Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law requires, on and after January 1, 2023, a student health center on a California State University or University of California campus to offer abortion by medication techniques, as specified. Existing law establishes the College Student Health Center Sexual and Reproductive Health Preparation Fund to be administered by the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and continuously appropriates the moneys in that fund to the commission for specified activities related to providing abortion by medication techniques at student health centers. This bill would require a student health center on a California State University or University of California campus, on or before January 1, 2028, to promote awareness of the services for abortion by medication techniques that the student health center offers, provide information on those services to students, and post the availability of those services on its internet website. This bill would require a community college that has a student health center, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to, on and after January 1, 2029, offer access to abortion by medication techniques, promote awareness of those services, provide information on those services to students, and post the availability of those services on its internet website. The bill would require the commission to submit a report to the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2030, that includes, but is not limited to, specified information relating to abortion by medication techniques at or through community college student health centers. The bill would require the commission, in consultation with the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to develop a standardized reporting framework that minimizes administrative burden and protects student privacy. The bill would authorize funds appropriated for these provisions to be used for implementation readiness activities and ongoing operational costs, as specified.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law requires the board to appoint a chief executive officer, known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, under the administration of community college district governing boards, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction at the community college campuses they operate. Existing law, the Teachers' Retirement Law, establishes the State Teachers' Retirement System (STRS) and creates the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers' Retirement Plan, which provides a defined benefit to members of the program, based on final compensation, credited service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. STRS is administered by the Teachers' Retirement Board. Existing law also creates the Cash Balance Benefit Program, which is administered by the board, to provide a retirement plan for the benefit of participating employees who provide creditable service for less than 50% of full time. Existing federal law requires public employers, which includes community college employers, to provide their employees with either social security coverage or membership in a qualified retirement plan. Existing law requires employers subject to STRS, including community college employers, to make available criteria for membership, including optional membership, in a timely manner to persons employed to provide creditable service subject to coverage by the Defined Benefit Program and to inform part-time and substitute employees that they may elect membership in the Defined Benefit Program at any time while employed, as specified. This bill would require STRS, in consultation with the Public Employees' Retirement System, on or before July 1, 2027, to provide on its internet website links to specified information regarding the Defined Benefit Program, the Cash Balance Benefit Program, and social security. The bill would require that information to include, among other things, the differences between membership and contributions made to the Defined Benefit Program and the Cash Balance Benefit Program and covered by social security. The bill would require a community college district, commencing July 1, 2027, to provide the information to a newly hired person who is classified as a temporary employee, as provided. The bill would require a person classified as a temporary employee, as specified, who is employed by a community college district to perform credible service to be provided with the option of membership in the Defined Benefit Program, the Cash Balance Benefit Program, if offered, or social security, as provided. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on a community college district, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
A portion of the Donahoe Higher Education Act, known as the Equity in Higher Education Act, provides, among other things, that all students have the right to participate fully in the educational process, free from discrimination and harassment, and that postsecondary educational institutions have an affirmative obligation to combat discrimination on the basis of, among other things, disability, gender, race, or ethnicity, and a responsibility to provide equal educational opportunity. A provision of the act applies to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, act to make the provision applicable. The Equity in Higher Education Act requires the Trustees of the California State University and the Regents of the University of California to have the primary responsibility to prevent and address conduct that either creates a hostile environment for students on campus or results in differential treatment of students on campus, as specified. The act requires the trustees to, among other things, adopt rules and procedures in the student codes of conduct to prohibit violent, harassing, intimidating, or discriminatory conduct that creates a hostile environment on campus, to prohibit conduct that limits or denies a person's ability to participate in or benefit from the free exchange of ideas or the educational mission of the California State University, and to establish, and require each campus to publish on the campus internet website, reasonable content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions and, if applicable, any advance permitting requirements for protests on campus. The act requires the trustees to submit a report to the Legislature, on or before January 2 of each year, on the implementation and administration of these provisions, including information on student code of conduct violations. The act requests the University of California to comply with these provisions. This bill would require the above-described report to also include information on student code of conduct violations that occurred during, or as a result of, a protest on campus and a description of the discipline imposed on the student as a result of the specified student code of conduct violation. This bill would require the California State University, and request the University of California, to (1) hold an open forum on a selected campus on or before December 31, 2027, to elicit feedback regarding established content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions, as provided, and (2) notify the relevant policy committees of the Legislature of the location and date of the open forum. The bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2028.
(1) Existing law requires each chartering authority to be responsible for reviewing the audit exceptions contained in an audit of a charter school under its jurisdiction and determining whether the exceptions have been either corrected or an acceptable plan of correction has been developed, and after completing those financial and compliance audit oversight responsibilities, to identify and provide notification to the governing body of the charter school within 60 days of any material concern arising out of the chartering authority's ongoing oversight and monitoring activities. This bill would instead require the chartering authority, not later than July 1 of each year, to identify and provide written and timely notification of any material concern arising out of the chartering authority's ongoing oversight and monitoring activities during the previous 12 months. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on chartering authorities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials. Existing law requires, as a minimum requirement for a preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential, the satisfactory completion of a program of professional preparation, as specified. Existing law also authorizes the commission to issue a PK–3 early childhood education specialist instruction credential, as provided. Existing law requires a candidate for a credential to obtain a certificate of clearance from the commission before admission to student teaching under any professional preparation program approved by the commission, or participation in a field experience program, as provided. This bill would revise and recast that latter provision by requiring a candidate, before admission to any professional preparation program approved by the commission for one of the above-described credentials to provide verification that the candidate either (A) holds a valid permit or credential previously issued by the commission or (B) has applied for a certificate of clearance from the commission. For a candidate who provides verification that the candidate has applied for a certificate of clearance, the bill would require the candidate to obtain the certificate of clearance before beginning student teaching, clinic practice, or participation in a field experience program, as provided. This bill would require a professional preparation program approved by the commission for one of the above-described credentials to (A) submit specified candidate profile information to the commission for each enrolled credential candidate within 30 days of the candidate beginning the program, (B) update each candidate's profile information annually, and (C) indicate to the commission a candidate's program completion within 30 days of the candidate completing all credential requirements. Existing law requires the commission to annually use specified data provided by the State Department of Education to produce an initial data file of vacant positions, as defined, and educator assignments that do not have a clear match of credential to assignment. Commencing July 1, 2027, existing law requires a teacher employed by a local educational agency, as defined to include a school district, county office of education, charter school, or educational joint powers authority, and offering a course in which pupils receive course credit or that counts toward instructional minutes, or both, to hold the certificate, permit, or other document required by the commission for that assignment and to be monitored. This bill would, among other things, also require those teachers to be reported to the department by the local educational agency annually, and would remove educational joint powers authority from the definition of a local educational agency for purposes of these provisions. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated program. (3) Existing law requires each school district that has one or more pupils who are English learners, and, to the extent required by federal law, each county office of education and each charter school, to assess the English language development of each pupil in order to determine the pupil's level of proficiency, as specified. Existing law requires the assessment for initial identification to be conducted upon the initial enrollment of a pupil, excluding enrollment in a transitional kindergarten program, as provided. Existing law authorizes a school district or charter school to maintain a transitional kindergarten program, as provided. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, by no later than March 31, 2026, to select, subject to the approval of the executive director of the State Board of Education, a list of screening instruments that meet specified requirements to support the identification of multilingual learners, as defined, enrolled in transitional kindergarten, and authorizes the Superintendent, in the 2026–27 school year, to select local educational agencies to voluntarily conduct a field test of the selected screening instruments. This bill would instead authorize the above-described field test to be conducted in the 2027–28 school year. Existing law, commencing with the 2027–28 school year, requires a local educational agency that serves pupils in transitional kindergarten to screen those pupils whose primary language is a language other than English, as indicated on a home language survey administered upon the pupil's enrollment, to identify them as multilingual learners using a screening instrument selected by the Superintendent, as provided. This bill would delay the commencement of that requirement until the 2028–29 school year. Existing law appropriates $10,000,000 from the General Fund to the Superintendent to acquire the selected screening instruments and any training materials, as specified, and to support field tests of the screening instruments. Existing law requires those funds to be available for expenditure or encumbrance through June 30, 2028. This bill would instead require those funds to be available for expenditure or encumbrance through June 30, 2029. By extending the encumbrance or expenditure date for an existing appropriation, the bill would make an appropriation. (4) Existing law provides that each person between 6 and 18 years of age not exempted is subject to compulsory full-time education and requires a person subject to compulsory education to attend the public full-time day school or continuation school or classes in the school district in which the residence of the parents or legal guardian is located. Existing law requires a school district to accept enumerated documentation, including property tax payment records, as reasonable evidence of a pupil's residence. Existing law states that a pupil complies with the residency requirements if the pupil's parent is transferred or is pending transfer to a military installation within the state while on active military duty pursuant to an official military order. Existing law authorizes a parent to use one of several enumerated addresses, including that of a temporary on-base billeting facility, for purposes of school application, enrollment, and registration. This bill would expand the list of addresses authorized for the purposes identified above to include, among others, an off-base hotel. To the extent the bill imposes additional duties on school districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (5) Existing law establishes that the State Seal of Biliteracy certifies attainment of a high level of proficiency by a graduating high school pupil in one or more languages, in addition to English, and certifies that the graduate meets certain criteria for being proficient in English and one or more languages other than English. For purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy, proficiency in one or more languages other than English can be demonstrated through at least one of specified methods, including passing a world language Advanced Placement examination with a score of 3 or higher, passing a world language International Baccalaureate examination with a score of 4 or higher, or passing a world language ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) and an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) with scores of Intermediate Mid or higher. This bill would include, beginning with the 2024–25 school year, achieving a level 3 on the high school California Spanish Assessment (CSA) as another method to demonstrate language proficiency in one or more languages other than English for purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy. (6) Existing law, on or before July 1, 2027, requires the governing board of a school district or educational joint powers authority, the governing body of a charter school, or the county superintendent of schools to adopt a policy for the local educational agency to comply with in order to evaluate and approve contractors. Existing law requires the policy to include certain provisions, including, among others, a provision that provides that a local educational agency shall only contract with an entity that has a business license or business certificate, where applicable, and has appropriate insurance for the service being offered. This bill would exempt contracts with family daycare homes and certain license-exempt providers from that provision. Existing law requires the above-described policy to also include a provision that provides that contractors are prohibited from charging fees to a pupil or the pupil's parent or legal guardian. This bill would require that provision to instead provide that contractors are prohibited from charging fees to a pupil or the pupil's parent or legal guardian, except as otherwise authorized for specified programs. (7) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (8) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Commencing January 1, 2027, existing law vests all executive and administrative functions of the State Department of Education in an Education Commissioner. Existing law requires the Education Commissioner, on or before October 1, 2027, to develop findings and recommendations for a 2nd phase of education governance consolidation and streamlining, as specified, and to submit to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature (1) an interim report, by June 30, 2027, with a detailed description of the process used to gather required input for the development of those findings and recommendations and (2) a final report, by October 1, 2027, containing its findings and recommendations. This bill would require the Education Commissioner, utilizing those findings and recommendations, to submit a report, on or before October 1, 2028, to the Governor and appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on, among other things, progress toward implementation of the recommended actions or activities for education governance consolidation and streamlining and recommendations of any additional steps the Governor and Legislature can take to consolidate or eliminate fragmented or duplicative state requirements and activities that require statutory or budgetary authority.
(1) Existing law requires school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and state special schools and diagnostic centers operated by the State Department of Education considering an applicant for a noncertificated position, and private schools considering an applicant for any position, to inquire with each school district, county office of education, charter school, state special school and diagnostic center operated by the department, and private school that previously employed the applicant, as required to be disclosed, as to whether the applicant, while previously employed by the school district, county office of education, charter school, state special school or diagnostic center operated by the department, or private school was the subject of any credible complaints of, substantiated investigations into, or discipline for, egregious misconduct, as defined, that were used to support a substantiated investigation. Existing law requires those entities, when responding to an inquiry as to whether it has made a report of egregious misconduct to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, to also provide the inquiring entity with a copy of all relevant information that was used to support a substantiated investigation within its possession. This bill would revise and recast those provisions by, among other things, (A) requiring those inquiries and disclosures to be related to any credible complaints of, substantiated investigations into, or discipline for, egregious misconduct, instead of only those complaints, investigations, or discipline used to support a substantiated investigation, (B) requiring those entities to provide relevant evidence in addition to any information, as specified, (C) requiring the responses to inquiries described above to include reports of egregious misconduct submitted to the statewide data system described in paragraph (2) and other related employment history that has been submitted to the commission, as provided, (D) requiring those entities to also provide relevant evidence or information to the commission upon inquiry, and (E) requiring those entities to preserve evidence or information relating to a substantiated report of egregious misconduct, as specified. The bill would establish that a school employee may be subject to dismissal if the employee, while holding a previous position in a local educational agency or private school, was the subject of any credible complaints of, investigations into, or discipline for, egregious misconduct, that was reported to the statewide data system described in paragraph (2) and either the employer failed to disclose that information or the employee did not disclose their previous education employers, as provided. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the commission, on or before July 1, 2027, and contingent upon an appropriation for these purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute, to develop a statewide data system that includes information relating to investigations of allegations of egregious misconduct of individuals serving in a noncertificated position for a local educational agency, as defined, or in any position for a private school. Existing law requires local educational agency employers and private school employers, following both the start of, and completion of, an investigation of egregious misconduct, to submit notice to the statewide data system, as provided. Existing law requires substantiated reports of egregious misconduct and employee departures from employment during investigations to be recorded in the statewide data system and prohibits the recording in the statewide data system of investigations of egregious misconduct that result in an unfounded or inconclusive report, as provided. This bill would revise and recast those provisions by, among other things, (A) specifying that the statewide data system to be developed is specific to investigations of egregious misconduct, (B) revising the statewide data system's data fields, as specified, (C) revising the data that is to be submitted by local educational agencies and private schools and the processes for submitting and updating that data, as specified, and (D) specifying the role and responsibilities of the commission, local educational agencies, and private schools regarding the statewide data system by, among other things, (i) requiring the commission to develop a secure interface, as provided, and (ii) requiring local educational agencies and private schools to (I) request access to the statewide data system through the secure interface by May 1, 2027, (II) provide the commission with a designated email address for purposes of receiving notifications from the statewide data system, and (III) preserve all information or evidence related to substantiated reports of egregious misconduct that are notated in the statewide data system. The bill would also explicitly state that these provisions apply to merit districts. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would, among other things, provide that data contained in the statewide data system is not subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act and that specified rights under the Information Practices Act of 1977 do not apply to data maintained in the statewide data system that is personal information for purposes of that act. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. This bill would require a local educational agency or private school, upon receiving any credible complaint or other reason to believe that an employee has engaged in egregious misconduct, to conduct an investigation to determine whether the employee committed egregious misconduct. For local educational agencies, the bill would, among other things, (A) specify investigative timelines and (B) require the local educational agency to give the employee a reasonable opportunity to provide a statement and evidence to the investigator and, within 10 calendar days of the conclusion of the investigation, to serve upon the employee a written notice relating to the findings, as specified. The bill would require each private school to adopt, by July 1, 2027, a written employee investigation policy that includes, at a minimum, a description of the steps to be followed during those investigations, reasonable timelines for commencing and concluding those investigations, and the rights or responsibilities of the employer and employee relating to those investigations. The bill would require local educational agencies and private schools to complete the investigation regardless of whether the employee ends the employment relationship. The bill would explicitly state that these provisions apply to merit districts. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires those local educational agencies and private school organizations that are responsible for employment, employee investigations, or hiring decisions to review the statewide data system to determine whether an investigation resulted in a substantiated report of egregious misconduct before hiring an individual for an applicable position. This bill would, among other things, require the statewide data system to be accessible only to commission employees for specified purposes and employees of local educational agencies and private schools that are responsible for employment, employee investigations, or hiring decisions, and would require all of those employees to keep information contained in the statewide data system confidential, as provided. (3) Existing law requires the commission to appoint a Committee of Credentials and requires allegations of acts or omissions for which adverse action may be taken against applicants or holders of teaching or services credentials to be presented to the committee. Existing law authorizes the committee to commence an initial review upon the receipt of any of a list of specified documents or information, including the receipt of a record of a substantiated report, and a record of a start of an investigation followed by a change in employment status during an investigation, entered into the statewide data system. Existing law authorizes the committee to commence a formal review, as specified, upon receipt of specified documents or information. This bill would, among other things, (A) additionally authorize the committee to commence a formal review upon the receipt of an entry in the statewide data system of a substantiated report or a record of a start of an investigation followed by a change in employment status during the investigation entered into the statewide data system, (B) authorize the commission to make inquiries and requests for production of information and records from local educational agencies and private schools for purposes of investigating substantiated reports of egregious misconduct submitted to the statewide data system, and (C) require an entry of a substantiated report of egregious misconduct that does not involve sexual misconduct with a minor or recurring conduct resulting in a pattern of misconduct to be presented to the Committee of Credentials for initial review within 4 years. Existing law authorizes the commission, for purposes of ascertaining the moral character and true identity of the holder of a credential or an applicant for a credential or the renewal of a credential after jurisdiction to commence an initial review has been established, to require the production of information, records, reports, and other data from any public agency, as provided. This bill would authorize the commission to also require the production of information, records, reports, and other data for those purposes from private schools. (4) Existing law authorizes the department to require employees, prospective employees, volunteers, contractors, and subcontractors for the department and the state special schools and diagnostic centers operated by the department to undergo a fingerprint-based state and national criminal history background check, as specified. This bill would instead require the department to require those background checks, as specified. Existing law requires any entity that has a contract with a local educational agency, as defined, to ensure that any employee who interacts with pupils has a valid criminal records summary. Existing law exempts entities from this requirement in an emergency or exceptional situation. If a pupil participates in services provided by a contractor as part of an independent study program, and the pupil is under the immediate supervision and control of the pupil's parent or guardian, existing law requires the local educational agency to either verify completion of a valid criminal records summary for all employees or ensure that the parent or guardian has signed a consent form. This bill would revise and recast these provisions by, among other things, expanding the requirement for a valid criminal records summary to any entity that has a contract with a local educational agency or the department for purposes of state special schools and diagnostic centers operated by the department. The bill would extend the application of that requirement to any employee, including a subcontractor, who interacts with pupils or provides direct services to pupils, as provided. The bill would require, as a condition of the above-described exemption from this requirement for a valid criminal records summary, the entity's employee, including a subcontractor, to be within the immediate supervision and control of a school employee. The bill would, as applied to a pupil participating in an independent study program, instead require a local educational agency or the department for purposes of state special schools and diagnostic centers operated by the department to verify the completion of a valid criminal records summary and remove the alternative of obtaining the consent form from the parent or guardian. The bill would also require a local educational agency and the department to include a requirement in contracts with these entities setting forth a termination clause for noncompliance with these requirements. This bill would separately require, on or before July 1, 2027, each governing board or body of a local educational agency, as defined, each private school, and the department for purposes of state special schools and diagnostic centers operated by the department, when entering into a contract with any entity for specified services to pupils to (A) ensure that the contract terms and conditions include, among other things, the above-described requirements concerning background checks or, for private schools, other specified requirements concerning background checks and (B) enforce those terms. The bill would also require, on or before July 1, 2027, each governing board or body of a local educational agency, the department for purposes of state special schools and diagnostic centers operated by the department, and private schools, when entering into a contract with any entity for specified services to pupils to ensure that the contract terms and conditions include, among other things, (A) a requirement that as part of qualifying to be a contractor or subcontractor for a local educational agency, the department, or a private school, the entity disclose any credible complaints of, or discipline for, reportable conduct, defined to include specified offenses, by the entity's employees, including subcontractors, who will be providing the services, as provided, and (B) a requirement on the local educational agency, the department, or the private school to check the names and pertinent identifying information provided by a contracting entity against the statewide data system or pursuant to alternate procedures, as specified. If any credible complaint of egregious misconduct by any contractor or subcontractor, or employee, including a subcontractor, of any contractor or subcontractor, performing services for the local educational agency, the department, or the private school is made or received, the bill would require the local educational agency, the department, or the private school to make specified notifications. (5) Existing law requires private schools, among other entities, to provide annual training, using an online training module provided by the State Department of Social Services or an alternative training, to their employees and persons working on their behalf who are mandated reporters, as defined, on the mandated reporting requirements related to child abuse, as provided. Existing law requires this alternative training module to be approved by the liability insurance provider used by the private school, as provided. This bill would require the alternative training module for private schools to be approved by the private school's governing authority instead of by the private school's liability insurance provider. (6) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law provides that parents and guardians of children enrolled in public schools have the right and should have the opportunity, as mutually supportive and respectful partners in the education of their children within the public schools, to be informed by the school, and to participate in the education of their children, as specified, including by, among other things, meeting with their child's teacher or teachers and the principal of the school in which their child is enrolled within a reasonable time of their request. This bill would provide that parents, guardians, or educational rights holders of children enrolled in public schools also have the right to communicate with their child's teacher by telephone or a school-approved web conferencing platform if the parent, guardian, or educational rights holder is unable to attend an individual meeting in person about their child, as provided. The bill would prohibit these meetings from being recorded or transcribed. By imposing new duties on public schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would delete an obsolete reference. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 51101 of the Education Code proposed by AB 2555 to be operative only if this bill and AB 2555 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law, the Arts and Music in Schools—Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 28 at the November 8, 2022, statewide general election, provides a minimum source of annual funding to K–12 public schools, including public charter schools, to supplement arts education programs for pupils attending those schools, as specified. The act defines "arts education program" for these purposes to include, but not be limited to, instruction and training, supplies, materials, and arts educational partnership programs, for instruction in specified topics. The act requires the continuous appropriation for these purposes, without regard to fiscal years, from the General Fund to the State Department of Education, of an amount equal to 1% of the total state and local revenues received by local educational agencies in the preceding fiscal year that are included in the calculation of the minimum funding guarantee established by the California Constitution, as provided. The act requires funds appropriated pursuant to Proposition 28 to be allocated by the department to each local educational agency, and requires local educational agencies to allocate those funds to each schoolsite, pursuant to specified calculations. The act requires the principal or program director of each schoolsite or preschool to develop an expenditure plan for allocated funds. This bill would change the definition of "arts education program" to additionally include curriculum, instructional materials, and professional development, and would require all arts education programs to be consistent with the California Arts Standards for Public Schools, the California Arts Education Framework, or the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations, as applicable. The bill would authorize local educational agencies to pool allocated funds and require, as a condition of this pooling, local educational agencies to ensure, among other things, (1) that expenditures for each schoolsite are in proportion to the allocation for each schoolsite and (2) compliance with the expenditure plan adopted by the principal or program director. The act requires, as a condition of receiving Proposition 28 funds, a local educational agency to, among other things, annually certify that the funds will be used to supplement arts education programs and not supplant existing funding for those programs, and that funds expended in the prior fiscal year were used to supplement arts education programs. This bill would require this certification to include specified calculations that compare existing funds available for arts education programs, as provided, with current year expenditures for arts education programs. The bill would require, in determining the existing funds available for arts education programs, a local educational agency to (1) subtract from the prior year total expenditures for arts programs expenditures from Proposition 28 funds and from resources that are no longer available in the current year, as provided, and (2) subsequently add newly available resources that are spent on arts education programs, excluding current year Proposition 28 funds. The bill would deem a local educational agency for which current year expenditures for arts education programs equal or exceed the calculations of existing funds available for arts education programs to be in compliance with the requirement to supplement arts education programs. The act also requires, as a condition of receiving Proposition 28 funds, a local educational agency to submit an annual governing board or body-approved report in a manner determined by the Superintendent of Public Instruction detailing program expenditures and to certify (1) that all funds will be used to provide arts education programs, and that funds expended in the prior fiscal year were, in fact, used for those purposes and (2) , for local educational agencies with an enrollment of 500 or more pupils, that at least 80% of Proposition 28 funds will be used to employ certificated or classified employees to provide arts education program instruction, as provided, and authorizes the department, for good cause shown, to provide a waiver to these requirements. This bill would instead require the annual governing board or body-approved report to be submitted and posted on or before September 30 in a manner determined by the department. The bill would require each schoolsite or preschool to post on its internet website the above-described expenditure plan and information on granted waivers and would authorize a local educational agency to instead require this information to be posted on the local educational agency's internet website. The bill would, commencing with the 2027–28 fiscal year, require a local educational agency to certify that all provisions of Proposition 28 have been implemented in accordance with the requirements of Proposition 28 at each of its schoolsites. To the extent these provisions impose new duties on schoolsites or local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to post approved waivers on its internet website. Existing law, on or before May 1 of each fiscal year, requires (1) the governing board of each school district to either provide for an audit of all funds under the control of that school district or make arrangements with the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction over the school district to provide for that auditing, (2) the governing body of each charter school to either provide for an audit of all funds under the control of the charter school or make arrangements with the chartering authority to provide for that auditing, and (3) each county superintendent of schools to either provide for an audit of all funds under their jurisdiction and control or make arrangements with the Controller to provide for that auditing. The act requires annual audits of a local educational agency to include, for purposes of Proposition 28, (1) all funds received and distributed by the local educational agency pursuant to specified Proposition 28 provisions and (2) a determination of whether the funds were expended pursuant to the (A) certifications submitted by the local educational agency and (B) requirements of certain Proposition 28 provisions. This bill would delete the requirement that an annual audit of a local educational agency include a determination of whether Proposition 28 funds were expended pursuant to the requirements of certain Proposition 28 provisions. Proposition 28 authorizes the Legislature to amend its provisions by a 23 vote of each house if the amendment furthers its purposes. This bill would declare that the above-described provisions further the purposes of Proposition 28. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a community college district to enter into a College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnership with the governing board of a school district, a county office of education, or the governing body of a charter school for the purpose of offering or expanding dual enrollment opportunities for pupils who may not already be college bound or who are underrepresented in higher education, as provided. Existing law requires the partnership agreement to outline the terms of the partnership, as specified, and to establish protocols for information sharing, joint facilities use, and parental consent for high school pupils to enroll in community college courses. Existing law requires the protocols to only require a high school pupil participating in a CCAP partnership to submit one parental consent form and principal recommendation for the duration of the pupil's participation in the CCAP partnership. This bill would revise the CCAP partnership provisions to eliminate the requirement that the protocols require principal recommendation. Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to revise the special part-time student application process to allow a pupil to complete one application for the duration of the pupil's attendance at a community college as a special part-time student participating in a CCAP partnership agreement. This bill would require a CCAP partnership agreement to also establish protocols that authorize a pupil to complete one application for the duration of the pupil's attendance at a community college as a special part-time student participating in a CCAP partnership agreement. Existing law authorizes a community college district to allow a special part-time student participating in a CCAP partnership agreement to enroll in up to a maximum of 15 units per term in courses offered at the community college campus or the participating high school campus if certain circumstances are satisfied, including that the units constitute no more than 4 community college courses per term. This bill would eliminate the 4 community college courses per term limit for a special part-time student enrolling in up to 15 units under a CCAP partnership agreement. Existing law requires, for each CCAP partnership agreement, the affected community college district and school district, county office of education, or charter school to annually report specified information to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, including the total number of community college courses, by course category and type and by schoolsite, enrolled in by CCAP partnership participants. This bill instead would require the affected community college district and school district, county office of education, or charter school to annually report the total number of high school pupils who successfully completed 12 or more units of college coursework by graduation, completed a certificate, or completed the courses required for an associate degree or an associate degree for transfer.
The Budget Act of 2026 appropriates, for the 2026–27 fiscal year, $1,000,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Education to administer the California Community Schools Partnership Program to distribute funding to local educational agencies, as defined, in accordance with a specified formula, to support a network of their eligible schoolsites to implement new, and provide ongoing support for existing, community schools, as provided. Existing law authorizes a local educational agency who receives funds under these provisions to retain up to 10% of the total funds awarded for its eligible schoolsites each fiscal year to be used for specified activities, including, among other things, administering community schools established at eligible schoolsites. This bill, to be known as the It Takes a Village Act of 2026, would (1) require any retained funds described above to be used consistent with a specified community schools framework, as provided, and (2) authorize a local educational agency that retains those funds to also use those funds to serve as a network lead for multiple schoolsites located in a Promise Neighborhood, as provided. By expanding the purposes for which previously appropriated moneys may be expended, the bill would make an appropriation. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 8903 of the Education Code proposed by AB 133 or SB 133 to be operative only if this bill and either AB 133 or SB 133 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
