AB 1351 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Pupils: school attendance: residency requirements.

Summary

Under existing law, each person between 6 and 18 years of age, inclusive, who is not otherwise exempt is subject to compulsory full-time education. Existing law requires each person subject to compulsory full-time education to attend the public full-time day school and for the full time designated as the length of the schoolday by the governing board of the school district in which the residency of either the parent or legal guardian is located, except that a pupil is deemed to have complied with those residency requirements if the pupil meets specified criteria, including if the pupil is a foster child who remains in their school of origin, as provided. This bill would expressly define the term "foster youth" for purposes of the latter provision.

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 21, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

01/05/26 - Amended Assembly → AB1351 · 2 edits

MINOR

No substantive policy changes were made between these two versions of AB 1351. The differences are entirely in presentation and formatting: the 'to' version reflects the bill as displayed on the California legislature's official website, adding navigation elements, a title header, version tabs, and share links. The actual legislative text (Section 48204 amendment and new Section 49110.2) is identical in both versions.

TECHNICAL

The bill text was reformatted from a plain document layout to the California legislature website's standard display format, adding navigation menus, version tabs (showing 01/05/26 Amended Assembly and 02/21/25 Introduced), share links, and a digest key section.

The header changed from 'AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 5, 2026' to a title line reading 'Bill Text - AB-1351 Pupils: school attendance: residency requirements.'

02/21/25 - Introduced → 01/05/26 - Amended Assembly · 9 edits · Jan 5, 2026

MAJOR

AB 1351 was substantially expanded beyond its original purpose of creating an online youth employment permit database. The amendment adds a new section amending Education Code Section 48204 to broaden school residency requirements, allowing more pupils to attend school in districts where they do not formally reside. This includes children living with caregiving adults, children in state hospitals, and children whose parents work and live in the district at least three days per week or are employed there at least 10 hours per week.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded significantly from a single-topic measure (online work permit database) to a dual-purpose bill that also rewrites school residency rules under Section 48204, adding new pathways for pupils to attend school outside their formal residential district based on caregiving arrangements, state hospital placement, and parental employment location.

SCOPE

The bill now amends Section 48204 of the Education Code in addition to adding Section 49110.2, expanding its scope from work permits only to also cover school attendance residency requirements.

ELIGIBILITY

New category: a pupil who lives in the home of a caregiving adult within the district boundary may comply with residency requirements based on an affidavit under penalty of perjury, unless the district determines from actual facts the pupil is not living there.

New category: a pupil residing in a state hospital located within the district boundaries complies with residency requirements.

New category: a pupil whose parent or legal guardian resides outside the district but is employed and lives with the pupil at the place of employment within the district for a minimum of three days during the school week complies with residency requirements.

New subdivision (b): a school district may deem a pupil compliant if at least one parent or legal guardian is physically employed within the district for a minimum of 10 hours during the school week, subject to conditions including desegregation plan protection, cost limits, and net transfer caps based on district size.

REQUIREMENT

Net transfer limits are established: districts under 501 average daily attendance may lose up to 5 percent of enrollment; districts from 501 to 2,500 may lose up to 3 percent or 25 pupils (whichever is greater); districts over 2,500 may lose up to 1 percent or 75 pupils (whichever is greater).

Once a pupil is admitted under the new employment-based provision, they may remain enrolled through grade 12 if the parent or guardian continues to be employed within the district boundaries.

DEFINITION

The bill now expressly defines 'foster child' for residency purposes by cross-referencing Section 48853.5(a), making the definition explicit rather than relying on context.

TECHNICAL

Gender-neutral language changes throughout: 'he or she' replaced with 'they' in multiple provisions of Section 48204.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

lower

Jan 6, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on ED.

lower

Jan 5, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on ED. Read second time and amended.

lower

Jan 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

lower

Mar 13, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on ED.

lower

Feb 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. To print.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors