(1) Existing law states the policy of the State of California is to afford all persons in public schools, regardless of their disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other specified characteristic, equal rights and opportunities in the educational institutions of the state. Existing law prohibits the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school from adopting or approving the use of any textbook, instructional material, supplemental instructional material, or curriculum if its use would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination, as specified.
This bill would similarly prohibit the adoption or approval of the use of professional development materials or services that promote, endorse, or otherwise support actions or the use of textbooks, instructional materials, supplemental instructional materials, or curriculum that would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination, as specified. If the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school knows or has reason to know that materials were used in a classroom or an action occurred that resulted in unlawful discrimination, or knows or has reason to know that professional development materials or services were used that resulted in unlawful discrimination, the bill would require investigation and remediation of the action, as provided. The bill would provide that an antisemitic learning environment, as defined, created by a school district, county office of education, or charter school constitutes discrimination, as provided. The bill would specify that an antisemitic learning environment is created if any one of specified actions occur, as provided.
This bill would establish the Office of the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, under the administration of the State Board of Education. The bill would require the appointment of an Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, as provided. The bill would require the office to, among other things, provide training, education, and educational resources to identify and prevent antisemitism and other forms of discrimination, and document and track all complaints made pursuant to the uniform complaint process involving antisemitism and take part in subsequent action, as provided. The bill would require the office, if it determines that a local educational agency has engaged in, allowed, or not taken the necessary action in response to a complaint of antisemitic discrimination, to notify the local educational agency that it has 30 days to address the office's concerns.
(2) Existing law, for purposes of certain related educational equity provisions, including the above-described prohibition on unlawful discrimination, defines "nationality" to include citizenship, county of origin, and national origin, and defines "religion" to include all aspects of religious belief, observance, and practice, as provided.
This bill would define "nationality" to also include a person's country of birth or country of ancestral ties, and to include a social organization where a collective identity has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, as provided. The bill would define "discrimination on the basis of religion" to include, but not be limited to, antisemitism and Islamophobia.
(3) Existing law authorizes a party to a written complaint of prohibited discrimination to appeal the action taken by the governing board of a school district to the State Department of Education.
This bill would authorize a party to a written complaint of prohibited discrimination to appeal to the department based on the governing board of a school district's failure to issue an investigation report within a certain timeline.
Existing law authorizes a person to file a complaint of an alleged violation with the local educational agency using the uniform complaint process or directly with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, as provided. If the Superintendent determines that a local educational agency has violated that prohibition and has not taken corrective action within 60 days, existing law authorizes the department to use any means authorized to effect compliance.
This bill would require corrective action to include, among other things, following a corrective action plan and increased department oversight. The bill would prohibit a course found to have resulted in unlawful discrimination, as provided, to be used to fulfill a graduation requirement for future pupils taking the course in subsequent academic years until corrective action is taken. If the unlawful discrimination involves antisemitism, the bill would require a corrective action plan to be created in consultation with the Office of the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator. If a determination is made that an organization has contracted to provide any textbook, instructional material, supplemental instructional material, or curriculum that violates specified laws that prohibit subjecting a pupil to unlawful discrimination, the bill would require a local educational agency or the Superintendent to notify the organization that it must take corrective action, as provided, and would require the organization found to be in violation to, among other things, reimburse all funds received for their services from the local educational agency.
(4) Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. In setting standards, existing law requires the commission to seek to ensure that public school teachers, among other things, have an understanding of principles and laws related to educational equity and the equitable practice of the profession among all pupils regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, age, religious background, primary language, or disabling condition.
This bill would require the commission to adopt training for educators to address hate or unlawful discrimination against the 6 most targeted groups in the state, as provided. The bill would also require the commission to ensure that all state-funded teacher training programs comply with the law, with enforcement by the department.
(5) Existing law prohibits instruction or school-sponsored activities that promote a discriminatory bias on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, or other characteristics, as provided.
This bill would additionally prohibit instruction or school-sponsored activities that constitute an antisemitic learning environment, as provided.
(6) Existing law prescribes substantive requirements and particular processes that local educational agencies are required to follow when adopting or evaluating instructional materials, as defined.
This bill would require the governing board or body of a school district, county office of education, or charter school, when adopting instructional materials regarding Jews, Israel, or the Israel-Palestine conflict for use in schools, to meet specified requirements, including that the materials do not introduce or promote antisemitic content, as provided.
This bill would require instruction that is provided in a public school that is related to a controversial issue to adhere to specified requirements, including that the instruction be presented in a balanced manner without vilifying or ostracizing any pupil or group of pupils, and without promoting any particular opinion or portraying opinion as a matter of fact.
(7) By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, 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, 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.

Statutes affected:
05/12/25 - Amended Assembly: 212 EDC, 212 EDC, 212.3 EDC, 212.3 EDC, 244 EDC, 244 EDC
07/01/25 - Amended Senate: 212 EDC, 212 EDC, 212.3 EDC, 212.3 EDC, 244 EDC, 244 EDC, 262.3 EDC, 262.3 EDC, 44225 EDC, 44225 EDC, 51500 EDC, 51500 EDC, 60151 EDC, 60151 EDC, 212 EDC, 212.3 EDC, 244 EDC