AB 1706 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California Interscholastic Federation: flag football pilot program.

Summary

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 sets forth the Legislature's intent regarding the CIF's implementation of certain policies. This bill would require the CIF to establish a 5-year pilot program, operating from the 2027–28 academic year through the 2031–32 academic year, that sanctions flag football as an authorized sport for high school boys who are enrolled in the California Interscholastic Federation's member schools in the Counties of Orange and Riverside. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Orange and Riverside.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 4, 2026 Last action Mar 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/04/26 - Introduced → 03/03/26 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · Mar 3, 2026

MODERATE

AB 1706 was substantially expanded from a purely technical cleanup of Vehicle Code Section 1500 into a bill that also requires the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) to run a five-year pilot program sanctioning flag football as an authorized high school sport for boys in Orange and Riverside counties. The original Vehicle Code changes were retained but renumbered as Section 2. A special statute declaration was added to justify the county-specific scope under the state constitution.

SCOPE

Added a new Education Code section (33353.2) requiring the CIF to establish a five-year pilot program sanctioning flag football as an interscholastic sport for high school boys enrolled in CIF member schools in Orange and Riverside counties, operating from the 2027-28 through 2031-32 academic years.

Added a legislative finding that a special statute is necessary because of the unique need to pilot boys' flag football specifically in Orange and Riverside counties, justifying the county-limited scope under Article IV, Section 16 of the California Constitution.

TIMELINE

The new flag football pilot provision becomes inoperative on July 1, 2032, and is repealed as of January 1, 2033.

TECHNICAL

The original Vehicle Code Section 1500 amendment was renumbered from Section 1 to Section 2 and had minor wording changes (e.g., 'within' changed to 'in') but no substantive policy change.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

lower

Mar 4, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on A.,E.,S., & T.

lower

Mar 3, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on A.,E.,S., & T. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Committee

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

lower

Feb 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 7.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors