(1) Existing federal law, known as Title IX, prohibits a person, on the basis of sex, from being excluded from participation in, being denied the benefits of, or being subject to discrimination under, any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Existing state law, the Sex Equity in Education Act, requires public schools, private schools that receive federal funds and are subject to the requirements of Title IX, school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to post in a prominent and conspicuous location on their internet websites specified information relating to Title IX. This bill would require the State Department of Education to, on or before January 1, 2028, review the existing California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys system to identify areas of the surveys where age-appropriate questions related to sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual abuse safety can be incorporated, as provided. The bill would declare the second full week in September as "Sexual Harassment Safety Week," during which time the bill would require all public schools, including charter schools, to focus on fostering a safe and secure environment for all members of the school community and place an emphasis on preventing sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual abuse, as provided. By imposing new duties on schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would encourage public schools to host interactive activities that cover school policies related to preventing sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual abuse, and prominently post specified resources and information about preventing those acts on the school's digital platform, as provided. The bill would encourage school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to, in coordination with specified personnel, send a written notice to the school community highlighting the Sexual Harassment Safety Week. (2) Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education. Existing law, the California Healthy Youth Act, requires school districts, charter schools, county boards of education, county superintendents of schools, the California School for the Deaf, and the California School for the Blind to ensure that all pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, receive comprehensive sexual health education and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention education, as specified. The act requires that instruction to include, among other things, information about sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and human trafficking, as provided. This bill would require the commission, when the Health Education Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve is next revised on or after January 1, 2026, to consider including in that curriculum framework information related to, among other things, the Uniform Complaint Procedures, Title IX, and what a pupil should do if they believe another pupil has been subjected to sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, or retaliation, as provided. The bill would encourage the same information to also be provided as part of the instruction required under the comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education provisions. (3) 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.
Existing law establishes a public school financing system that requires state funding for county superintendents of schools, school districts, and charter schools to be calculated pursuant to a local control funding formula (LCFF) , as specified. Under existing law, school districts that receive local revenues that exceed the LCFF amount do not receive a specified apportionment of LCFF funds, as provided, and are known as "basic aid school districts" or "excess tax entities." The Classroom Instructional Improvement and Accountability Act, an initiative approved by the voters as Proposition 98 at the November 8, 1988, statewide general election, amended the California Constitution to, among other things, set forth a formula for computing the minimum amount of revenues that the state is required to appropriate for the support of school districts and community college districts in any given fiscal year. The California Constitution creates the Public School System Stabilization Account in the General Fund and requires the Controller to transfer, pursuant to a schedule provided by the Director of Finance, a specified amount from the General Fund to the account in each fiscal year, except as provided. The California Constitution generally prohibits the total annual appropriations subject to limitation of the state and each local government from exceeding the appropriations limit of the entity of government for the prior fiscal year, adjusted for the change in the cost of living and the change in population. The California Constitution defines "appropriations subject to limitation" for these purposes. This bill would establish the Equalization Reserve Account in the General Fund. The bill would require interest earned on funds in the account to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to increase per-pupil funding in non-basic aid school districts, defined as school districts that received the above-described apportionment of LCFF funds in any of the then preceding 3 fiscal years, in a manner prescribed by the Legislature. The bill would require the Controller, in any fiscal year in which there is an increase over the preceding fiscal year in the minimum amount of revenues the state is required to appropriate for the support of school districts and community college districts, to transfer from the General Fund to the Equalization Reserve Account an amount equal to the total amount transferred from the General Fund to the Public School System Stabilization Account in that fiscal year, as provided. These provisions would become operative only if a constitutional amendment, approved by the voters, (1) excludes funds transferred to or allocated from the account from computations of the minimum amount of revenues that the state is required to appropriate for the support of school districts and community college districts, from the moneys allocated for purposes of meeting that minimum funding obligation, and from the total annual state appropriations subject to the limitation described above, and (2) requires the Legislature, in each fiscal year, to allocate a percentage of the interest that has been deposited in the account to increase per-pupil funding in non-basic aid school districts.
(1) Existing federal law requires a postsecondary educational institution that offers distance education to students located in a state in which the postsecondary educational institution is not physically located to meet any of that state's requirements for it to offer distance education in that state. Existing federal law authorizes a state to participate in an interstate reciprocity agreement to comply with this requirement. This bill would authorize the Governor, on or before January 1, 2028, to enter into one or more interstate reciprocity agreements for distance education through a compact on behalf of the state upon issuing certain written findings and after certain committees of the Legislature hold a joint hearing on the agreement, as provided. This bill would require the Governor to designate a state agency, department, or office for the implementation of an interstate reciprocity agreement for distance education if the Governor enters into such an agreement, as provided. The bill would authorize postsecondary educational institutions to apply to the designated entity for approval to operate under an interstate reciprocity agreement, as specified. (2) The California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 provides, among other things, for student protections and regulatory oversight of private postsecondary institutions in the state. The act is enforced by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The act requires an out-of-state private postsecondary educational institution to register with the bureau, pay a fee, and comply with additional delineated requirements. Existing law provides exemptions from the act for, among others, accredited, degree-granting, nonprofit, higher education institutions and degree-granting public higher education institutions. If the Governor enters into an interstate reciprocity agreement, this bill would subject any accredited, degree-granting, nonprofit, higher education institutions and degree-granting public higher education institutions to the act unless the entity is approved pursuant to an interstate reciprocity agreement.
The Donahoe Higher Education Act establishes the segments of postsecondary education in the state, including the University of California and the California State University, and sets forth the missions and functions of those segments. Existing law states that the University of California has exclusive jurisdiction in public higher education over, among others, instruction in the profession of law. This bill would authorize the Trustees of the California State University to establish a legal education pilot program, consisting of the California State University, San Jose, and a law school accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California as an independent nonprofit institution, to operate for a period of 6 academic years. The bill would require the legal education pilot program to commence only if the trustees approve the program, the governing board of the law school approves the program, and the law school has been continuously accredited for a minimum of 5 years before the first cohort graduates from a joint degree program. The bill would authorize the California State University, San Jose, as part of the legal education pilot program, to partner with the nonprofit law school to jointly award a juris doctor degree and to jointly provide certificate and legal education programs at the undergraduate level. The bill would require the California State University, San Jose, and the nonprofit law school to submit certain information, including an administrative plan and enrollment projections, to the trustees and the governing board of the law school before the trustees and governing board vote to approve the pilot program. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to conduct an interim evaluation and a final evaluation of the program, as provided. This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2041, and would repeal it as of January 1, 2042. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the California State University, San Jose.
(1) Existing law requires a pupil to complete designated coursework while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. These graduation requirements include, among others, the completion of 3 courses in social studies, including a one-semester course in American government and civics. Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education. This bill, subject to appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, would require the State Department of Education, in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, the executive director of the state board, to enter into a contract with a county office of education or a consortium of county offices of education for the purpose of developing a curriculum guide for a one-year course in American government and civics, as provided. The bill would require the curriculum guide to include, among other things, fundamentals on federal, state, and local government, as provided, and specified information relating to voting. (2) Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, on or before January 1, 2020, to recommend to the state board criteria for awarding a State Seal of Civic Engagement to pupils who have demonstrated excellence in civics education and participation and have demonstrated an understanding of the United States Constitution, the California Constitution, and the democratic system of government. Existing law requires the state board, on or before January 31, 2021, to adopt, reject, or modify the criteria recommended by the Superintendent. This bill would provide that a pupil's successful completion of a one-year course in American government and civics satisfies specified criteria adopted by the state board related to the State Seal of Civic Engagement. The bill would require a pupil who has successfully completed a one-year course in American government and civics, in order to receive the State Seal of Civic Engagement, to still satisfy all other criteria adopted by the state board.
Existing law exempts a student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, from paying nonresident tuition at the California State University and the California Community Colleges if the student meets certain requirements. Existing law makes a student who meets these requirements for exemption from nonresident tuition, or who meets equivalent requirements adopted by the Regents of the University of California, eligible to apply for, and participate in, any student financial aid program administered by the state to the full extent permitted by federal law. Existing law requires the Student Aid Commission to establish procedures and forms that enable these students to apply for, and participate in, those student financial aid programs. This bill would require the commission, by the start of the 2026–27 financial aid cycle, to amend the California Dream Act application, and any of its grant processing systems, to clarify and ensure that the application can be used by any student eligible for state financial aid programs, regardless of their eligibility for federal financial aid. The bill would also require the commission to consult with California's public and private colleges and universities to promote the California Dream Act application effectively and inform students and their families of their available financial aid application options, as provided.
This measure would call on members of the United States Congress to oppose reductions to funding that negatively impact educational services for students with disabilities and would call on the President of the United States and Congress to ensure that services and funding for students with disabilities are uninterrupted.
Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education. Existing law requires the commission, when the history-social science curriculum framework is next revised, on or after January 1, 2025, to consider providing for inclusion, in that curriculum framework, related evaluation criteria, and accompanying instructional materials, of instruction on the treatment and perspectives of Native Americans during the Spanish colonization of California and the Gold Rush Era. This bill would require the commission, when the state board next revises the history-social science curriculum framework or adopts new instructional materials, on or after January 1, 2026, to consider including content on the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of African Americans during the Spanish colonization of California, the Gold Rush Era, and Antebellum, as provided.
(1) Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the holder of a single subject teaching credential or a standard secondary credential or a special secondary teaching credential who either (A) has completed specified coursework approved by the commission at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in any subject commonly taught in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, other than the subject for which the credentialholder is already certificated to teach, or (B) has been verified as having subject matter competence, as specified, for any subject commonly taught in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, other than the subject for which the credentialholder is already certificated to teach, to be eligible to have that subject appear on their credential as an authorization to teach that subject. This bill would revise the above-described eligibility requirements for a credentialholder to have a subject appear on their credential as an authorized subject for the credentialholder teach by removing the qualification that the subject be one that the credentialholder is not already credentialed to teach. (2) Existing law requires both the adopted course of study for grades 1 to 6, inclusive, to include physical education for a total period of time of not less of than 200 minutes each 10 schooldays, as specified, and the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to require all pupils to attend upon the courses of physical education for a total period of time of not less than 400 minutes each 10 schooldays, unless an alternate term schedule described below has been adopted or the pupil has been excused or exempted, as provided. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district maintaining any of grades 6 to 12, inclusive, to adopt a policy providing for an alternate term schedule for physical education courses if certain conditions are met, including, among others, that pupils in grade 6 receive no less than 400 minutes of instruction every 10 days for a semester of not fewer than 18 weeks during the regular school year, for a total of 3,600 instructional minutes for the school year, and that pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, receive no less than 800 minutes of instruction every 10 days for a semester of not fewer than 18 weeks during the regular school year, for a total of 7,200 instructional minutes for the school year. This bill would clarify that the alternative term schedule minimum minute requirements are required to be calculated instead by schooldays. (3) This bill would correct cross references and references to entities.
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district or county office of education to establish a catastrophic leave program to permit employees of that school district or county office of education, if specified conditions are met, to donate eligible leave credits to an employee when that employee or a member of their family suffers from a catastrophic illness or injury, as provided. This bill would extend the above-described authorization to the governing body of a charter school and would authorize the governing board or body of a school district, county office of education, or charter school to also permit employees to donate eligible leave credits to an employee impacted by a state of emergency that has been proclaimed by the Governor, as provided. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
