Existing law requires the adopted courses of study for grades 1 to 6, inclusive, and 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer instruction and courses in certain areas of study, including, among others, physical education, with emphasis on activities that may be conducive to health and vigor of body and mind. Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, develop, and the State Board of Education to adopt, modify, or revise, model curriculum frameworks, as specified. Existing law requires, when the Health Education Framework for California Public Schools is next revised on or after January 1, 2025, the commission to consider including information on evidence-based schoolwide programs to support pupils in developing skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotional regulation. This bill, the Ready to Learn, Ready for Health Act, would require, when the Health Education Framework for California Public Schools is next revised on or after January 1, 2027, the commission to consider including information on evidence-based preventative health instruction, including information on nutrition, food literacy, sleep, movement, stress management, and digital balance in an integrated manner that discusses these key health factors and the interrelationship and balance between them, as provided.
Existing law establishes the California School for the Deaf, Northern California, the California School for the Deaf, Southern California, known collectively as the California School for the Deaf, and the California School for the Blind as the state special schools, under the administration of the State Department of Education. Existing law requires the governing board of a school district, at the beginning of the first semester or quarter of each school year, to notify parents or guardians of minor pupils of specified rights and responsibilities of the parent or guardian and of specified school district policies and procedures. This bill would require the notification to a parent or guardian of a pupil who is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind to additionally include information regarding the option for the pupil to attend a state special school, as provided. Commencing with the 2027–28 school year, if a local educational agency develops, reviews, or revises an individualized education program for a pupil who is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind, the bill would require the individualized education program team of the local educational agency to provide the pupil's parent, guardian, or educational rights holder with information about the state special schools and the option for the pupil to attend one of those schools, as specified. The bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2027, to provide that information to local educational agencies. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies or local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated 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.
Existing law authorizes the governing boards of 2 or more school districts to enter into an agreement, for a term not to exceed 5 school years, for the interdistrict attendance of pupils who are residents of the school districts. If a school district enters into an agreement, existing law requires, among other things, (1) that the agreement stipulate the terms and conditions under which interdistrict attendance will be permitted or denied, (2) that the school district post on its internet website the procedures and timelines regarding a request for an interdistrict transfer permit, as provided, (3) the notification of a parent submitting a current year request of its final decision within 30 calendar days from the date the request was received, and (4) if the school district denies a request for an interdistrict transfer, that the school district advise the parent, in writing, of the right to appeal to the county board of education within 30 calendar days from the date of the final denial. This bill would require the governing board of a school that has entered into an agreement, on or after January 1, 2027, for the interdistrict attendance of pupils to adopt, and post on its internet website, a policy that includes specified provisions, including that if the school district determines that a request received from a parent is incomplete, the school district is required to notify the parent, within 30 calendar days of receipt of the request, identifying any missing information or documentation, as provided. The bill would allow for certain extensions of the above-described 30-day requirement to notify a parent of its final decision when an application is determined to be incomplete or if an individualized education program meeting has been scheduled or is pending, as provided. The bill would require all interdistrict agreements entered into on or after January 1, 2027, to also contain those specified provisions, as provided. The bill would authorize the parent or guardian of a pupil to submit an interdistrict transfer request concurrently to the school district of residence and the school district of proposed agreement if there is an interdistrict agreement between the 2 school districts, and would require the school district of proposed enrollment to begin reviewing the request upon receipt, as provided.
Existing law, the Child Care and Development Services Act, administered by the State Department of Social Services, establishes a system of childcare and development services for children up to 13 years of age, which includes various programs and services, including, among others, general childcare and development programs and migrant childcare and development programs. Existing law, the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) , provides that a record or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form. This bill would specify that a signature required by the Child Care and Development Services Act may be satisfied by use of an electronic signature in compliance with the UETA. The bill would authorize documents with an electronic signature to be created and stored in an electronic format in compliance with the UETA, and would authorize the department to adopt regulations to implement these provisions. Existing law, the Early Education Act, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to, among other things, provide an inclusive and cost-effective preschool program. The Early Education Act and the Child Care and Development Services Act authorize contractors operating or providing services under the acts to use digital signatures that comply with state and federal standards, including specified state regulations. This bill would instead condition the authority of contractors operating under the Early Education Act and the Child Care and Development Services Act to use an electronic signature on compliance with the UETA.
Existing law prohibits the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District from issuing general obligation or revenue bonds, or any other form of long-term indebtedness, except to finance an interim system of buses and ferries or to finance capital improvements or modifications relating to seismic safety of the Golden Gate Bridge. This bill would authorize the district to accept contributions and loans from this state and the United States for the purpose of financing capital improvements or modifications related to seismic safety on the Golden Gate Bridge, as specified.
This bill is a procedural resolution that designates the week of October 5 to October 9, 2026, as National Tutor Appreciation Week in California. It formally recognizes the importance of accessible tutoring services for students and commends free digital platforms, specifically naming Schoolhouse.world, for helping bridge academic gaps. The text does not create new laws or funding but serves as a symbolic acknowledgment of the role tutors play in student success.
The Debt Collection Licensing Act generally regulates the business of debt collection and prohibits a person from engaging in the business of debt collection in this state without first obtaining a license pursuant to the act. The act provides that it does not apply to certain institutions and persons. This bill would provide that the act does not apply to billing agents, except as specified.
Senate Resolution 108 formally recognizes May 5, 2026, as World Asthma Day in California. The measure highlights the disproportionate impact of asthma on vulnerable populations, including communities of color and farmworker families, who face higher risks due to poor air quality and limited healthcare access. While the resolution does not create new laws, it expresses the Senate's support for asthma education, improved air quality standards, and evidence-based management practices in schools and healthcare settings. Additionally, the bill honors the Central California Asthma Collaborative for its work in community health programs.
Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools operated and maintained by local educational agencies throughout the state. Existing law establishes the State Department of Education in state government, and vests the department with specified powers and duties relating to the state's public school system. This bill would require the department to establish a California Excellence in Service Learning Designation Program to publicly recognize and designate schoolsites, as defined, that meet certain requirements related to service learning, as provided. The bill would require the department to develop an annual application process and adopt application criteria for the California Excellence in Service Learning Designation Program, as specified, and would require a California Excellence in Service Learning designation to be valid for 3 years, after which a schoolsite seeking to renew its designation would be required to reapply pursuant to a renewal process and criteria determined by the department.
Existing law establishes the State Department of Education in state government, and vests the department with specified powers and duties relating to the state's public school system. Existing law declares the policy of the state to ensure that all local educational agencies work to reduce violence, improve pupil safety at schools, and improve the connections between pupils and supportive adults, schools, and communities. This bill would require the department, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, to establish and administer the Violence Prevention, Pupil Wellness, and School Safety Grant Program to, upon appropriation by the Legislature, award grants to eligible school districts, county offices of education, or charter schools for evidence-based violence prevention, pupil wellness, and public safety initiatives, as specified. The bill would require the department to consult with representatives of the office, local educational agencies, county behavioral health departments, community-based organizations, and public safety agencies when it develops guidelines for the program. The bill would require each grant recipient to submit findings to the department on the effectiveness of its activities funded by the grant and would require the department to use those findings to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2029, evaluating the effectiveness of the grant program and providing recommendations regarding violence prevention, pupil wellness, school safety, and behavioral health investments.