Sen. Roger Niello

Existing law establishes various programs and services for older adults, as defined, including, among other things, the Adult Education Program under the administration of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and health promotion and preventative health services for older adults under the administration of the State Department of Public Health. This bill would authorize a local health department, area agency on aging, community college, public or private college, public or private university, or other appropriate county department, as determined by a county, to establish a Healthy Aging Community Partnership Program for older individuals designed to promote healthy aging, social engagement, and independent living in collaboration with relevant local entities, including school districts, libraries, faith institutions, and community organizations. The bill would authorize program activities to include, among other things, technology assistance, physical activity, and other community-based enrichment activities that support healthy aging and social connection. The bill would make implementation of these provisions subject to the availability of local resources and partnerships. The bill would specify that these provisions do not duplicate or supplant specified current adult education courses, classes, and services provided by the California Community Colleges, including through the Adult Education Program, as provided.

Existing law requires the State Board of Education, on or before January 31, 2024, to appoint an independent panel of experts for the purpose of creating an approved list of evidence-based, culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate screening instruments for pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 to assess pupils for risk of reading difficulties, including possible neurological disorders such as dyslexia, as specified. Existing law requires the governing board or body of a school district, county office of education, or charter school serving pupils in kindergarten or grades 1 or 2 to adopt, on or before June 30, 2025, one or more screening instruments from the approved list to assess pupils for risk of reading difficulties, as specified, and commencing no later than the 2025–26 school year, requires those local educational agencies to assess each pupil in kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 for risk of reading difficulties using the screening instrument or instruments adopted by the governing board or body of the local educational agency, as specified. This bill would, on or before July 31, 2027, require the state board to approve and the State Department of Education to post on its internet website criteria and guidance for selecting evidence-based, culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate mathematics diagnostic assessments for pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 to assess pupils' mathematics knowledge and learning needs and identify pupils in need of additional support. The bill would require the department, on or before January 31, 2028, to (1) publish on its internet website a list of approved diagnostic assessments that meet the criteria, and (2) post on its internet website additional guidance to assist local educational agencies in selecting diagnostic assessments from the approved list, as provided. The bill would require the list to include diagnostic assessments that are developed for both English learners and non-English learners, as provided. The bill would require the state board and the department to solicit stakeholder input when developing the criteria, guidance, and list of diagnostic assessments pursuant to these provisions and to allow for public comment. The bill would authorize the department to periodically update the list of approved assessments. The bill would require the governing board or body of a school district, county office of education, or charter school serving pupils in kindergarten or grades 1 or 2 to adopt, on or before June 30, 2028, one or more diagnostic assessments from the published list of approved diagnostic assessments to assess pupils' mathematics knowledge and learning needs. The bill would authorize a local educational agency to satisfy this requirement by using a diagnostic assessment that is not on the published list if the governing board or body self-certifies that the assessment tool meets the above-described criteria. The bill, commencing no later than the 2028–29 school year, would require those local educational agencies to assess each pupil in kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 for mathematics knowledge using the diagnostic assessment or assessments adopted by the governing board or body of the local educational agency. The bill would require a local educational agency to provide parents or guardians of pupils eligible for assessment with information about the assessment and to make pupil results available to parents or guardians, as required by the state board, as provided. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department, by April 30, 2028, to curate and maintain on its internet website guidance and resources on evidence-based support, intervention, and instructional strategies aligned with the Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. 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 a chief administrative officer of a postsecondary educational institution, as defined, or an officer or employee designated by the chief administrative officer to maintain order on the school campus or facility, that has a student who has suffered unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence from any individual which can reasonably be construed to be carried out or to have been carried out at the school campus or facility, to seek a temporary restraining order and an injunction on behalf of the student and, at the discretion of the court, any number of other students at the campus or facility, as specified. This bill would also authorize a chief administrative officer of the postsecondary educational institution or an officer or employee designated by the chief administrative officer to maintain order on the school campus or facility to seek a temporary restraining order and an injunction on behalf of the postsecondary educational institution, upon becoming aware of unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence directed towards the postsecondary educational institution. The bill would require the Judicial Council, on or before January 1, 2028, to adopt or modify forms, as specified. The bill would also expand the course of conduct, as defined, for which a temporary restraining order can be sought to include making telephone calls or sending correspondence, including, but not limited to, email correspondence, to the postsecondary educational institution or its employees or students, or sending correspondence to the chief administrative officer. These provisions would become operative on July 1, 2029. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 527.85 of the Code of Civil Procedure proposed by AB 1753 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1753 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Existing law requires a county auditor to make or contract with a certified public accountant or public accountant to make an annual audit of the accounts and records of every special district within the county for which an audit is not otherwise provided, as specified. Existing law authorizes a special district to replace this annual audit with a financial review, or, until January 1, 2027, an agreed-upon procedures engagement or an annual financial compilation of the special district, if specified conditions are met, including that the special district's annual revenues do not exceed $150,000. Until January 1, 2027, upon receipt of the financial review, agreed-upon procedures engagement, or financial compilation, existing law authorizes a county auditor to appoint a certified public accountant or a public accountant to conduct an audit of the special district, as specified. Existing law prohibits a special district from replacing the annual audit requirement with an annual financial compilation for more than 5 consecutive years, after which existing law requires the special district to use specified procedures. This bill would extend the January 1, 2027, repeal date referenced above to January 1, 2037, and would increase the revenue cap described above to $250,000. After replacing the annual audit requirement with an annual financial compilation for 5 years, the bill would authorize a special district with annual revenues of less than $50,000 to replace the annual audit with a financial review, as described above.

Existing law, until January 1, 2028, and to the extent funds are made available for these purposes, requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a system for the collection of information determining the incidence and prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, including, but not limited to, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) , also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Existing law requires a hospital, facility, physician and surgeon, or other health care provider diagnosing or providing treatment to a patient for a neurodegenerative disease to report each case of a neurodegenerative disease to the department, as prescribed. Existing law requires the department to designate the specified neurodegenerative diseases required to be reported in the state or any part of the state. Existing law specifies that for this purpose, "neurodegenerative disease" may include, but need not be limited to, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and Huntington's disease. This bill would require the department to establish a system for the collection of information determining the incidence and prevalence of frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) . This bill would specify that "neurodegenerative disease" may also include other dementias. The bill would extend the requirements of these provisions until January 1, 2032.

Existing law makes a person who is a dealer in or collector of junk, metals, or secondhand materials, or their agent, employee, or representative, who buys or receives any wire, cable, copper, lead, solder, mercury, iron, or brass that the person knows or reasonably should know is used by or belongs to specified entities, including a railroad, certain utility companies, or a public entity engaged in furnishing public utility service, without using due diligence to ascertain that the person selling or delivering that material has a legal right to do so, guilty of criminally receiving that property and, in addition to imprisonment, makes that act punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000. This bill would prohibit organized metal theft, described as acting in concert with one or more persons to steal metal materials from one or more of specified materials and items with the intent to sell, exchange, or return those metal materials for value, acting in concert with 2 or more persons to receive, purchase, or possess those metal materials knowing or believing it to have been stolen, acting as an agent of another to steal those metal materials as part of an organized plan to commit theft, or recruiting, coordinating, organizing, supervising, directing, managing, or financing another to undertake acts of theft of metal. The bill would make a violation of organized metal theft punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony. The bill would make related findings and declarations and state the intent of the Legislature. By creating new crimes, 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.

This measure would declare the month of March 2026 to be March4Water Month in California and would encourage all residents, businesses, and local leaders to participate in activities and programs that promote water efficiency, support workforce development in the water sector, and prioritize water solutions as essential investments in the state's economic future.

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 establishes a motor vehicle inspection and maintenance (smog check) program that is administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs. The smog check program requires inspection of motor vehicles upon initial registration, biennially upon renewal of registration, upon transfer of ownership, and in certain other circumstances. Existing law requires all motor vehicles to biennially obtain a certificate of compliance or noncompliance, as provided. Existing law exempts specified vehicles from obtaining the certificate of compliance or noncompliance, including, among others, all motor vehicles manufactured before the 1976 model year. Existing law also exempts from a specified portion of the smog test, both biennially and at transfer, a collector motor vehicle that is insured as a collector motor vehicle, is at least 35 model years old, complies with the exhaust emissions standards for that motor vehicle's class and model year as prescribed by the department, and passes a functional inspection of the fuel cap and a visual inspection for liquid fuel leaks. Existing law defines collector motor vehicle for this purpose to mean a motor vehicle owned by a collector, as defined, used primarily in shows, parades, charitable functions, and historical exhibitions for display, maintenance, preservation, and not used primarily for transportation. This bill would expand the definition of a collector motor vehicle to include a motor vehicle that is at least 35 model years old and complies with certain regulations that are required to be adopted by the Bureau of Automotive Repair, as specified. The bill would, beginning January 1, 2028, exempt specified collector motor vehicles manufactured before the 1981 model year from the requirement to obtain a certificate of compliance or noncompliance upon initial registration, biennially upon renewal of registration, or upon transfer of ownership. The bill would extend the applicability of this exemption by one model year each year until the final extension takes effect on and after January 1, 2033, that would exempt specified collector motor vehicles manufactured before the 1986 model year from the requirement to obtain the certificate of compliance or noncompliance. The bill would be known, and may be cited, as Jay Leno's Law.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the week of September 28 to October 4, 2026, as Frontotemporal Degeneration Awareness Week. It directly affects the state by officially recognizing this specific time period to highlight awareness of the condition. The measure does not change laws or allocate funding; instead, it serves as a symbolic declaration to bring attention to the disease.