Pupils: work permits: issuance.

Amendment history dates (August 13, June 8, April 27, March 23) were removed from the header.

Passage dates were added: 'Passed the Assembly August 26, 2026' and 'Passed the Senate August 26, 2026.'

Governor's receipt line ('This bill was received by the Governor this day') and approval signature block were added at the end of the document.

The legislative counsel's digest changed from 'AB 2524, as amended, Gipson' to 'AB 2524, Gipson', dropping the 'as amended' designation now that the bill is in its final enrolled form.

Judicial officers designated by the presiding judge of the juvenile court can no longer issue work permits. Only county probation departments and county child welfare agencies retain that authority for youth under juvenile court jurisdiction.

Removed a provision that would have allowed work permits to be issued to minors placed in suitable out-of-home care under the supervision of a probation department or child welfare services agency, narrowing the class of eligible youth.

The bill digest title was shortened from 'Pupils: work permits: juvenile court. issuance.' to 'Pupils: work permits: issuance.', reflecting the removal of judicial officers as issuers.

New legislative finding (c) states that California accepts federal funds under the Chafee Foster Care Program and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and that this bill aligns state law with those federal programs to avoid risk of losing or returning federal funds.

New legislative finding (d) asserts that existing legal requirements already mandate county training for child welfare and probation staff on workforce development, and that any additional training required by the bill can be folded into existing training at minimal or no additional cost.

Fixed a grammatical error in the best-interest requirement: changed from 'issued only upon a finding that if the employment is in the best interest' to 'issued only if the employment is in the best interest of the minor.'

Work permits for minors under juvenile court jurisdiction can now be issued by county probation departments or county child welfare agencies instead of only by a judicial officer designated by the presiding judge. Probation departments issue permits for wards of the court (Welfare and Institutions Code sections 601 or 602), and child welfare agencies issue permits for dependent children (section 300).

The 'best interest of the minor' finding requirement is retained but is now made by the probation department or child welfare agency rather than a judicial officer.

Revocation notice provisions were updated so that school districts notify the county probation department or county child welfare agency (rather than a judicial officer) when they revoke a work permit issued under this section.

The entire amendment to Education Code Section 49114 (certificate of age) was removed. The bill now only amends Section 49110, narrowing its scope.

New subparagraph (D) in paragraph (5): A judicial officer who issues a work permit must provide written notice within 60 days to the minor's school district, charter school, or private school personnel responsible for issuing work permits.

New subdivision (d): A school district, charter school, or private school may revoke a work permit issued by a judicial officer in the same manner as revoking its own permits. If revoked, the school must provide written notice to the judicial officer within 60 days.

Subdivision (e) now allows an 'educational rights holder or attorney representing a minor described in paragraph (5) of subdivision (c)' to file the written request for a work permit, in addition to parents, guardians, foster parents, caregivers, and residential shelter services providers.

Gender-neutral language updates throughout: 'he or she' replaced with 'the principal' and 'his or her' replaced with 'their.'

Fiscal committee review changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now requires fiscal analysis.

Juvenile courts are now authorized to issue work permits to minors under their jurisdiction, including wards of the court (W&I Code 601/602), dependent children (W&I Code 300), and youth in out-of-home care under probation or child welfare supervision. A judicial officer designated by the presiding judge may issue these permits.

The bill now amends both Section 49110 (work permit issuance) and Section 49114 (certificate of age), whereas the introduced version only made a nonsubstantive change to Section 49114. The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now has a state fiscal impact.

Juvenile court-issued work permits must be based on a finding that employment is in the best interest of the minor, must contain all information required by Section 49115, and must be recognized by school districts, employers, and state agencies as valid to the same extent as a school district-issued permit.

A written request from a parent, guardian, foster parent, caregiver with whom the minor resides, or residential shelter services provider must be filed before any work permit is issued. The bill adds a definition of 'residential shelter services' covering government agencies, contracted providers, community-funded agencies, and licensed facilities serving only minors.

Principals of public or private schools may now issue work permits to pupils who attend their school, subject to self-certification of understanding labor law requirements, submission of copies to the superintendent, and a prohibition on issuing permits to their own children. The superintendent retains authority to revoke such permits.

Hour limitations for work permits are now explicitly based on the school calendar of the school the pupil attends, notwithstanding other hour limitations in law. Gender-neutral language changes were made throughout (e.g., 'his' to 'the minor's,' 'he or she' to 'the principal').