Certificated employees: professional services credential: out-of-state applicants.

Removed Section 44266.5(b), which required the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to maintain and make publicly available an up-to-date checklist of requirements and processes for out-of-state pupil personnel services credentialholders by August 1, 2026.

The former subsection (c) defining 'local educational agency' was renumbered as subsection (b) after the removal of the checklist provision. The legislative counsel's digest was also updated to remove references to the checklist requirement and a clarifying sentence about removing prior limitations.

Header changed from enrolled bill format (with Assembly and Senate passage dates) to chaptered law format with 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' and Chapter 375 designation.

Page numbering changed from page 96 to page 95 and page headers changed from 'AB 606' to 'Ch. 375' throughout the document.

Governor's approval date of October 6, 2025 was added, replacing the blank signature line in the enrolled version.

Section 44266(d) was expanded so the commission may now approve LEA-offered professional preparation programs for pupil personnel services in any area, not just child welfare and attendance services. Previously the approval authority was limited to that single area.

A new requirement was added (Section 44266(d)(2)) stating that for any area other than child welfare and attendance, an LEA program of professional preparation must be in partnership with a regionally accredited institution of higher education. This creates a tiered structure: LEAs can operate standalone programs for child welfare and attendance but must partner with a college or university for all other pupil personnel service areas.

The Senate removed the provision (former Section 44266.5(b)) that would have required the commission to issue a clear professional services credential to an out-of-state prepared holder of a preliminary credential who had two or more years of supervised field experience, completed professional preparation requirements, and completed required clock hours of supervision by a current clear credential holder in California.

The bill now amends Section 44266 of the Education Code in addition to adding Section 44266.5. Previously it only added a new section for out-of-state credentialing.

The credential is now explicitly authorized to cover all grade levels and may include school counseling, school psychology, child welfare and attendance services, and school social work - removing the prior limitation that restricted local educational agency programs to only child welfare and attendance services.

New minimum requirements established for the services credential with a specialization in pupil personnel services: a baccalaureate or higher degree, a fifth year of study, and specialized preparation including either a jointly sponsored supervised field experience program or a local educational agency professional preparation program.

The preliminary professional services credential for out-of-state applicants is now explicitly valid for two years and eligible for one renewal of no more than two additional years, provided the credentialholder demonstrates satisfactory progress as determined by the employing local educational agency's established criteria.

A transition provision allows the commission to continue issuing credentials under the old law (as it read on December 31, 1986) for two years from the effective date of new regulations, giving candidates in existing programs time to complete their studies.

A new definition of 'local educational agency' was added to Section 44266.5, specifying it means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.