Education

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.

Existing law creates the California Computer Science Coordinator as a position within the State Department of Education to provide statewide coordination in, among other things, implementing the computer science content standards and leading the implementation of the Computer Science Strategic Implementation Plan, as provided. This bill would establish the California Computer Science Demonstration Grant Program for specified purposes, including increasing the number of public high schools offering a computer science course to increase pupil access to computer science education and increasing the computer science course access of pupils eligible for free or reduced-priced meals and pupils that are underrepresented in the field of computer science. The bill would also establish the California Computer Science Demonstration Grant Program Working Group that includes the coordinator and nonprofit organizations and private industry stakeholders with relevant expertise and experience in computer science education. The bill would authorize only public high schools that do not offer computer science courses to be eligible to voluntarily participate in the grant program. The bill would require the funding entity or funding entities, as defined, to administer the grant program. If there are multiple funding entities, the bill, among other things, would require each funding entity to determine how the funds that it contributes to the grant program will be spent, provided that expenditure aligns with the grant program's purposes, and require the funding entities to coordinate implementation of the grant program. The bill would require the funding entities, in coordination with the working group, to select the public high schools to participate in the grant program, as provided. The bill would require the grant program to be funded through contributions, gifts, grants, in-kind donations, and donations from the funding entity or funding entities, and would specify the allowable uses of those funds. The bill would require the funding entity or funding entities, in coordination with the working group, to evaluate the effectiveness of the grant program and submit an interim report to certain legislative committees on or before August 1, 2027, and a final report on or before July 1, 2028, as specified. The bill would repeal the grant program's provisions as of January 1, 2029. The bill would separately require the department, on or before June 30, 2028, and annually thereafter, to publicly post specified computer science course-related data on its internet website, as specified.

This measure would state, among other things, the Legislature and the State of California's commitment to protecting, to the fullest extent of the law, all the data and information provided by students and their families to California's postsecondary education.

(1) The California Constitution prohibits the Legislature from creating a debt or liability that singly or in the aggregate with any previous debts or liabilities exceeds the sum of $300,000, except by an act that (A) authorizes the debt for a single object or work specified in the act, (B) has been passed by a 23 vote of all the Members elected to each house of the Legislature, (C) has been submitted to the people at a statewide general or primary election, and (D) has received a majority of all the votes cast for and against it at that election. This bill would set forth the College Health and Safety Bond Act of 2026 as a state general obligation bond act that would provide $____ to construct and modernize education facilities, as specified. This bond act would become operative only if approved by the voters at an undefined statewide election. The bill would also provide for the submission of the bond act to the voters at that election. (2) Existing law establishes 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 2 of the segments of public postsecondary education in the state. This bill would require the Trustees and the Regents to comply with certain conditions, as provided, before receiving funds from the 2026 University Capital Outlay Bond Fund established pursuant to the College Health and Safety Bond Act of 2026. (3) This bill, except for the provision making the provisions of the bill severable, would become operative upon the adoption of the College Health and Safety Bond Act of 2026 by the voters at an undefined statewide election.

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 that, among other things, has been accredited by the Committee on Accreditation on the basis of standards of program quality and effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission and provides specified experience that addresses, among other things, health education, including the study of nutrition, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the physiological and sociological effects of the abuse of alcohol, narcotics, and drugs and the use of tobacco. This bill would require that health education to also include a basic understanding of youth mental health.

Existing law requires the governing board of a school district, and the governing board of a community college district, to provide for a leave of absence from duty for a certificated employee or an academic employee of the district who is required to be absent from duty because of pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, and recovery from those conditions. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district, and the governing board of a community college district, to provide for a leave of absence from duty as it deems appropriate for a female employee in the classified service of the district who is required to be absent from duty because of pregnancy or convalescence following childbirth. Existing law authorizes a governing board to adopt rules and regulations about leaves of absence for classified employees for these purposes, and authorizes a governing board to provide in the rules and regulations whether the leave granted shall be with or without pay, as provided. This bill would delete the latter provisions authorizing a governing board of a school district and the governing board of a community college district to adopt those rules and regulations. The bill instead would require a public school employer to, for a certificated employee or an employee in the classified service of the public school employer, and would require a community college district to, for an academic employee or an employee in the classified service of the community college district, provide up to 14 weeks of a leave of absence with specified pay benefits for an employee who is required to be absent from duty because of pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from those conditions, as provided. The bill would authorize the paid leave to begin before and continue after childbirth if the employee is actually disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, or a related condition. The bill would prohibit a leave of absence taken pursuant to these provisions from being deducted from other leaves of absence, as provided, and would require public school employers and community college districts to maintain group health coverage for an employee who takes a leave of absence under these provisions for the duration of the leave of absence at the same level and under the same conditions that coverage would have been provided if the employee had not taken a leave of absence. The bill would prohibit any other eligibility requirements, including, but not limited to, minimum hours worked or length of service, before an employee disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, or related medical conditions is eligible for a paid leave of absence under these provisions.

Existing law requires local educational agencies to identify, locate, and assess individuals with exceptional needs and to provide those individuals with a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, with special education and related services, as reflected in an individualized education program. Existing law defines "special education" as specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parent, to meet the unique needs of individuals with exceptional needs. Existing law includes in that definition speech-language pathology services and certain other services if the service is considered special education rather than a designated instruction and service or related service under state standards. This bill would prohibit those provisions from being construed to prohibit an individualized education program from including specialized deaf and hard-of-hearing related services as the only services.

Existing law authorizes a pupil with a moral objection to dissecting or otherwise harming or destroying an animal to refrain from participation in an educational project that involves the harmful or destructive use of animals. Existing law authorizes, if the pupil chooses to refrain and a teacher believes that an adequate alternative education project is possible, the teacher to work with the pupil to develop and agree upon an alternative education project in order to obtain the knowledge, information, or experience required by the course of study in question. Existing law requires each teacher teaching a course that uses live or dead animals or animal parts to inform the pupils of their rights pursuant to these provisions. Existing law applies these provisions to all levels of instruction in all public schools operating programs in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish and implement a system of complaint processing, known as the Uniform Complaint Procedures, for specified educational programs. This bill, commencing July 1, 2026, if a pupil chooses to refrain from participation in an assignment or assessment involving the dissection of animals, would require a teacher to provide an alternative assignment or assessment. The bill would prohibit a pupil's grades from being impacted as a means of penalizing the pupil for exercising their rights concerning the dissection of animals. The bill would require a teacher to provide, at a pupil's request, any sourcing information provided by the vendor or provider of the animals and information about the chemicals used to preserve the animals for dissection to which the pupil may be exposed. The bill would require a teacher, or a public school on behalf of the teacher, to provide written notice of the pupils' rights that includes specified information, including, among other things, the above-described rights and the complaint procedures described below. The bill would require, by the start of the 2026–27 school year, the State Department of Education to develop a template that a teacher, or a public school on behalf of the teacher, would be authorized to use to provide this written notice and to make the template available on its internet website. The bill would apply the above-described provisions to all public schools operating programs in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, including, but not limited to, public schools operated by school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, or state special schools, to the extent that the public school chooses to offer a course of study that uses live or dead animals or animal parts for purposes of dissection. The bill would encourage, by July 1, 2028, public schools to explore using effective alternative methods in lieu of using live or dead animals or animal parts for dissection in a course of study, except as provided. The bill would require, commencing July 1, 2026, the Uniform Complaint Procedures to apply to pupils' rights to refrain from participation in an assignment or assessment involving the dissection of animals and to choose an alternative assignment or assessment.

(1) Existing law, the Child Care and Developmental Services Act, administered by the State Department of Social Services, establishes a system of childcare and development services for children up to 13 years of age. Existing law authorizes, upon departmental approval, the use of appropriated funds for alternative payment programs to allow for maximum parental choice. Existing law authorizes those programs to include, among other things, a subsidy that follows the family from one provider to another, or choices among hours of service. Under existing law, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, reimbursement of state-subsidized childcare and development providers and license-exempt providers is to be based on the maximum authorized hours of care, as specified. Existing law, the Early Education Act, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide an inclusive and cost-effective preschool program. Under existing law, commencing January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, reimbursement of California state preschool family childcare home education network providers is to be based on the maximum certified hours of care, as specified. This bill would extend the period in which reimbursement of state-subsidized childcare and development providers, license-exempt providers, and California state preschool family childcare home education network providers is based on the maximum authorized or certified, as applicable, hours of care to July 1, 2028. (2) Existing law allocates certain appropriated funds to the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Education to provide specified family childcare providers and childcare centers with a monthly cost of care plus rate commencing January 1, 2024, and through June 30, 2026. The monthly cost of care plus rate is a supplemental monthly payment to those providers and centers. Existing law establishes the base amount of the monthly cost of care plus rate and, for the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, provides for an increase to that base amount. This bill would extend the payment of the monthly cost of care plus rate, including the increase, indefinitely, for those family childcare providers and childcare centers. The bill would additionally establish a one-time payment to family daycare providers for the total amount of the increase for each month or partial month occurring between July 1, 2025, and December 30, 2025. The bill would require the payment to be paid to providers by January 1, 2026, contingent on full ratification by September 30, 2025, of the tentative agreement received between the State of California and the Child Care Providers United - California (CCPU) on August 7, 2025. The bill would specify that, if full ratification of the tentative agreement is not achieved by September 30, 2025, the January 1, 2026, deadline for the payment would not be applicable; however, the bill would require, if the payment is not made by January 1, 2026, that providers receive an increase to the one-time payment, as specified. The bill would also require those family daycare providers and childcare centers to receive a one-time, per-child stabilization payment. That payment would be $431 for licensed family childcare providers and childcare centers and $300 for license-exempt family childcare providers. The bill would require, if the tentative agreement described above is ratified by September 30, 2025, this one-time payment to be made to family childcare providers by January 1, 2026. This bill would appropriate $157,852,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Social Services for the purpose of making those one-time stabilization payments to family childcare providers and childcare centers, as specified. The bill would also approve the agreement dated August 7, 2025, entered into by the Governor and Child Care Providers United - California, in its sole capacity as the certified provider organization representing family childcare providers, as specified. (3) Existing law establishes, and appropriates funds to, the Joint Child Care Providers United - State of California Training Partnership Fund and the Child Care Providers United - California (CCPU) Workers Health Care Fund. Existing law also appropriates funds to the State Department of Social Services for a one-time contribution payable to Child Care Providers United - California (CCPU) , or its designee, for the establishment of the CCPU Retirement Trust. This bill would, for each year of the tentative agreement described above, from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2028, inclusive, require funds to be allocated in the annual Budget Act, upon approval of the Department of Finance, to those funds and trust. (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions as the segments of postsecondary education in the state. Existing law requires certain postsecondary educational institutions to be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education to qualify as an independent institution of higher education to be eligible for certain programs and to receive an approval to operate. Existing laws applicable to, among other things, the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by the Department of Consumer Affairs require applicants for licensure or licensees to satisfy educational requirements by completing programs or degrees from institutions or universities accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency or association recognized by the United States Department of Education, or otherwise impose a requirement that a school or program be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. This bill would require, for purposes of any code or statute, a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education as of January 1, 2025, to retain that recognition until July 1, 2029, provided that the accrediting agency continues to operate in substantially the same manner as it did on January 1, 2025. The bill would repeal those provisions on January 1, 2030.