2024 Policy
FOUR STUDENT-WRITTEN BILLS PASSED:
SB 1288 (Becker): Requires the Superintendent, in consultation with the State Board of Education, to convene a working group to evaluate artificial intelligence-enabled teaching and learning practices.
AB 1939 (Maienschein): Requires county and local school attendance review boards to annually consult with pupils to better understand and address attendance and behavioral challenges.
AB 2771 (Maienschein): Requires the California Department of Education to post information on strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism, including school site intervention teams.
AB 1841 (Weber): Requires university residential staff to be trained in opioid reversal medication and ensures student housing is stocked with these supplies.
NINETEEN CO-SPONSORED BILLS PASSED:
AB 2927 (McCarty): Mandates a one-semester personal finance course as a graduation requirement for all high school students starting with the 2029-30 class.
AB 1955 (Ward): Enacts the SAFETY Act to protect student privacy and LGBTQ+ rights by prohibiting school districts from mandating "forced outing" policies.
SB 691 (Portantino): Updates the requirements for truancy notifications to ensure parents are better informed of their child’s attendance records and legal requirements.
SB 997 (Portantino): Authorizes middle and high school students to carry federally approved naloxone nasal spray for emergency treatment of opioid overdoses.
AB 810 (Friedman): Authorizes campuses to check an applicant's previous employer for substantiated allegations of misconduct to prevent the "passing" of harassers.
AB 1790 (Connolly): Mandates that the California State University system implement auditor recommendations to improve sexual harassment policies by 2026.
AB 1905 (Addis): Prohibits "retreat rights" and letters of recommendation for university employees found responsible for sexual harassment.
AB 2047 / AB 2048 (Fong): Requires the UC, CSU, and CCC systems to establish systemwide Offices of Civil Rights to monitor sex discrimination and harassment.
AB 2326 (Alvarez): Requires California’s public higher education segments to report annually on how they are addressing sex discrimination on campuses.
AB 2407 (Hart): Directs the California State Auditor to conduct recurring audits of sexual harassment and discrimination policies across the state’s public college systems.
AB 2608 (Gabriel): Requires critical updates to student sexual assault prevention training for all public institutions of higher education.
AB 2987 (Ortega): Mandates that colleges provide timely updates on the outcomes of sex discrimination complaints to the involved parties.
SB 1166 (Dodd): Extends detailed sexual harassment and discrimination reporting requirements to the California Community Colleges and University of California systems.
SB 1491 (Eggman and Atkins): Updates the Equity in Higher Education Act to strengthen protections and resources for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff.
AB 1780 (Ting): Prohibits private colleges from receiving state financial aid if they provide preferential treatment to legacy or donor-related applicants.
AB 3116 (Garcia): Reforms the Student Housing Density Bonus to better account for the unique affordability and housing needs of students.
SB 312 (Wiener): Resolves streamlining issues to accelerate the development of university student and faculty housing projects.
AB 2801 (Friedman): Provides new protections for tenants regarding security deposits, including stricter requirements for repair documentation and deductions.
FOURTEEN SUPPORTED BILLS PASSED:
SB 1318 (Wahab): Updates suicide prevention and mental health crisis policies to include specific intervention and training procedures for school staff.
SB 483 (Cortese): Officially prohibits the use of "prone restraint" techniques in all California schools to ensure student physical safety.
AB 1805 (Ta): Requires the state to revise specific History–Social Science content standards to ensure academic accuracy and inclusivity.
AB 2074 (Muratsuchi & Alvarez): Requires the Department of Education to develop a statewide implementation plan for the English Learner Roadmap policy.
AB 1796 (Alanis): Mandates schools to provide annual notification to parents regarding specific high school course offerings and career technical education pathways.
AB 1858 (Ward): Establishes standards for school shooter drills to ensure they are trauma-informed and minimize psychological distress for students.
AB 1913 (Addis): Requires annual training for school employees on the prevention of child abuse and sexual abuse on school grounds.
AB 1871 (Alanis): Integrates personal financial literacy into the social sciences and career technical education curriculum for grades 7 through 12.
AB 1815 (Weber): Expands the legal definition of race to include traits like hair texture and protective hairstyles to prevent discrimination.
AB 1825 (Muratsuchi): Enacts the California Freedom to Read Act to protect public library materials from removal based on viewpoint or opinion.
AB 2458 (Berman): Ensures student parents receive automatic financial aid adjustments to cover childcare and dependent-related expenses.
AB 1575 (Irwin): Grants students the right to be represented by an advisor during campus code of conduct disciplinary proceedings.
AB 2033 (Reyes): Requires community college campuses to ensure at least one on-campus store accepts EBT cards to improve food security.
AB 3240 (Calderon): Prohibits colleges from reducing institutional aid for Pell Grant or Dream Act students who receive outside private scholarships.