Existing law requires each school district, county superintendent of schools, and charter school to make available a nutritionally adequate breakfast, as defined, and a nutritionally adequate lunch, as defined, free of charge during each schoolday, as defined, to any pupil who requests a meal, without consideration of the pupil's eligibility for a federally funded free or reduced-price meal, as provided. This bill, commencing with the 2025–26 school year, if 5% or more of pupils at a schoolsite of a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school prefer a halal or kosher food option for a nutritionally adequate breakfast and a nutritionally adequate lunch, would require the schoolsite to offer a halal or kosher food option, respectively. The bill would authorize a schoolsite to collect information from pupils to determine if this condition is met. The bill would authorize a schoolsite to offer halal and kosher food options even if this condition is not met. By imposing new duties on a schoolsite of a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school, the bill would constitute 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.
Sponsored bills
Existing federal law, the Stephen Beck, Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014 (ABLE Act) , encourages and assists individuals and families to save private funds for the purpose of supporting eligible individuals with disabilities to maintain their health, independence, and quality of life by excluding from gross income distributions used for qualified disability expenses by a beneficiary of a qualified ABLE program established and maintained by a state, as specified. Existing law establishes the Qualified ABLE Program for purposes of implementing the federal ABLE Act in this state, and creates the California ABLE Program Trust with the purposes, powers, and duties of the trust to be vested in and exercised by the California ABLE Act Board. Existing law requires the board to segregate the moneys coming into the ABLE program trust into 2 funds: the program fund, which is continuously appropriated, for specified purposes of the act, and the administrative fund, which is available upon appropriation by the Legislature for administration of the act. Existing law requires all moneys paid by designated beneficiaries or eligible individuals in connection with ABLE accounts to be deposited, as received, into the program fund, promptly invested, and accounted for separately. This bill would require the CalABLE program to make a one-time deposit of at least $250 into each new CalABLE account that meets specified requirements, including that the account was opened on or after a date to be determined by the board, but no earlier than January 1, 2025, and the designated beneficiary of the account is a California resident. The bill would also authorize the board to provide additional financial incentives designated to increase moneys paid by designated beneficiaries or eligible individuals in connection with their CalABLE accounts. The bill would make those provisions subject to an appropriation by the Legislature.
(1) Existing law appropriates, for the 2021–22 fiscal year, funds from the General Fund to the Superintendent for allocation for the A–G Completion Improvement Grant Program and makes these funds available for expenditure or encumbrance through the 2025–26 fiscal year. Existing law requires grants awarded by that program to be used for activities that directly support pupil access to, and successful completion of, the A–G course requirements, including, but not limited to, paying Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate fees for unduplicated pupils. This bill would authorize A–G Completion Improvement Grant funds to additionally be used for Cambridge Assessment International Education fees for unduplicated pupils. By expanding the purposes for which appropriated funds may be spent, the bill would make an appropriation. (2) Existing law authorizes a school district to evaluate a principal annually for the principal's first and 2nd year of employment as a new principal and authorizes additional evaluations, as specified. Existing law authorizes the criteria for school principal evaluations to be based upon the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders and to include evidence of, among other things, pupil academic growth. Existing law authorizes pupil academic growth to be evaluated pursuant to local and state academic assessments, including, among others, state standardized assessments and performance assessments. This bill would explicitly add the Cambridge International AS & A Level examinations to the list of authorized assessments that may be used to measure pupil academic growth for a principal evaluation. (3) Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to provide access to a comprehensive educational counseling program for all pupils enrolled in the school district. For schools that enroll pupils in grades 6 to 12, inclusive, existing law defines educational counseling to include, among other things, counseling to encourage participation in advanced placement and international baccalaureate programs. This bill would expand the definition of an educational counseling program to explicitly include encouraging participation in Cambridge International AS & A Level programs. (4) Existing law establishes that the State Seal of Biliteracy certifies attainment of a high level of proficiency by a graduating high school pupil in one or more languages, in addition to English, and certifies that the graduate meets certain criteria for being proficient in English and one or more languages other than English. For purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy, proficiency in one or more languages other than English can be demonstrated through at least one of specified methods, including passing a world language Advanced Placement examination with a score of 3 or higher, passing a world language International Baccalaureate examination with a score of 4 or higher, or passing a world language ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) and an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) with scores of Intermediate Mid or higher. This bill would include passing a Cambridge International A Level examination with a score of E or higher or a Cambridge International AS Level examination with a score of e or higher as another method to demonstrate language proficiency in one or more languages other than English for purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy. (5) Existing law requires the governing board of each school district and county board of education to adopt a local control and accountability plan and to update its respective local control and accountability plan before July 1 of each year. Existing law requires a local control and accountability plan to include, among other things, a description of the annual goals to be achieved for each state priority, as specified, for all pupils and certain subgroups of pupils. The state's delineated priorities include, among others, pupil achievement as measured by, and as applicable, among other things, the percentage of pupils who have passed an advanced placement examination with a score of 3 or higher. This bill would require pupil achievement to also be measured by the percentage of pupils who have passed a Cambridge International A Level examination with a score of E or higher or a Cambridge International AS Level examination with a score of e or higher. To the extent this bill would impose additional duties on school districts and county boards of education in regard to local control and accountability plans, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (6) Existing law establishes the Golden State Pathways Program to promote pathways in high-wage, high-skill, high-growth areas, including technology, health care, education, and climate-related fields that, among other things, allow pupils to advance seamlessly from high school to college and career and provide the workforce needed for economic growth. Existing law appropriates $500,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Education to competitively award grant funds to school districts, charter schools, county offices of education, or regional occupational centers or programs operated by a joint powers authority or county office of education for purposes of the program, and makes these funds available for encumbrance until June 30, 2029. Existing law requires Golden State Pathways Program recipients to commit to providing participating pupils with, among other commitments, the opportunity to earn at least 12 postsecondary credits that are applicable toward the completion of a degree, certificate, or credential through various methods. This bill would include Cambridge Assessment International Education courses as one of methods pupils can use to earn those postsecondary credits. By expanding the purposes for which appropriated funds may be spent, the bill would make an appropriation. (7) Existing law requires an applicant for the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program to demonstrate, among other requirements, that the applicant's career technical education program offers high quality curriculum and instruction that offers the opportunity for participants to earn postsecondary credits through Advanced Placement courses and International Baccalaureate courses or by formal agreement with a postsecondary partner to provide dual enrollment opportunities. This bill would authorize an applicant to use Cambridge Assessment International Education courses to demonstrate that the applicant has met the above-described requirement. (8) This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to annually update information on the Cambridge Assessment International Education program available on the department's internet website to include current information on the various programs available to school districts to offer or access Cambridge Assessment International Education Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced (A) level courses, including online courses. The bill would require the Superintendent to also provide support to high schools that offer Cambridge Assessment International Education AS and A level courses to facilitate communication with the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges, the Academic Senate of the California State University, and the Academic Senate of the University of California to ensure students receive college credit for successful participation in Cambridge Assessment International Education assessments. The bill would authorize a school district that offers Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) , or AS or A level courses and examinations, to help pay the test fees for pupils in need of financial assistance. (9) 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. (10) Funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.
Existing law establishes the Department of Motor Vehicles, tasked with issuance and renewal of licenses to drivers. Existing law requires the department to prescribe and provide suitable forms of applications, certificates of ownership, registration cards, driver's licenses, and all other forms that are deemed necessary. This bill would, by January 1, 2026, require the department, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, to develop a Blue Envelope Program. Under the program, the bill would require the blue envelope to contain specified information for requesters with a condition or disability, as specified. The bill would also authorize others, including a parent or legal guardian of a passenger with a disability, to request a blue envelope.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution formally recognizes May as Maternal and Mental Health Awareness Month in California to highlight critical issues facing women and birthing people. The document draws attention to disparities in reproductive care, noting that many women lack access to hospitals with obstetrics services and that costs for fertility treatments remain a significant barrier. It also emphasizes the high prevalence of untreated mental health conditions among new mothers, particularly within communities of color and those with lower incomes. While the resolution does not create new laws, it serves to raise public awareness about the need for equitable access to both physical and mental health services during the reproductive years.
Existing law makes theft a crime. Existing law makes it a crime to knowingly promote, employ, use, persuade, induce, or coerce a minor under 18 years of age to engage in specified conduct. This bill would make it a crime to cause, promote, employ, use, persuade, induce, or coerce a minor under 18 years of age to engage in specified theft-related offenses. The bill would make this crime punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony, as specified. Because the bill creates a new crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to license and regulate facilities that provide residential nonmedical services to adults who are recovering from problems related to alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug misuse or abuse, and who need alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug recovery treatment or detoxification services. Existing law requires a licensed facility to disclose specified information to the department, including ownership or control of, or financial interest in, a recovery residence, defined as a residential dwelling that provides primary housing for individuals who seek a cooperative living arrangement that supports personal recovery from a substance use disorder and that does not require licensure by the department or does not provide licensable services, and requires the department to conduct a site visit of a disclosed recovery residence if it is alleged to be providing recovery, treatment, or detoxification services. This bill would define a recovery residence, for purposes of licensing alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities, as a residential dwelling that provides primary housing for individuals who seek a cooperative living arrangement that supports personal recovery from a substance use disorder, does not require licensure by the department, and does not provide licensable services, and would clarify that an unlicensed recovery residence may provide services to its residents, including, but not limited to, dining, housekeeping, security, transportation, and recreation. The bill would exempt recovery residences from being required to be licensed as an alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facility if the facility does not offer recovery services, as defined, and would allow residents of a recovery residence to actively participate in recovery services outside of the home. The bill would require a recovery residence to be operated as a separate business from a licensed facility and require the recovery residence to maintain separate agreements with each resident for the housing and services it provides. Existing law declares that it is the policy of the state that each county and city shall permit and encourage the development of sufficient numbers and types of alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities as are commensurate with local need. Existing law requires an alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facility that serves 6 or fewer persons to be considered a residential use of property for the purposes of local regulation, regardless of whether or not unrelated persons are living together. This bill would additionally consider recovery residences that serve 6 or fewer people to be considered a residential use of property for the purposes of local regulation. The bill would authorize local jurisdictions to require a use permit or conditional use permit for an alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facility or a recovery residence that serves 7 or more residents, and allow local jurisdictions to require those facilities to be at least 1,000 feet from another state-licensed alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facility or recovery residence as part of the use permit.
Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt and implement motor vehicle emission standards, in-use performance standards, and motor vehicle fuel specifications for the control of air contaminants and sources of air pollution that the state board has found to be necessary, cost effective, and technologically feasible, as provided. Existing law also requires the state board to adopt standards and regulations, consistent with those requirements, for motor vehicles and off-road or nonvehicle engine categories, including, but not limited to, marine vessels, to the extent permitted by federal law. This bill would require the state board to exempt certain vessels from any provision of a standard or regulation that would require the retirement, replacement, or retrofit of the vessel. The bill would provide that the vessel would be exempt for a period not to exceed 15 years or until the cost to replace the vessel's internal combustion engine with a safe and reliable electric motor meets a specified threshold.
This measure would recognize February 2, 2024, as Wear Red Day and the month of February 2024 as American Heart Month.
Existing law makes it a crime to solicit a person that the solicitor knows or should have known is a minor to commit an act of prostitution, as specified. This bill would allow for the prosecution of soliciting a minor to commit an act of prostitution when the offender believes the person to be a minor but the person is 18 years of age or older. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.