Existing law generally provides for the compensation of victims and derivative victims of specified types of crimes by the California Victim Compensation Board from the Restitution Fund, which is continuously appropriated to the board. Existing law authorizes the board to grant for pecuniary loss, when the board determines that it will best aid the person seeking compensation, as specified. Existing law authorizes the board to reimburse, among other things, the amount of medical or medical-related expenses and outpatient psychiatric, psychological, or other mental health counseling-related expenses incurred by the victim or derivative victim, as specified. This bill would also authorize the board to reimburse the expense of tuition at an educational institution, not to exceed $10,000, to a full- or part-time student who is a victim of sexual assault or violence if the victim is unable to continue attendance or suffers an academic setback, as described. The bill would authorize the board to limit compensation to the term the crime occurred and the immediately following term, and would require the calculation of an award based on certain factors, as specified. By expanding the board's authorization for use of moneys in the Restitution Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation.
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 establishes community college districts throughout the state under the administration of community college district governing boards. Existing law prohibits a person from being subjected to discrimination on the basis of specified attributes, including, among others, disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, or immigration status, in a program or activity conducted by a postsecondary educational institution that receives, or benefits from, state financial assistance or enrolls students who receive state student financial aid, including, among others, community colleges. This bill would require the board of governors, within one year of appropriation, to enter into a contract with a managing entity, as defined, to administer on behalf of the California Community Colleges external resolution services for civil rights compliance, including, among other services, developing and recommending a nondiscrimination policy, assisting the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges in developing an annual campus discrimination prevention training program for students and employees, and addressing grievances and complaints alleging discrimination, as specified. The bill would also require the board of governors to approve the nondiscrimination policy recommended by the managing entity and require the governing boards of community college districts to adopt the policy, as provided. The bill would further require community college districts, within one year of appropriation, to designate a staff person as a civil rights coordinator tasked with specified duties, including, among others, responding to complaints alleging discrimination and maintaining a record system of files on those complaints, as specified. By imposing new duties on community college districts, this 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. This bill, for the 2026–27 fiscal year, would appropriate $100,000,000 from the General Fund to the California Community Colleges to fund external resolution services for civil rights compliance provided by the managing entity, as provided.
This House Resolution encourages California high schools to participate in High School Voter Education Weeks, a designated period from September 14 to 25, 2026. The measure asks school administrators to promote voter preregistration and registration for eligible students, designate coordinators to lead civic engagement activities, and participate in the statewide Student Mock Election. It also reminds schools that students in grades 6 through 12 may take an excused absence to attend civic events with prior notice. The resolution does not change existing laws but serves as a formal recommendation to boost youth participation in the upcoming 2026 general election.
This bill designates the week of March 2 through March 6, 2026, as "School Breakfast Week." It serves as a ceremonial proclamation to raise awareness about school breakfast programs without changing any laws or funding. The measure directly affects schools and communities by encouraging focus on nutrition initiatives during that specific time period. As a commemorative resolution, it does not alter policy or require new actions from government officials.
Existing federal law establishes the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children (Summer EBT) program, under which pupils who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals receive $40 per month, with specified adjustments, during summer months for grocery benefits. Existing federal regulations require, by 2025, the designated state agency to make a Summer EBT application available to households whose children are enrolled in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program and who do not already have an individual eligibility determination. Existing state law requires the State Department of Social Services, as the lead agency in partnership with the State Department of Education, to maximize participation in the Summer EBT program. Existing law requires the governing board of a school district and the county superintendent of schools to make paper applications for free or reduced-price meals available to pupils at all times during each regular schoolday. Existing law authorizes those entities to make an application electronically available online if the online application complies with certain requirements, including, among others, the inclusion of links to certain internet websites providing information on, and applications for, other government programs, such as CalFresh. This bill, the Stop Child Hunger Act of 2025, would require, upon an appropriation made by the Legislature, the State Department of Education, with support from the State Department of Social Services, to comply with the above-described federal regulations by developing, and providing families with, a statewide application that is made available through a single statewide internet website that enables families to submit federally required information relating to the Summer EBT program, as specified. The bill would require the internet website to, among other things, have the capability of routing a family's completed information to the family's local educational agency to determine Summer EBT eligibility. The bill would require the governing board of a school district, a county superintendent of schools, and the governing body of a charter school to make the above-described paper applications available if required by federal law and guidance, as specified. The bill would require the governing board of a school district, a county office of education, the governing body of a charter school, or a school food authority that provides an application online for free or reduced-price meals, as described above, to also provide links to the internet website providing information about the Summer EBT program. To the extent that the bill would create new duties for local educational agencies or county or other local officials, 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.
This measure would urge California's Members of Congress to reject any proposal to dismantle the United States Department of Education or strip it of its core functions and would call on the President of the United States to preserve, protect, and strengthen the United States Department of Education and its mission to serve all students.
This House Resolution declares January 2026 as School Board Recognition Month to honor the nearly 5,000 school board members across California's 1,000 school districts and county offices of education. The resolution recognizes these locally elected officials for their work in guiding public education and serving diverse communities, emphasizing their role in ensuring students' academic, social-emotional, and health needs are met. It calls on community members to join in acknowledging the dedication of school board members and collaborate to improve the education system. The bill has no operational effect beyond this symbolic recognition and does not change any laws or policies.
Existing law grants the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation authority to operate the state prison system and gives the department jurisdiction over various state prisons and other institutions. Existing law requires the department to make college programs available at every state prison and requires that these programs be provided by the California Community Colleges, the California State University, or the University of California, or other accredited, nonprofit colleges or universities. This bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, to report to the Legislature information related to the amount of space available for academic and vocational education, including the amount of the deficit or surplus of space at each prison.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges as one of the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law establishes uniform residency requirements for purposes of ascertaining the amount of tuition and fees to be paid by students of public postsecondary educational institutions. Existing law requires a student classified as a nonresident to pay nonresident tuition, in addition to other fees required by the institution, except as provided. This bill, the California Community Colleges Access and Continuity for Deported Students Act, would, until January 1, 2030, exempt a community college student from paying nonresident tuition if the student departs the United States on or after January 1, 2025, for specified reasons, was not paying nonresident tuition at the time of departure, provides an attestation of specified information related to the departure, and reenrolls in a community college online education program no later than 3 years from the date the student departed the United States. The bill, until January 1, 2030, would require a deported student, as defined, who resumes in-person education at a community college to be eligible to retain residency status for the purpose of determining tuition and fees, provided the student was previously classified as a resident and eligible for the nonresident tuition exemption at the time of departure, and would require the student to be eligible to apply for financial aid upon reenrollment. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on community college districts, 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law, the World Language Teacher Exchange and Recruitment Law of 1963, requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules and regulations under which teachers employed by California school districts may exchange positions with teachers in schools in other countries for a period of one year or less. Existing law requires the arrangements for the exchanges to be made through the State Department of Education and in cooperation with the teacher exchange programs administered by agencies of the federal government. This bill would require the state board's rules and regulations for the exchanges to (1) expressly provide for exchanges with Mexico, (2) apply to school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, and (3) authorize specified visa sponsors designated by the United States Department of State, in addition to the State Department of Education, to sponsor teachers from Mexico for placement in California school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to promote cultural exchange for specified purposes.
