AB 1750 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

School employees: absences due to illness or accident.

Summary

Existing law requires a certificated or classified school employee who exhausts all available sick leave and continues to be absent from duties on account of illness or accident for an additional period of 5 months to receive during those 5 months either (1) the difference between the employee's salary and the sum that is actually paid, or would have been paid, to a substitute employee employed to fill the position during the employee's absence, or (2) at least 50% of the employee's regular salary during the period of the absence. This bill would require a certificated or classified school employee who exhausts all available sick leave and continues to be absent from duties on account of illness or accident for an additional period of 5 months to instead receive the employee's full salary during those 5 months. The bill would make numerous related conforming and clarifying changes.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 9, 2026 Last action May 14, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

04/13/26 - Amended Assembly → AB1750 · 2 edits

MINOR

The diff between these two versions of AB 1750 reflects a formatting and presentation change rather than a substantive policy change. The bill text was republished from a traditional legislative print format (with line numbers, page headers, and footers) to a cleaner web-based format with navigation elements. The underlying provisions regarding full salary for school and community college employees on extended illness or accident leave remain unchanged.

TECHNICAL

The bill text was reformatted from a numbered-line legislative print layout to a plain web presentation format, removing line numbers, page headers/footers, and adding website navigation elements (skip to content, home, accessibility, FAQ, etc.).

The header changed from 'AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2026' with a formal legislative caption to a simplified title format: 'Bill Text - AB-1750 School employees: absences due to illness or accident.'

02/09/26 - Introduced → 04/13/26 - Amended Assembly · 8 edits · Apr 13, 2026

MODERATE

AB 1750 was amended in Assembly to strengthen sick leave protections for school and community college employees. The core change elevates compensation during extended illness or accident absences (after all sick leave is exhausted) from a differential pay system (the difference between the employee's salary and substitute cost) to full salary for up to five months, for both certificated and classified employees. Section 44983, which allowed districts to opt out of the differential pay system by providing at least 50% of salary, is repealed as it is no longer needed.

FISCAL

Section 44977: Certificated employees who exhaust all sick leave and remain absent for up to five additional months due to illness or accident will now receive their full salary, instead of the previous differential pay (the difference between their salary and what a substitute would be paid).

Section 45196: Classified employees who are absent for five months or less due to illness or accident will now receive their full salary, instead of the previous rule that deductions could not exceed what was paid to a substitute.

SCOPE

Section 44983 is repealed. This section previously allowed school districts to adopt rules providing at least 50% of regular salary as an alternative to the differential pay system. It is no longer needed because full salary is now mandated.

Assembly Member Bonta added as coauthor of the bill.

REQUIREMENT

Section 44977 subdivision (d): The old provision stating that substitute pay must be less than the absent employee's salary (unless a salary schedule was adopted) is replaced with language specifying that deductions for absences exceeding five months or for causes other than illness are determined by district rules and regulations.

TECHNICAL

Section 44977.5 and 45196.1 (parental leave): References to the repealed Section 44983 and the 'differential pay system described in Section 44977' are updated. Districts now 'elect to provide differential pay' rather than 'use the differential pay system.' The 50% minimum salary guarantee for parental leave is retained.

Section 1294: Reference to Section 44983 removed from the list of sections applicable to county superintendent employees, consistent with its repeal.

Extensive gender-neutral language changes throughout: 'his or her' replaced with 'the employee's' and similar updates across multiple sections.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

lower

May 6, 2026

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

lower

Apr 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 16, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on ED. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

lower

Apr 14, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

lower

Apr 13, 2026

Introduced

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

lower

Apr 8, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Committee

Referred to Coms. on P. E. & R., HIGHER ED. and ED.

lower

Feb 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 12.

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor