S.B. No. 2044 is a legislative bill designed to regulate political communications and prohibit electioneering by officials and employees of school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. The bill introduces provisions that bar individuals found to have violated electioneering laws from serving on the board of trustees or governing body of a school district or charter school for three years. It also establishes a registry of individuals ineligible for employment in public schools due to such violations. Additionally, the bill mandates school district superintendents and directors to report any alleged violations within a specified timeframe, with penalties for failure to do so, including fines ranging from $500 to $10,000.

The legislation amends various sections of the Education Code and Election Code, clarifying that activities conducted outside of work hours do not constitute the expenditure of public money and that violations of certain political advertising subsections can result in a Class A misdemeanor. It also allows for the use of internal mail systems for distributing political advertising under specific conditions. The bill repeals certain provisions of the Education Code and introduces new legal language, including exemptions for school district governing body members regarding legislative measures outside their authority. The bill will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote from both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 11.061, Education Code 12.120, Education Code 22.092, Education Code 39.003, Election Code 251.001, Election Code 255.003, Election Code 255.0031, Government Code 572.059 (Election Code 255, Education Code 22, Education Code 11, Education Code 12, Government Code 572, Election Code 251, Education Code 39)