New Section 33315.8 defines 'school' to mean a public school (including a charter school) or a private school, explicitly bringing private schools within the scope of the training requirements.

TIMELINE

All new training requirements are set to commence with the 2027-28 school year, giving schools and coaches approximately one full year to prepare before compliance is required.

Floor votes · Senate Aug 25, 2026 · Assembly May 14, 2026

How they voted

40–0

Passed

Total votes 40

Aug 25, 2026

D Democratic30

30 Yea

100% 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

Aug 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 76. Noes 0.).

lower

Aug 26, 2026

Introduced

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

lower

Aug 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Aug 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

upper

Jun 22, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

upper

Jun 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 10). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

May 27, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on ED.

upper

May 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 70. Noes 0. Page 5043.)

lower

May 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (May 6).

lower

Apr 7, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 26, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (March 25).

lower

Mar 19, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on ED.

lower

Mar 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 17, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (March 17).

lower

Feb 17, 2026

Committee

Referred to Coms. on A.,E.,S., & T. and ED.

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 1.

lower

1 primary · 11 co-sponsors