Local educational agencies: ethics training.

Existing law requires all local agency officials to receive training in ethics, at specified intervals, if the local agency provides certain monetary payments to a member of a legislative body, as provided. Existing law requires a local agency to provide information on available ethics training to its officials and authorizes a local agency or an association of local agencies to offer the ethics training, as provided. Existing law requires a local agency to maintain specified records related to the ethics training of its officials. Existing law defines "local agency" and "local agency official" for these purposes. This bill would include in the definition of "local agency" a school district, county office of education, and charter school for purposes of those ethics training requirements and would include in the definition of "local agency official" a member of the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school, whether or not the member receives any type of compensation, salary, or stipend or reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties. The bill would require each of those members in service as of January 1, 2025, except for members whose term of office ends before January 1, 2026, to receive that ethics training before January 1, 2026, and at least once every 2 years thereafter. By imposing new duties on local educational agencies, 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.