AB 2158 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Pupil instruction: outdoor learning.

Summary

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary education in this state. Under this system, local educational agencies throughout the state provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and existing law establishes courses of study for those pupils. This bill would encourage school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to integrate outdoor learning into standards-aligned instruction across all grades and subject areas, as provided. Existing law establishes the State Department of Education under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and assigns the department numerous duties relating to the governance and funding of local educational agencies. This bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2028, to curate and maintain on its internet website resources for educators on outdoor learning. The bill would also encourage the department, in carrying out these provisions, to consult with county offices of education, classroom educators, tribal partners, mental and physical health professionals and researchers, environmental literacy experts, and community organizations with experience in outdoor learning. The bill would authorize the department to provide resources to address the particular needs of each local educational agency. The bill would authorize the department to accept voluntary contributions to be deposited into the Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Account, which the bill would create in the State Treasury, to fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the costs of these provisions.

Issues: ✓ Education ✓ Environment

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Aug 2026

Assembly Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 18, 2026 Last action Aug 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

04/13/26 - Amended Assembly → 06/22/26 - Amended Senate · 11 edits · Jun 22, 2026

MAJOR

The Senate amendment to AB 2158 makes several substantive changes: it removes the optional LCAP planning provision, eliminates the nonprofit intermediary coordinator role from the pilot program, creates a new state treasury account for voluntary contributions to fund outdoor learning resources, broadens the scope of departmental resources beyond just professional learning, and shifts consultation requirements from mandatory to encouraged. It also adds 'attention and concentration' as a recognized benefit, expands guidance to cover offsite field trips, and removes English learners from the equity-focused guidance list.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded in several ways: guidance now covers offsite field trips in addition to school sites, the department's resource provision is no longer limited to professional learning but extends to transportation, equipment, and contract fees, a new funding mechanism (voluntary contributions account) was added, and the department's role shifted from one-time publication to ongoing curation. The scope narrowed by removing the LCAP planning provision, eliminating the intermediary coordinator structure, and dropping English learners from the equity guidance list.

REQUIREMENT

Removed Section 51805.4(c), which allowed local educational agencies to describe in their LCAP or other planning documents how outdoor learning would support pupil engagement, environmental literacy, climate resilience, and academic achievement of pupils from historically underserved communities.

Changed consultation requirements in Section 51805.6(c) from mandatory ('shall consult with') to voluntary ('is encouraged to consult with'), and added mental and physical health professionals and researchers to the list of consultation partners.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed the provision (former Section 51805.8(c)) that allowed the Superintendent to contract with a nonprofit organization as an intermediary coordinator to develop grant criteria, consult on grantee selection, provide technical assistance, and coordinate a community of practice for the pilot program.

FISCAL

Added new Section 51805.6(e) creating the Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Account in the State Treasury, allowing the department to accept voluntary cash or in-kind contributions that would be available upon legislative appropriation to fund implementation of guidance and resource provisions.

SCOPE

Changed the department's obligation from 'arrange to develop and publish' statewide guidance to 'develop curate and maintain' statewide guidance resources, shifting from a one-time publication requirement to an ongoing curation and maintenance duty.

Broadened the department's resource provision from 'professional learning resources to support educators in delivering high-quality outdoor learning' to 'resources to address the particular needs of each local educational agency,' with a non-exhaustive list including professional development, transportation, contract fees, equipment, instructional materials, and outdoor classroom furniture.

Expanded Section 51805.6(b)(4) from 'Models for enhancing outdoor learning environments on school sites' to 'Models and approaches for enhancing outdoor learning environments on school sites and on offsite field trips,' adding offsite field trips as a covered setting.

Added 'attention and concentration' to the list of benefits recognized in Section 51805.4(a), alongside mental and physical health, environmental literacy, climate resilience, student engagement, and whole-child development.

Changed Section 51805.4(b) from encouraging integration 'across subject areas' to 'across all grades and subject areas,' explicitly adding grade span coverage.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed 'English learners' from the list of groups requiring equitable access strategies in Section 51805.6(b)(3), leaving unduplicated pupils, pupils with disabilities, and pupils from historically underserved communities.

DEFINITION

Expanded the legislative finding in Section 51805(a)(3) to specifically reference 'unduplicated' pupils as defined in Section 42238.02, and added language stating these are 'the same pupils who can benefit most from these experiences.'

02/18/26 - Introduced → 04/13/26 - Amended Assembly · 8 edits · Apr 13, 2026

MODERATE

The amended version shifts responsibility from the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the State Department of Education as an institution, expands the scope of professional learning resources to include transportation, equipment, furniture, and contract fees for community-based organizations and residential outdoor schools, and broadens the definition of outdoor learning to include residential outdoor schools. The pilot program's purpose is softened from 'demonstrate' to 'investigate' effectiveness, and priority implementation now explicitly references unduplicated pupils by statutory definition.

SCOPE

Responsibility for developing guidance, providing resources, and administering the pilot program shifts from the individual Superintendent of Public Instruction to the State Department of Education as an institution throughout the bill.

The pilot program's first purpose changes from 'demonstrate the effectiveness' to 'investigate the effectiveness' of outdoor learning, a less prescriptive framing. The outcomes list is expanded to include preparation for STEM and natural resources-related careers.

The list of subject areas where outdoor learning can be integrated is expanded to include 'physical education' alongside science, history-social science, mathematics, English language arts, health, and visual and performing arts.

FISCAL

Professional learning resources are significantly expanded beyond just 'professional learning' to include professional development for teachers, transportation, contract fees for community-based organizations and residential outdoor schools, equipment, instructional materials, and outdoor classroom furniture, all tailored to address the particular needs of each local educational agency.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'outdoor learning' is expanded to include 'residential outdoor schools' as a recognized setting, broadening what qualifies under the bill.

REQUIREMENT

The guidance requirement changes from 'develop and publish' to 'develop and maintain on its internet website,' adding an ongoing maintenance obligation. The department may also collaborate with nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, and other entities to support curation, maintenance, and dissemination of the guidance.

The pilot program summary must now include 'recommendations for broad statewide implementation of successful approaches,' adding a forward-looking policy recommendation requirement. Fund usage is expanded to include 'communication with other stakeholders' in addition to communications with grantees.

ELIGIBILITY

Priority implementation in the pilot program now explicitly references 'unduplicated pupils, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02' in addition to communities historically underserved or disproportionately burdened by environmental harms, tying eligibility to a specific statutory definition.

Floor votes · Assembly May 27, 2026

How they voted

76–0

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 79

May 27, 2026

D Democratic59

56 Yea 3

94% Yea

R Republican20

20 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

upper

Aug 3, 2026

Committee

In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

upper

Jul 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Jun 22, 2026

Introduced

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

upper

Jun 10, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on ED.

upper

May 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 77. Noes 0.)

lower

May 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).

lower

May 6, 2026

Committee

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

lower

Apr 14, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended.

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 8).

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on ED.

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.

lower

1 primary · 7 co-sponsors