SB 959 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Average daily attendance: emergencies: major safety hazard.

Summary

For purposes of state apportionments based on average daily attendance, as provided, if the average daily attendance of a school district, county office of education, or charter school has been materially decreased during a fiscal year because of a specified emergency, including, among others, the imminence of a major safety hazard as determined by a local law enforcement agency, existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to estimate the average daily attendance in a manner that credits to the school district, county office of education, or charter school approximately the total average daily attendance that would have been credited to the school district, county office of education, or charter school had the emergency not occurred. This bill, for the above-described purposes, would additionally allow a local fire agency to make a determination of the imminence of a major safety hazard. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Jul 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Assembly Passage

Aug 2026

Governor

Introduced Feb 3, 2026 Last action Aug 27, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

08/30/26 - Enrolled → SB959 · 1 edit

MINOR

This diff represents a change in document format rather than a change in legislative content. The 'from' version is the formal enrolled bill with signature blocks and page numbers, while the 'to' version is a web-based rendering of the same bill text from the California Legislature website. The actual policy provisions are identical between both versions.

TECHNICAL

The document was reformatted from the official enrolled bill layout (with Secretary of the Senate, Chief Clerk of the Assembly, and Private Secretary of the Governor signature blocks) to a web page presentation with navigation menus, search tools, and status information. No substantive policy language was changed.

03/09/26 - Amended Senate → 08/17/26 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · Aug 17, 2026

MODERATE

The Assembly amended SB 959 to add two new subdivisions (g and h) providing targeted funding relief for specific charter schools damaged or destroyed by the January 2025 wildfires in the Palisades and Pasadena areas. Subdivision (g) allocates the difference between 2025-26 and 2024-25 LCFF entitlements to nine named charter schools, while subdivision (h) allocates 30 percent of each school's 2024-25 first principal apportionment LCFF entitlement for the 2026-27 fiscal year plus a flat $4 million to Pasadena Unified School District for ongoing recovery costs. Coauthor lists were also updated.

FISCAL

New subdivision (g) provides that for the 2025-26 fiscal year, the Superintendent shall calculate and allocate the difference between each listed charter school's certified LCFF entitlement at the 2025-26 annual principal apportionment and the 2024-25 first principal apportionment. The calculation is adjusted so schools are not negatively impacted by the transitional kindergarten add-on increase between those years.

New subdivision (h)(1) provides that for the 2026-27 fiscal year, the Superintendent shall allocate 30 percent of each listed charter school's LCFF entitlement as of the 2024-25 first principal apportionment to that school.

New subdivision (h)(2) appropriates $4,000,000 from the General Fund to Pasadena Unified School District in the 2026-27 fiscal year to address outstanding and ongoing recovery-related costs from the January 2025 state of emergency.

ELIGIBILITY

New subdivision (g)(1) identifies nine specific charter schools eligible for the new funding: Marquez Charter, Palisades Charter Elementary, and Palisades Charter High (Los Angeles Unified); Aveson Global Leadership Academy, Aveson School of Leaders, Odyssey Charter, OCS-South, and Pasadena Rosebud Academy (Pasadena Unified); and Alma Fuerte Public (City of Pasadena).

SCOPE

The urgency clause (Section 2) was repositioned to appear after the newly added Section 1 content rather than before it, reflecting the expanded scope of the bill to cover the January 2025 fires in addition to prior wildfire emergencies.

TECHNICAL

Coauthor lists updated: Senator Richardson added to Senate coauthors; Assembly Member Schultz Bauer-Kahan added to Assembly coauthors. Page numbering changed from 98 to 97 throughout, likely reflecting a reflow after the new content was inserted.

Floor votes · Senate May 19, 2026 · Assembly Aug 26, 2026

How they voted

39–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 40

May 19, 2026

D Democratic30

30 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican10

9 Yea 1

90% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

upper

Aug 26, 2026

Assembly · Passed

Assembly Vote: pass (78-0)

assembly

Aug 26, 2026

Introduced

In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

upper

Aug 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.

lower

Aug 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time and amended.

lower

Jul 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (July 1).

lower

Jun 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

May 26, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on ED.

lower

May 19, 2026

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (39-0-1)

senate

May 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 4344.) Ordered to the Assembly.

upper

May 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4259.) (May 14).

upper

Mar 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 3688.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Mar 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED.

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on ED.

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Introduced

Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 18 co-sponsors