Education

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.

This measure would proclaim April 10, 2026, as Dolores Huerta Day in California and would encourage all public schools and educational institutions to conduct exercises remembering her, recognizing her accomplishments, and familiarizing pupils with her contributions to California.

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.

This measure would encourage the President of the University of California, the Chancellor of the California State University, and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to create a workgroup of faculty, staff, and administrators to (1) review the use of artificial intelligence in higher education, (2) create a public report on the strategies and best practices for artificial intelligence usage agreed upon by the workgroup within one year following formation of the workgroup, and (3) submit the report to the Legislature and the relevant policy committees of the Legislature with jurisdiction over higher education and privacy and consumer protection.

Existing law requires the State Department of Education, on or before January 1, 2024, to develop a plan to expand mental health instruction in California public schools. This bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2028, to develop a plan to expand digital wellness instruction in California public schools, as provided.