Existing law establishes the California College Promise, under the administration of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to provide funding, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to each community college meeting prescribed requirements. Existing law authorizes a community college to use that funding to waive some or all of the fees for 2 academic years for first-time community college students and returning community college students, as defined, who are enrolled in 12 or more semester units or the equivalent, or less for students certified as "full time," as specified, and who complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application, except that a student who has previously earned a degree or certificate from a postsecondary educational institution is not eligible for this fee waiver. This bill would prohibit a certificate awarded to a student by a postsecondary educational institution as part of a course sequence leading to an associate degree from making the student ineligible for that fee waiver.
Existing law, until July 1, 2028, authorizes the San Mateo County Community College District to adopt a policy that uses local unrestricted general funds to provide fee waivers to students with the greatest financial need when other fee waivers are not provided to those students, as specified. Existing law authorizes the San Mateo County Community College District to use local unrestricted general funds, in addition to funding received under the California College Promise, to provide assistance to students for the total cost of attendance, as defined, only for students who reside within the boundary of the community college district. This bill would delete the repeal date, thereby extending the San Mateo County Community College District's authority to adopt the above-described policy indefinitely. The bill would also repeal an obsolete reporting requirement. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the San Mateo County Community College District.
This bill designates May 29, 2026, as 529 College Savings Day to raise awareness about college savings plans. It is a ceremonial measure that does not change laws or allocate funds, and it directly affects no specific group of people. The legislation simply establishes an official date for public recognition of the importance of saving for higher education.
This Senate resolution designates the week of June 15 to June 21, 2026, as AVID Week to honor the Advancement Via Individual Determination program. The bill directly affects California schools by formally recognizing AVID, an educational initiative that supports over 400,000 students in the state through college readiness and career preparation. It highlights the program's specific strategies, such as its WICOR framework and support for English language learners, while commending its long-term impact on student achievement and teacher retention. The resolution encourages school districts to consider adopting AVID's proven methods to advance their own educational goals.
This bill designates the week of May 11 to May 15, 2026, as Student Mental Health Awareness Week throughout California. The measure requires state agencies and institutions to acknowledge this specific timeframe to highlight the importance of student mental well-being. By officially recognizing these dates, the legislation aims to encourage public focus on mental health resources for students during that period. It does not allocate funding or mandate specific programs, but rather serves to raise awareness through formal designation.
This bill designates the week of May 1 through May 7, 2026, as California Physical Education Week. It serves as a commemorative resolution intended to highlight the importance of physical education in schools. The measure does not alter existing laws or funding but simply establishes an official timeframe for recognition and awareness.
This bill designates May 13, 2026, as the official California Day of the Teacher to honor educators in the state. It establishes this specific date as a commemorative observance without creating new laws, funding, or penalties. The measure serves as a symbolic recognition of the teaching profession rather than a change in policy or procedure.
Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Controller, and the Director of Finance to develop and update as necessary, standards and criteria to be reviewed and adopted by the State Board of Education and to be used by local educational agencies in the development of annual budgets and the management of subsequent expenditures from that budget, as specified. Existing law requires these standards and criteria to include, among other things, multiyear commitments, including cost-of-living adjustments. This bill would specify that the multiyear commitments are for only the current fiscal year and the subsequent fiscal year. The bill would require the state board, on or before March 1, 2027, to amend specified related regulations, as provided, and would require the State Department of Education to modify the Standardized Account Code Structure reporting software infrastructure to eliminate reporting fields for a 2nd subsequent fiscal year and, commencing with the 2027–28 fiscal year, ensure that the system reflects a 2-year operational and forecasting structure. Existing law requires the governing board of a school district and each county board of education, on or before July 1 of each year, to adopt a budget, as specified, and requires that budget to be filed with the county superintendent of schools or the Superintendent, respectively. Existing law requires the county superintendent of schools or the Superintendent, as applicable, to, among other things, examine the adopted budget to determine whether it complies with the standards and criteria adopted by the state board for local educational agency budgets and determine whether the adopted budget (1) will allow the school district or county office of education to meet its financial obligations during the fiscal year and (2) is consistent with a financial plan that will enable the school district or county office of education to satisfy its multiyear financial commitments. Existing law requires the governing board of each school district and each county superintendent of schools to certify whether the school district or county office of education is able to meet its financial obligations for the remainder of the fiscal year and for the subsequent 2 fiscal years. Existing law requires (1) a negative certification to be assigned to any school district or county office of education that will be unable to meet its financial obligations for the remainder of the fiscal year or the subsequent fiscal year, (2) a qualified certification to be assigned to the school district or county office of education that may not meet its financial obligations for the current fiscal year or 2 subsequent fiscal years, and (3) a positive certification to be assigned to a school district or county office of education that will meet its financial obligations for the current fiscal year and subsequent 2 fiscal years. Existing law requires a copy of the school district's or county superintendent's certification to be filed with the county superintendent of schools or the Superintendent, respectively. The bill would instead only require certification for the current fiscal year and the subsequent fiscal year, and would require determinations for qualified and positive certifications to instead be assigned based only on the current fiscal year and the subsequent fiscal year. The bill would also make conforming changes to related provisions.
This measure would declare Monday, April 13, 2026, to Friday, April 24, 2026, inclusive, as High School Voter Education Weeks and would encourage local educational agencies to dedicate at least one of those 2 weeks to educating pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, on the electoral process, as provided. The measure would encourage local educational agencies to provide digital and physical resources necessary to provide this information and would encourage the governing boards or bodies of local educational agencies to contract with third-party nonprofit organizations, as provided, to accomplish this endeavor.
The California Constitution provides that the University of California constitutes a public trust administered by the Regents of the University of California, a corporation in the form of a board, with full powers of organization and government, subject to legislative control only for specified purposes, including, among others, as may be necessary to ensure the security of its funds. Existing law prohibits officers or employees of the University of California from engaging in any employment, activity, or enterprise from which the officer or employee receives compensation or has a financial interest if that employment, activity, or enterprise is sponsored or funded by a university department or contract, except as provided. This bill would require a University of California executive, within 60 days of accepting a board of director position with a business entity, to post on a University of California internet website a written recusal from involvement with any future university contract decisions where the business entity is a party, as provided. The bill would prohibit a University of California executive from making, participating in making, or in any way attempting to influence a contractual decision where the executive is on the board of directors of a business entity that is a party to the contract or receives compensation for consulting or advisory services from a business entity that is a party to the contract. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to bring a civil action to enforce these provisions and to recover attorney's fees if the civil action prevails. If a court finds in such a civil action that an executive has violated these provisions, the bill would require the court to void the affected contract. The bill would define "business entity," "contract," and "University of California executive" for its purposes.
