Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education.

This bill would require the commission, during the next revision of the publication Health Framework for California Public Schools, to consider including, and recommending for adoption by the state board, specific content related to the prevention of, and recognizing and responding to the signs and symptoms of, heat illness, as described, and, for those purposes, to consider relevant guidance issued by the State Department of Public Health and policies adopted by the California Interscholastic Federation, as specified.

Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education.

This bill would require the commission, during the next revision of the publication Health Framework for California Public Schools, to consider including, and recommending for adoption by the state board, specific content related to the prevention of, and recognizing and responding to the signs and symptoms of, heat illness, as described, and, for those purposes, to consider relevant guidance issued by the State Department of Public Health and policies adopted by the California Interscholastic Federation, as specified.

Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education.

This bill would require the commission, during the next revision of the publication Health Framework for California Public Schools, to consider including, and recommending for adoption by the state board, specific content related to the prevention of, and recognizing and responding to the signs and symptoms of of, heat illness, as described. described, and, for those purposes, to consider relevant guidance issued by the State Department of Public Health and policies adopted by the California Interscholastic Federation, as specified.

Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education.

This bill would require the commission, during the next revision of the publication Health Framework for California Public Schools, to consider including, and recommending for adoption by the state board, specific content related to recognizing and responding to the signs and symptoms of heat illness, as described.

 CONSENT  

Bill No: AB 1653

Author: Lackey (R)

Amended: 3/23/26 in Assembly

Vote: 21

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 7-0, 6/10/26

AYES: Pérez, Ochoa Bogh, Cabaldon, Choi, Cortese, Menjivar, Reyes

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 74-0, 5/18/26 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT: Pupil instruction: health framework: heat illness

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC), during its next revision of the Health Framework for California Public Schools (Health Framework), to consider including and recommending for adoption by the State Board of Education (SBE) specific content related to the prevention of, identification of, and response to signs and symptoms of heat illness.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. States that if a school district or charter school elects to offer any interscholastic athletic program, the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school must ensure that there is a written emergency action plan in place that describes the location and procedures to be followed in the event of medical emergencies, including heat illness, related to the athletic program’s activities or events. The written emergency action plan shall be posted in compliance with the most recent pertinent guidelines of the National Federation of State High School Associations. (Education Code (EC) § 35179.4)
2. Establishes the High School Coaching Education Training Program (HSCTP), which is administered by school districts and includes training, which includes a basic understanding of the signs and symptoms of concussions and heat illness and the appropriate response to concussions and heat illness. Concussion or heat illness training may be fulfilled through entities offering free, online, or other types of training courses. (EC § 35179.1)
3. Requires school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to develop, adopt, and implement standardized guidelines specifying temperature thresholds or index ratings that trigger modifications to pupil physical activities during extreme weather conditions. (EC § 33355)

This bill:

1. Requires the IQC, during its next revision of the Health Framework, to consider including, and recommending for adoption by the SBE, specific content related to the prevention of, and recognizing and responding to the signs and symptoms of, heat illness.
2. Requires the Commission or IQC, in their consideration pursuant to #1 above, to consider relevant heat illness prevention measures, heat illness signs and symptoms, and heat illness responses, as addressed by guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and adopted by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).
3. Specifies the following for the purposes of this bill:
   1. “Prevention of heat illness” includes, but is not limited to, measures to stay cool, hydrated, connected to others, and informed of heat alerts.
   2. “Recognizing the signs and symptoms of heat illness” includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
      1. A red or flushed face.
      2. Nausea.
      3. Muscle cramps.
      4. Headache.
      5. Dizziness.
      6. Fatigue or weakness.
      7. Confusion.
      8. Heavy sweating or the lack of sweating.
   3. “Responding to signs and symptoms of heat illness” includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
      1. Stopping physical activity.
      2. Seeking shade or a cool area.
      3. Drinking water or otherwise hydrating.
      4. Cooling the body.
      5. Notifying a teacher, staff member, or other responsible adult.

Comments

1. Need for the bill. According to the author, “As temperatures continue to rise across our state and nation, protecting the health and safety of our students must remain a top priority. Extreme heat is no longer a rare occurrence, it is a growing public health concern. Our children are especially vulnerable. Student athletes practicing outdoors, children waiting at bus stops, and students in classrooms without adequate cooling systems are all at risk. Yet heat illness is preventable when individuals understand the warning signs and know how to respond.

“Education saves lives. By incorporating age-appropriate heat safety lessons into health education curriculum, we empower students with practical knowledge they can use immediately at school, at home, and in their communities. This bill is not about adding burden, it is about prevention. A few minutes of education can prevent emergency room visits, long-term health complications, and even fatalities. Heat illness is predictable. It is preventable. And with this legislation, it is teachable.”

1. Existing CDE guidance on excessive heat. In recognition of the higher risk of heat illness due to California’s climate and geography, the CDE maintains an Excessive Heat resource page on its website to help local educational agencies (LEAs), students, and their families understand what to do when facing extreme heat temperatures and how to best mitigate their impact. This resource page includes CDE specific guidance for excessive heat waves as well as relevant guidance from the CDPH, the Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the American Red Cross.
2. CIF Bylaws on Sports Injuries. The CIF, founded in 1914, is a voluntary organization comprised of 1,615 public, public charter, and private high schools that are organized into ten geographical sections for the purpose of governing education-based athletics in grades 9 through 12.

As part of its adopted bylaws and state law, CIF currently has established injury protocols for concussions, sudden cardiac arrest, and heat illness. In each of these protocols, if a student athlete exhibits the respective injury while participating in, or immediately following, an athletic activity, or is known to have exhibited the respective injury while participating in, or immediately following, an athletic activity, they must be removed immediately from participating in a practice or game for the remainder of the day. A student athlete who has been removed from play after displaying signs and symptoms associated with the respective injury may not return to play until they have been evaluated by a licensed health care provider and have received written clearance to return to play from that health care provider.

Consistent with state law, CIF bylaws also require that information sheets on concussions, sudden cardiac arrest, and heat illness be issued annually to student athletes and their parents or guardians. These information sheets must be signed and returned by all student athletes and their parents or guardians before the student athlete’s initial practice or competition.

This bill would require the IQC, when considering the inclusion of heat illness content in the next revision of the Health Framework, to consider relevant heat illness guidance and policies adopted by CIF.

1. Health Education Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. In May 2019, the SBE adopted the Health Education Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (the Framework) to provide instructional guidance and support to California teachers, administrators, curriculum specialists, other educators, and school boards for implementation of the health education content standards. According to the California Department of Education (CDE), the Framework was designed to “help students build strong and healthy relationships with their families, friends, and communities while strengthening their resiliency and personal decision-making skills for healthy living.” The Framework covers six content areas of health education: nutrition and physical activity; growth, development, and sexual health; injury prevention and safety; alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; mental, emotional, and social health; and personal and community health.

The six content areas are woven throughout the grade spans and build upon each other to ensure students gain a holistic understanding of health.

With respect to heat illness content, the current health education standards, adopted by the SBE in 2008, for grades 6-8, include a standard on identifying ways to reduce exposure to the sun, and the current health curriculum framework, adopted by the SBE in 2019, includes minimal content related to heat illness. In the grades 7-8 section, the framework mentions sun safety as a health-management strategy.

To the extent that climate change related excessive heat continues to be realities faced by students across the state, expanding heat illness content in the framework may help ensure students know how to respond to and prevent such illness.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No

SUPPORT: (Verified 6/22/26)

Alameda County Office of Education
California Health Coalition Advocacy
California Nurses for Environmental Health & Justice
California School Nurses Organization
Center for Ecoliteracy
CFT
Elders Climate Action Northern California Chapter
Elders Climate Action Southern California Chapter
Green Schoolyards America
HED
Ten Strands
UndauntedK12

OPPOSITION: (Verified 6/22/26)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 74-0, 5/18/26

AYES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Ahrens, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Caloza, Carrillo, Castillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, DeMaio, Elhawary, Ellis, Flora, Fong, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Jeff Gonzalez, Mark González, Hadwick, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Johnson, Kalra, Krell, Lackey, Lowenthal, Macedo, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Ramos, Ransom, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Ta, Tangipa, Valencia, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, Zbur, Rivas

NO VOTE RECORDED: Calderon, Dixon, Lee, Quirk-Silva, Celeste Rodriguez, Stefani

Prepared by: Therresa Austin / ED. / (916) 651-4105

6/24/26 16:30:29

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, Chair

2025 - 2026 Regular

Bill No: Hearing Date: June 10, 2026

Subject:

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC), during its next revision of the Health Framework for California Public Schools (Health Framework), to consider including and recommending for adoption by the State Board of Education (SBE), specific content related to the prevention of, identification of, and response to signs and symptoms of heat illness.

BACKGROUND

1. States that if a school district or charter school elects to offer any interscholastic athletic program, the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school must ensure that there is a written emergency action plan in place that describes the location and procedures to be followed in the event of medical emergencies, including heat illness, related to the athletic program’s activities or events. The written emergency action plan shall be posted in compliance with the most recent pertinent guidelines of the National Federation of State High School Associations. (Education Code (EC) § 35179.4)
2. Establishes the High School Coaching Education Training Program (HSCTP), which is administered by school districts and includes training, which includes a basic understanding of the signs and symptoms of concussions and heat illness and the appropriate response to concussions and heat illness. Concussion or heat illness training may be fulfilled through entities offering free, online, or other types of training courses. (EC § 35179.1)
3. Requires school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to develop, adopt, and implement standardized guidelines specifying temperature thresholds or index ratings that trigger modifications to pupil physical activities during extreme weather conditions. (EC § 33355)

ANALYSIS

This bill:

1. Requires the IQC, during its next revision of the Health Framework, to consider including, and recommending for adoption by the SBE, specific content related to the prevention of, and recognizing and responding to the signs and symptoms of, heat illness.
2. Requires the Commission or IQC, in their consideration pursuant to #1 above, to consider relevant heat illness prevention measures, heat illness signs and symptoms, and heat illness responses, as addressed by guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and adopted by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).
3. Specifies the following for the purposes of this bill:
   1. “Prevention of heat illness” includes, but is not limited to, measures to stay cool, hydrated, connected to others, and informed of heat alerts.
   2. “Recognizing the signs and symptoms of heat illness” includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
      1. A red or flushed face.
      2. Nausea.
      3. Muscle cramps.
      4. Headache.
      5. Dizziness.
      6. Fatigue or weakness.
      7. Confusion.
      8. Heavy sweating or the lack of sweating.
   3. “Responding to signs and symptoms of heat illness” includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
      1. Stopping physical activity.
      2. Seeking shade or a cool area.
      3. Drinking water or otherwise hydrating.
      4. Cooling the body.
      5. Notifying a teacher, staff member, or other responsible adult.

STAFF COMMENTS

1. Need for the bill. According to the author, “As temperatures continue to rise across our state and nation, protecting the health and safety of our students must remain a top priority. Extreme heat is no longer a rare occurrence, it is a growing public health concern. Our children are especially vulnerable. Student athletes practicing outdoors, children waiting at bus stops, and students in classrooms without adequate cooling systems are all at risk. Yet heat illness is preventable when individuals understand the warning signs and know how to respond.

“Education saves lives. By incorporating age-appropriate heat safety lessons into health education curriculum, we empower students with practical knowledge they can use immediately at school, at home, and in their communities. This bill is not about adding burden, it is about prevention. A few minutes of education can prevent emergency room visits, long-term health complications, and even fatalities. Heat illness is predictable. It is preventable. And with this legislation, it is teachable.”

1. Existing CDE guidance on excessive heat. In recognition of the higher risk of heat illness due to California’s climate and geography, the CDE maintains an Excessive Heat resource page on its website to help local educational agencies (LEAs), students, and their families understand what to do when facing extreme heat temperatures and how to best mitigate their impact. This resource page includes CDE specific guidance for excessive heat waves as well as relevant guidance from the CDPH, the Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the American Red Cross.
2. CIF Bylaws on Sports Injuries. The CIF, founded in 1914, is a voluntary organization comprised of 1,615 public, public charter, and private high schools that are organized into ten geographical sections for the purpose of governing education-based athletics in grades 9 through 12.

As part of its adopted bylaws and state law, CIF currently has established injury protocols for concussions, sudden cardiac arrest, and heat illness. In each of these protocols, if a student athlete exhibits the respective injury while participating in, or immediately following, an athletic activity, or is known to have exhibited the respective injury while participating in, or immediately following, an athletic activity, they must be removed immediately from participating in a practice or game for the remainder of the day. A student athlete who has been removed from play after displaying signs and symptoms associated with the respective injury may not return to play until they have been evaluated by a licensed health care provider and have received written clearance to return to play from that health care provider.

Consistent with state law, CIF bylaws also require that information sheets on concussions, sudden cardiac arrest, and heat illness be issued annually to student athletes and their parents or guardians. These information sheets must be signed and returned by all student athletes and their parents or guardians before the student athlete’s initial practice or competition.

This bill would require the IQC, when considering the inclusion of heat illness content in the next revision of the Health Framework, to consider relevant heat illness guidance and policies adopted by CIF.

1. The IQC and the SBE. The Legislature has vested the IQC and the SBE with the authority to develop and adopt state curriculum and instructional materials. The IQC develops standards aligned curriculum frameworks through a process involving practitioners and experts who have an in-depth understanding of curriculum and instruction, including the full scope and sequence of the curriculum in each subject and at each grade level, constraints on instructional time and resources, and the relationship of curriculum to state assessments and other measures of student progress. Changes are frequently made in response to public comment. The frameworks are then adopted by the SBE in a public meeting.

The resulting curriculum framework is intended to serve as a guidance document for educators and administrators on how to plan for and provide quality, skills-based, standards-aligned instruction on the various content areas.

The SBE also adopts, in a public process, instructional materials aligned to those frameworks for grades K-8. School district governing boards and charter schools then adopt instructional materials aligned to these standards and frameworks.

The respective revision and adoption processes have traditionally occurred on a regular schedule, giving schools a predictable timetable to plan and budget for changes to the curriculum. Local adoption of new curricula also involves significant local cost and investment of resources for professional development.

1. Health Education Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. In May 2019, the SBE adopted the Health Education Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (the Framework) to provide instructional guidance and support to California teachers, administrators, curriculum specialists, other educators, and school boards for implementation of the health education content standards. According to the California Department of Education (CDE), the Framework was designed to “help students build strong and healthy relationships with their families, friends, and communities while strengthening their resiliency and personal decision-making skills for healthy living.” The Framework covers six content areas of health education: nutrition and physical activity; growth, development, and sexual health; injury prevention and safety; alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; mental, emotional, and social health; and personal and community health.

The six content areas are woven throughout the grade spans and build upon each other to ensure students gain a holistic understanding of health.

With respect to heat illness content, the current health education standards, adopted by the SBE in 2008, for grades 6-8, include a standard on identifying ways to reduce exposure to the sun, and the current health curriculum framework, adopted by the SBE in 2019, includes minimal content related to heat illness. In the grades 7-8 section, the framework mentions sun safety as a health-management strategy.

To the extent that climate change related excessive heat continues to be realities faced by students across the state, expanding heat illness content in the framework may help ensure students know how to respond to and prevent such illness.

1. The Curriculum Guidance Study and future of curriculum development and adoption. The 2025-26 budget, through AB 121 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 8, Statutes of 2025), included $1 million for a Curriculum Guidance Study to evaluate the processes by which other states develop curriculum guidance, and to make recommendations about how to improve and streamline California’s processes across all content areas. The report is required to include, among other topics:
   1. The roles and responsibilities of the CDE, the IQC, the SBE, the Legislature, LEAs, educators, parents and guardians, and the public; and
   2. The processes and cycles for developing, revising, and adopting content standards, curriculum frameworks, and other instructional guidance, and how available instructional time in elementary and secondary schools is considered.

This report is required to be completed by January 1, 2027.

1. Prior and related legislation.

AB 1653 (Sanchez, Chapter 589, Statutes of 2023) requires the CIF, in consultation with the CDE, to develop guidelines, procedures, and safety standards for the prevention and management of exertional heat illness, as specified, by July 1, 2024.

SB 499 (Menjivar, 2023) would have required (1) all schoolsites and child care facilities to develop an extreme heat action plan addressing the planting of shade trees, installation or planting of a school garden, and installation or planting of a green barrier; (2) the CDE, in consultation with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), to develop a template for an extreme heat action plan, make available a model program guidebook; and, (3) the CDSS to identify a liaison for child care facilities. SB 499 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 384 (Calderon, 2023) would have required the CDE to conduct a research study on recommended indoor air temperature ranges and temperature control standards for public schools and an inventory of heating and cooling systems, and to submit a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2026. AB 384 was vetoed by the Governor, citing concerns about significant long-term cost pressures that are not accounted for in the budget.

AB 2800 (Chu, Chapter 21, Statutes of 2018) adds basic understanding of the signs and symptoms of, and appropriate responses to, heat illness, to the training component of the 1998 California High School Coaching Education and Training Program.

SUPPORT

Alameda County Office of Education
California Health Coalition Advocacy
California Nurses for Environmental Health & Justice
California School Nurses Organization
Center for Ecoliteracy
CFT
Elders Climate Action Northern California Chapter
Elders Climate Action Southern California Chapter
Green Schoolyards America
HED
Ten Strands
UndauntedK12

OPPOSITION

None received

-- END --

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:AB 1653

Author:(Lackey)

As Amended Ver:March 23, 2026

Majority vote

SUMMARY

Requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC), the next time the health curriculum framework is revised, to consider including specified content related to preventing, recognizing, and responding to the signs and symptoms of heat illness.

Major Provisions

1. Requires the IQC, during the next revision of the health curriculum framework, to consider including, and recommending for adoption by the State Board of Education (SBE), specific content related to preventing, recognizing, and responding to the signs and symptoms of heat illness.
2. Requires the IQC to consider relevant heat illness prevention measures, heat illness signs and symptoms, and heat illness responses, as addressed by guidance issued by the State Department of Public Health (CDPH) and policies adopted by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).
3. States that the signs and symptoms of heat illness include, but are not necessarily limited to:
4. A red or flushed face;
5. Nausea;
6. Muscle cramps;
7. Headache;
8. Dizziness;
9. Fatigue or weakness;
10. Confusion; and
11. Heavy sweating or the lack of sweating.
12. States that "responding to signs and symptoms of heat illness" includes, but is not necessarily limited to:
13. Stopping physical activity;
14. Seeking shade or a cool area;
15. Drinking water or otherwise hydrating;
16. Cooling the body; and
17. Notifying a teacher, staff member, or other responsible adult.

COMMENTS

Heat illness in the health content standards and curriculum framework. The current health education standards, adopted by the SBE in 2008, for grades 6-8, include a standard on identifying ways to reduce exposure to the sun. The current health curriculum framework, adopted by the SBE in 2019, includes minimal content related to heat illness. In the grades 7-8 section the framework mentions sun safety as a health-management strategy.

Heat illness on the rise among children. A recent study published in American Pediatrics (Merritt, 2025) of heat-related illness trends found that as extreme summer temperatures become more frequent due to a changing climate, there is an increased risk of heat-related morbidity and mortality, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children.

Curriculum development and adoption process under review. The 2025-26 budget, through AB 121 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 8, Statutes of 2025, included $1 million for a study on the processes by which other states develop curriculum guidance, and to make recommendations about how to improve and streamline California's processes. This report is to be completed by January 1, 2027. The report is required to include, among other topics:

1. The roles and responsibilities of the California Department of Education (CDE), the IQC, the SBE, the Legislature, local educational agencies (LEAs), educators, parents and guardians, and the public; and
2. The processes and cycles for developing, revising, and adopting content standards, curriculum frameworks, and other instructional guidance, and how available instructional time in elementary and secondary schools is considered.

According to the Author

"As temperatures continue to rise across our state and nation, protecting the health and safety of our students must remain a top priority. Extreme heat is no longer a rare occurrence, it is a growing public health concern. Our children are especially vulnerable. Student athletes practicing outdoors, children waiting at bus stops, and students in classrooms without adequate cooling systems are all at risk. Yet heat illness is preventable when individuals understand the warning signs and know how to respond.

Education saves lives. By incorporating age-appropriate heat safety lessons into health education curriculum, we empower students with practical knowledge they can use immediately at school, at home, and in their communities. This bill is not about adding burden, it is about prevention. A few minutes of education can prevent emergency room visits, long-term health complications, and even fatalities. Heat illness is predictable. It is preventable. And with this legislation, it is teachable."

Arguments in Support

The California School Nurses Organization (CSNO) writes, "Children are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses due to their developing bodies, higher metabolic rates, and reliance on adults to monitor and regulate their activities. Conditions such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke can escalate quickly, often beginning with subtle symptoms such as dizziness, excessive sweating, or fatigue, and progressing to confusion, nausea, or loss of consciousness. Prompt recognition and intervention are essential to preventing serious medical emergencies. CSNO believes all students should have the tools and education necessary to recognize the signs and symptoms of heat illness.

At CSNO, we recognize that awareness is the best form of defense when it comes to protecting both students and staff from the dangers of heat-related illness. AB 1653 strikes the appropriate balance of drawing attention to an important issue without putting undue burden on our schools."

Arguments in Opposition

None on file

FISCAL COMMENTS

According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, no new state costs.

VOTES

ASM EDUCATION: 8-0-0

YES: Patel, Hoover, Alvarez, Bonta, Castillo, Garcia, Lowenthal, Zbur

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 14-0-1

YES: Wicks, Hoover, Aguiar-Curry, Caloza, Dixon, Fong, Mark González, Krell, Pacheco, Pellerin, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Ta, Tangipa

ABS, ABST OR NV: Arambula

UPDATED

VERSION: March 23, 2026

CONSULTANT: Tanya Lieberman / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0002521

Date of Hearing: May 6, 2026

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Buffy Wicks, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1653

Author:(Lackey) – As Amended Ver:March 23, 2026

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to consider including, and recommend for adoption by the State Board of Education (SBE), recommendations regarding including specific heat illness related content in the next revision of the California public schools health framework.

FISCAL EFFECT:

No new state costs.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author:

Education saves lives. By incorporating age-appropriate heat safety lessons into health education curriculum, we empower students with practical knowledge they can use immediately at school, at home, and in their communities. This bill is not about adding burden, it is about prevention. A few minutes of education can prevent emergency room visits, long-term health complications, and even fatalities. Heat illness is predictable. It is preventable. And with this legislation, it is teachable.

1. Background. The health framework, adopted by the SBE on May 6, 2019, includes minimal heat illness related content. However, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), between 2010 and 2020, there was an average of more than 5,000 emergency department visits and 60 deaths annually from heat-related illness, with heat-related illness representing the leading cause of death among teenage athletes. Largely in response to this risk, in 2023 the Legislature passed AB 1653 (Sanchez), Chapter 589, Statutes of 2023, establishing the Extreme Heat and Air Quality Policy developed and maintained by the California Scholastic Federation (CIF), in consultation with the CDE, to provide safety standards and prevention guidance regarding exertional heat illness.

Current law charges the IQC and SBE with developing and adopting state curriculum and instructional materials for use in public schools. The process is iterative and public, involving input from the public, practitioners, and experts in the given curriculum area in question. Notably, the Health Framework curriculum framework adoption in 2019 did not result in a subsequent successful instructional materials adoption, largely due to a lack of interest from publishers. The Budget Act of 2025 appropriated $1 million for a study to provide recommendations for how to improve and streamline California’s curriculum development and adoption process by January 1, 2027. This bill requires the IQC, upon the next revision of the health curriculum framework, to consider including heat-related illness educational content.

1. Related Legislation. AB 1766 (Krell), of the current legislative session, requires, during the next revision of the health framework, the IQC consider including, and recommending for adoption by the SBE, recommendations for local educational agencies local educational agencies on covering human trafficking prevention, staying safe from sexually exploitative materials, and skills-based content building protective factors such as healthy boundaries and digital citizenship.

AB 1792 (Michelle Rodriguez), of the current legislative session, requires, during the next revision of the health framework, the IQC consider including, and recommending for adoption by the SBE, specific content related to sexual health instruction to educate pupils about dating abuse and digital violence.

AB 86 (Boerner), of the current legislative session, would have required the SBE to adopt kindergarten through grade 8 health education instructional materials, on or before July 1, 2028. The Governor vetoed AB 86 suggesting that such proposals should only be considered after conclusion of the study authorized by the Budget Act of 2025 and encouraged local governing boards to use existing discretion to evaluate and select from materials aligned with state standards.

Analysis Prepared by: Aaron Heredia / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: March 18, 2026

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Darshana Patel, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1653 (

Author:Lackey) – As Introduced Ver:January 28, 2026

SUBJECT: Pupil instruction: health framework: heat illness

SUMMARY: Requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC), the next time the health curriculum framework is revised, to consider including specified content related to recognizing and responding to the signs and symptoms of heat illness. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires the IQC, during the next revision of the publication health framework, to consider including, and recommending for adoption by the State Board of Education (SBE), specific content related to recognizing and responding to the signs and symptoms of heat illness.
2. States that the signs and symptoms of heat illness include, but are not necessarily limited to:
3. A red or flushed face;
4. Nausea;
5. Muscle cramps;
6. Headache;
7. Dizziness;
8. Fatigue or weakness;
9. Confusion; and
10. Heavy sweating or the lack of sweating.
11. States that “responding to signs and symptoms of heat illness” includes, but is not necessarily limited to:
12. Stopping physical activity;
13. Seeking shade or a cool area;
14. Drinking water or otherwise hydrating;
15. Cooling the body; and
16. Notifying a teacher, staff member, or other responsible adult.

EXISTING LAW:

1. States that if a school district or charter school elects to offer any interscholastic athletic program, the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school must ensure that there is a written emergency action plan in place that describes the location and procedures to be followed in the event of medical emergencies, including heat illness, related to the athletic program’s activities or events. The written emergency action plan shall be posted in compliance with the most recent pertinent guidelines of the National Federation of State High School Associations. (Education Code 35179.4)
2. Establishes the High School Coaching Education Training Program (HSCTP), which is administered by school districts and includes training, which includes a basic understanding of the signs and symptoms of concussions and heat illness and the appropriate response to concussions and heat illness. Concussion or heat illness training may be fulfilled through entities offering free, online, or other types of training courses. (EC 35179.1)
3. Requires school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to develop, adopt, and implement standardized guidelines specifying temperature thresholds or index ratings that trigger modifications to pupil physical activities during extreme weather conditions. (EC 33355)

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS:

Need for the bill. The author states, “As temperatures continue to rise across our state and nation, protecting the health and safety of our students must remain a top priority. Extreme heat is no longer a rare occurrence, it is a growing public health concern. Our children are especially vulnerable. Student athletes practicing outdoors, children waiting at bus stops, and students in classrooms without adequate cooling systems are all at risk. Yet heat illness is preventable when individuals understand the warning signs and know how to respond.

Education saves lives. By incorporating age-appropriate heat safety lessons into health education curriculum, we empower students with practical knowledge they can use immediately at school, at home, and in their communities. This bill is not about adding burden, it is about prevention. A few minutes of education can prevent emergency room visits, long-term health complications, and even fatalities. Heat illness is predictable. It is preventable. And with this legislation, it is teachable.”

Heat illness in the health content standards and curriculum framework. The current health education standards, adopted by the SBE in 2008, for grades 6-8, include a standard on identifying ways to reduce exposure to the sun, and the current health curriculum framework, adopted by the SBE in 2019, includes minimal content related to heat illness. In the grades 7-8 section the framework mentions sun safety as a health-management strategy.

Heat illness on the rise among children. A recent study published in American Pediatrics (Merritt, 2025) of heat-related illness trends found that as extreme summer temperatures become more frequent due to a changing climate, there is an increased risk of heat-related morbidity and mortality, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children.

The authors conducted a retrospective study at a pediatric health care system in Utah with two large children’s hospitals to identify emergency department (ED) encounters with a heat-related ED diagnosis from May to September from 2012 to 2023. Aggregate heat-related illness encounters, as a proportion of total ED encounters, increased 170% between 2012 and 2023.

More students will be subject to extreme heat. According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), climate change is leading to higher temperatures, more often and of longer duration. In California, between 2010–2020, there was an average of more than 5,000 emergency department visits and 60 deaths per year due to heat-related illness. Among teenage athletes, heat-related illness is a leading cause of death. All youth and student athletes are susceptible to the risks of exercising in a hot environment, particularly those participating in high-exertion sports.

According to the California Data Initiative, led by the organization Ten Strands, by 2025, at least 16 counties will have over 120 days of high heat, leaving at least 1.6 million students extremely vulnerable to heat related illnesses for a significant portion of the school year. 

• Counties with the most projected heat days in all decades above 87 degrees, and above the high heat threshold: Inyo, Imperial, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino.
• Counties with a significant increase in high heat days above current: Alameda, Contra Costa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, San Joaquin, Sonoma, and Ventura. 
• Other Counties who will have both a high number of heat days and will see a significant increase in days include: Colusa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Merced, Mono, Sacramento, San Diego, Sutter, Tulare, Ventura, and Yolo.

The CDPH notes that schools need to have natural and built cooling infrastructure in place to keep kids safe both indoors and outdoors for instruction, eating, and play. They note that schools cannot afford to cancel school due to high heat disaster days, and students cannot afford the potential amount of learning loss they will incur if schools continue to remain unprepared to mitigate high heat temperatures indoors and outdoors. 

CDPH guidance and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) policy for school athletics during extreme heat. In 2023, the CDPH issued guidance for schools on sports and strenuous activities during extreme heat, which covers risks, prevention, and signs and symptoms of heat illness.

Additionally, AB 1653 (Sanchez), Chapter 589, Statutes of 2023, required the California Interscholastic Federation, in consultation with the CDE, to develop guidelines, procedures, and safety standards for the prevention and management of exertional heat illness. The CIF maintains the Extreme Heat and Air Quality Policy, to which all CIF member schools must adhere.

Emergency action plans include heat illness. Existing law requires, if a school district or charter school elects to offer any interscholastic athletic program, the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school to ensure that there is a written emergency action plan in place that describes the location and procedures to be followed in the event of medical emergencies, or heat illness.

California’s Extreme Heat Action Plan. Existing law requires the Natural Resources Agency to update the state’s climate adaptation strategy every three years. In updating the strategy, the need for an interagency approach to extreme heat was identified, and therefore the state updated its extreme heat guidance and recommendations to create California’s Extreme Heat Action Plan. California’s Extreme Heat Action Plan was released by the Natural Resources Agency in April, 2022. The plan provides a strategic and comprehensive set of state actions to adapt and build resilience to extreme heat, including supporting climate-smart planning in heat-vulnerable schools, promoting climate-appropriate shade tree cover and schools, and promoting increased use of green barriers between agricultural fields and schools.

Content Standards, Frameworks, and Model Curricula. The Legislature has vested the IQC and the SBE with the authority to develop and adopt state curriculum and instructional materials. The IQC develops curriculum frameworks in each subject by convening expert panels, developing drafts, and holding public hearings to solicit input. Changes are frequently made in response to public comment. The SBE then adopts the frameworks in a public meeting. The SBE also adopts, in a public process, instructional materials aligned to those frameworks for grades K-8. School district governing boards and charter schools then adopt instructional materials aligned to these standards and frameworks. This process has traditionally occurred on a regular schedule, giving schools a predictable timetable to plan and budget for changes to the curriculum. Local adoption of new curricula involves significant local costs, including resources for professional development.

These existing processes involve practitioners and experts who have an in-depth understanding of curriculum and instruction, including the full scope and sequence of the curriculum in each subject and at each grade level, constraints on instructional time and resources, and the relationship of curriculum to state assessments and other measures of student progress.

Curriculum development and adoption process under review. The 2025-26 budget, through AB 121 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 8, Statutes of 2025, included $1 million for a study on the processes by which other states develop curriculum guidance, and to make recommendations about how to improve and streamline California’s processes. This report is to be completed by January 1, 2027.

The report is required to include, among other topics:

• The roles and responsibilities of the CDE, the IQC, the SBE, the Legislature, LEAs, educators, parents and guardians, and the public; and
• The processes and cycles for developing, revising, and adopting content standards, curriculum frameworks, and other instructional guidance, and how available instructional time in elementary and secondary schools is considered.

Governor’s veto message states that changes to curriculum should wait until curriculum study is complete and recommendations adopted. In 2025, the Governor vetoed AB 86 (Boerner), which would have

required the SBE to adopt instructional materials for health education for kindergarten through 8th grade, on or before July 1, 2028, with the following message:

The Budget Act of 2025 authorized a Curriculum Guidance Study to evaluate and improve the current state-level curriculum guidance adoption process to improve efficiency and consistency across all content areas. Proposals like AB 86 should only be considered after this study is complete and changes to the process are adopted. In the meantime, local governing boards continue to have the authority to evaluate and select a range of materials that align with the state standards and the associated curriculum framework.

Two-house curriculum bill policies. For several Sessions, the Assembly and Senate Education Committees have adopted identical policies on curriculum measures. These policies state, in part:

• The Committee strongly discourages the introduction of measures which require, or require consideration of, modifications to state curriculum through changes to the curriculum framework, or the course of study, which require that specific curriculum be taught, or which require the development of new model curricula or any other state-adopted curriculum.
• The Committee encourages Members to engage in the existing administrative processes for modifying state curricula. Members may wish, for example, to provide written comments or public testimony to the Instructional Quality Commission, the State Board of Education, or the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Committee staff can share a model letter to the Instructional Quality Commission. Members may also wish to engage with the Legislative Members who are appointed to serve on the Instructional Quality Commission, or to engage in the Legislature’s oversight or appointment processes for this purpose.

The policies also state that bills proposing changes to the curriculum frameworks, instructional materials, or the course of study shall either request or require that the IQC consider including content not already included in the existing or draft curriculum frameworks, instructional materials, the course of study, model curricula or any other state-adopted curriculum, to be added in the next regularly scheduled revision of a framework. The Committee may wish to consider that this bill conforms to this provision.

Recommended Committee amendments. Staff recommends that the bill be amended to add 1) prevention of heat illness, and 2) the CDPH guidance and the CIF heat policy, to the content the IQC would be required to consider adding to the Framework.

Arguments in support. The California School Nurses Organization writes, “Children are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses due to their developing bodies, higher metabolic rates, and reliance on adults to monitor and regulate their activities. Conditions such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke can escalate quickly, often beginning with subtle symptoms such as dizziness, excessive sweating, or fatigue, and progressing to confusion, nausea, or loss of consciousness. Prompt recognition and intervention are essential to preventing serious medical emergencies. CSNO believes all students should have the tools and education necessary to recognize the signs and symptoms of heat illness.

At CSNO, we recognize that awareness is the best form of defense when it comes to protecting both students and staff from the dangers of heat-related illness. AB 1653 strikes the appropriate balance of drawing attention to an important issue without putting undue burden on our schools.”

Related legislation. AB 1653 (Sanchez), Chapter 589, Statutes of 2023, requires the California Interscholastic Foundation (CIF), in consultation with the California Department of Education (CDE), to develop guidelines, procedures and safety standards for monitoring the safety of practice and play when wet bulb globe thermometer (WBGT) readings reach specified levels, no later than July 1, 2024; and requires the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school to ensure that there is a written emergency action plan in place that describes the location and procedures to be followed in the event of heat illness related to the athletic program's activities or events.

SB 499 (Menjivar) of the 2023-24 Session would have required every school in the state, contingent on appropriation, to develop and implement an extreme heat action plan. The bill would also have required every school to replace outdoor surfaces with more heat resistant materials the next time the school replaces an outdoor surface. This bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

SB 394 (Gonzalez) of the 2023-24 Session would require, upon an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, the California Energy Commission (CEC), in consultation with the CDE, Division of the State Architect (DSA), OPSC, and NRA, to facilitate an interagency process and stakeholder engagement to develop a Master Plan for Healthy, Sustainable, and Climate-Resilient Schools.

AB 2800 (Chu), Chapter 21, Statutes of 2021, adds basic understanding of the signs and symptoms of, and appropriate responses to, heat illness, to the training component of the 1998 HSCTP.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

Alameda County Office of Education
California School Nurses Organization

1 individual

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Tanya Lieberman / ED. / (916) 319-2087

Date of Hearing: March 18, 2026

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Al Muratsuchi, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1653 (

Author:Lackey) – As Introduced Ver:January 28, 2026

SUBJECT: Pupil instruction: health framework: heat illness

SUMMARY: Requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC), the next time the health curriculum framework is revised, to consider including specified content related to recognizing and responding to the signs and symptoms of heat illness. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires the IQC, during the next revision of the publication health framework, to consider including, and recommending for adoption by the State Board of Education (SBE), specific content related to recognizing and responding to the signs and symptoms of heat illness.
2. States that the signs and symptoms of heat illness include, but are not necessarily limited to:
3. A red or flushed face;
4. Nausea;
5. Muscle cramps;
6. Headache;
7. Dizziness;
8. Fatigue or weakness;
9. Confusion; and
10. Heavy sweating or the lack of sweating.
11. States that “responding to signs and symptoms of heat illness” includes, but is not necessarily limited to:
12. Stopping physical activity;
13. Seeking shade or a cool area;
14. Drinking water or otherwise hydrating;
15. Cooling the body; and
16. Notifying a teacher, staff member, or other responsible adult.

EXISTING LAW:

1. States that if a school district or charter school elects to offer any interscholastic athletic program, the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school must ensure that there is a written emergency action plan in place that describes the location and procedures to be followed in the event of medical emergencies, including heat illness, related to the athletic program’s activities or events. The written emergency action plan shall be posted in compliance with the most recent pertinent guidelines of the National Federation of State High School Associations. (Education Code 35179.4)
2. Establishes the High School Coaching Education Training Program (HSCTP), which is administered by school districts and includes training, which includes a basic understanding of the signs and symptoms of concussions and heat illness and the appropriate response to concussions and heat illness. Concussion or heat illness training may be fulfilled through entities offering free, online, or other types of training courses. (EC 35179.1)
3. Requires school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to develop, adopt, and implement standardized guidelines specifying temperature thresholds or index ratings that trigger modifications to pupil physical activities during extreme weather conditions. (EC 33355)

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS:

Need for the bill. The author states, “As temperatures continue to rise across our state and nation, protecting the health and safety of our students must remain a top priority. Extreme heat is no longer a rare occurrence, it is a growing public health concern. Our children are especially vulnerable. Student athletes practicing outdoors, children waiting at bus stops, and students in classrooms without adequate cooling systems are all at risk. Yet heat illness is preventable when individuals understand the warning signs and know how to respond.

Education saves lives. By incorporating age-appropriate heat safety lessons into health education curriculum, we empower students with practical knowledge they can use immediately at school, at home, and in their communities. This bill is not about adding burden, it is about prevention. A few minutes of education can prevent emergency room visits, long-term health complications, and even fatalities. Heat illness is predictable. It is preventable. And with this legislation, it is teachable.”

Heat illness in the health content standards and curriculum framework. The current health education standards, adopted by the SBE in 2008, for grades 6-8, include a standard on identifying ways to reduce exposure to the sun, and the current health curriculum framework, adopted by the SBE in 2019, includes minimal content related to heat illness. In the grades 7-8 section the framework mentions sun safety as a health-management strategy.

Heat illness on the rise among children. A recent study published in American Pediatrics (Merritt, 2025) of heat-related illness trends found that as extreme summer temperatures become more frequent due to a changing climate, there is an increased risk of heat-related morbidity and mortality, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children.

The authors conducted a retrospective study at a pediatric health care system in Utah with two large children’s hospitals to identify emergency department (ED) encounters with a heat-related ED diagnosis from May to September from 2012 to 2023. Aggregate heat-related illness encounters, as a proportion of total ED encounters, increased 170% between 2012 and 2023.

More students will be subject to extreme heat. According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), climate change is leading to higher temperatures, more often and of longer duration. In California, between 2010–2020, there was an average of more than 5,000 emergency department visits and 60 deaths per year due to heat-related illness. Among teenage athletes, heat-related illness is a leading cause of death. All youth and student athletes are susceptible to the risks of exercising in a hot environment, particularly those participating in high-exertion sports.

According to the California Data Initiative, led by the organization Ten Strands, by 2025, at least 16 counties will have over 120 days of high heat, leaving at least 1.6 million students extremely vulnerable to heat related illnesses for a significant portion of the school year. 

• Counties with the most projected heat days in all decades above 87 degrees, and above the high heat threshold: Inyo, Imperial, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino.
• Counties with a significant increase in high heat days above current: Alameda, Contra Costa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, San Joaquin, Sonoma, and Ventura. 
• Other Counties who will have both a high number of heat days and will see a significant increase in days include: Colusa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Merced, Mono, Sacramento, San Diego, Sutter, Tulare, Ventura, and Yolo.

The CDPH notes that schools need to have natural and built cooling infrastructure in place to keep kids safe both indoors and outdoors for instruction, eating, and play. They note that schools cannot afford to cancel school due to high heat disaster days, and students cannot afford the potential amount of learning loss they will incur if schools continue to remain unprepared to mitigate high heat temperatures indoors and outdoors. 

CDPH guidance and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) policy for school athletics during extreme heat. In 2023, the CDPH issued guidance for schools on sports and strenuous activities during extreme heat, which covers risks, prevention, and signs and symptoms of heat illness.

Additionally, AB 1653 (Sanchez), Chapter 589, Statutes of 2023, required the California Interscholastic Federation, in consultation with the CDE, to develop guidelines, procedures, and safety standards for the prevention and management of exertional heat illness. The CIF maintains the Extreme Heat and Air Quality Policy, to which all CIF member schools must adhere.

Emergency action plans include heat illness. Existing law requires, if a school district or charter school elects to offer any interscholastic athletic program, the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school to ensure that there is a written emergency action plan in place that describes the location and procedures to be followed in the event of medical emergencies, or heat illness.

California’s Extreme Heat Action Plan. Existing law requires the Natural Resources Agency to update the state’s climate adaptation strategy every three years. In updating the strategy, the need for an interagency approach to extreme heat was identified, and therefore the state updated its extreme heat guidance and recommendations to create California’s Extreme Heat Action Plan. California’s Extreme Heat Action Plan was released by the Natural Resources Agency in April, 2022. The plan provides a strategic and comprehensive set of state actions to adapt and build resilience to extreme heat, including supporting climate-smart planning in heat-vulnerable schools, promoting climate-appropriate shade tree cover and schools, and promoting increased use of green barriers between agricultural fields and schools.

Content Standards, Frameworks, and Model Curricula. The Legislature has vested the IQC and the SBE with the authority to develop and adopt state curriculum and instructional materials. The IQC develops curriculum frameworks in each subject by convening expert panels, developing drafts, and holding public hearings to solicit input. Changes are frequently made in response to public comment. The SBE then adopts the frameworks in a public meeting. The SBE also adopts, in a public process, instructional materials aligned to those frameworks for grades K-8. School district governing boards and charter schools then adopt instructional materials aligned to these standards and frameworks. This process has traditionally occurred on a regular schedule, giving schools a predictable timetable to plan and budget for changes to the curriculum. Local adoption of new curricula involves significant local costs, including resources for professional development.

These existing processes involve practitioners and experts who have an in-depth understanding of curriculum and instruction, including the full scope and sequence of the curriculum in each subject and at each grade level, constraints on instructional time and resources, and the relationship of curriculum to state assessments and other measures of student progress.

Curriculum development and adoption process under review. The 2025-26 budget, through AB 121 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 8, Statutes of 2025, included $1 million for a study on the processes by which other states develop curriculum guidance, and to make recommendations about how to improve and streamline California’s processes. This report is to be completed by January 1, 2027.

The report is required to include, among other topics:

• The roles and responsibilities of the CDE, the IQC, the SBE, the Legislature, LEAs, educators, parents and guardians, and the public; and
• The processes and cycles for developing, revising, and adopting content standards, curriculum frameworks, and other instructional guidance, and how available instructional time in elementary and secondary schools is considered.

Governor’s veto message states that changes to curriculum should wait until curriculum study is complete and recommendations adopted. In 2025, the Governor vetoed AB 86 (Boerner), which would have

required the SBE to adopt instructional materials for health education for kindergarten through 8th grade, on or before July 1, 2028, with the following message:

The Budget Act of 2025 authorized a Curriculum Guidance Study to evaluate and improve the current state-level curriculum guidance adoption process to improve efficiency and consistency across all content areas. Proposals like AB 86 should only be considered after this study is complete and changes to the process are adopted. In the meantime, local governing boards continue to have the authority to evaluate and select a range of materials that align with the state standards and the associated curriculum framework.

Two-house curriculum bill policies. For several Sessions, the Assembly and Senate Education Committees have adopted identical policies on curriculum measures. These policies state, in part:

• The Committee strongly discourages the introduction of measures which require, or require consideration of, modifications to state curriculum through changes to the curriculum framework, or the course of study, which require that specific curriculum be taught, or which require the development of new model curricula or any other state-adopted curriculum.
• The Committee encourages Members to engage in the existing administrative processes for modifying state curricula. Members may wish, for example, to provide written comments or public testimony to the Instructional Quality Commission, the State Board of Education, or the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Committee staff can share a model letter to the Instructional Quality Commission. Members may also wish to engage with the Legislative Members who are appointed to serve on the Instructional Quality Commission, or to engage in the Legislature’s oversight or appointment processes for this purpose.

The policies also state that bills proposing changes to the curriculum frameworks, instructional materials, or the course of study shall either request or require that the IQC consider including content not already included in the existing or draft curriculum frameworks, instructional materials, the course of study, model curricula or any other state-adopted curriculum, to be added in the next regularly scheduled revision of a framework. The Committee may wish to consider that this bill conforms to this provision.

Recommended Committee amendments. Staff recommends that the bill be amended to add 1) prevention of heat illness, and 2) the CDPH guidance and the CIF heat policy, to the content the IQC would be required to consider adding to the Framework.

Arguments in support. The California School Nurses Organization writes, “Children are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses due to their developing bodies, higher metabolic rates, and reliance on adults to monitor and regulate their activities. Conditions such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke can escalate quickly, often beginning with subtle symptoms such as dizziness, excessive sweating, or fatigue, and progressing to confusion, nausea, or loss of consciousness. Prompt recognition and intervention are essential to preventing serious medical emergencies. CSNO believes all students should have the tools and education necessary to recognize the signs and symptoms of heat illness.

At CSNO, we recognize that awareness is the best form of defense when it comes to protecting both students and staff from the dangers of heat-related illness. AB 1653 strikes the appropriate balance of drawing attention to an important issue without putting undue burden on our schools.”

Related legislation. AB 1653 (Sanchez), Chapter 589, Statutes of 2023, requires the California Interscholastic Foundation (CIF), in consultation with the California Department of Education (CDE), to develop guidelines, procedures and safety standards for monitoring the safety of practice and play when wet bulb globe thermometer (WBGT) readings reach specified levels, no later than July 1, 2024; and requires the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school to ensure that there is a written emergency action plan in place that describes the location and procedures to be followed in the event of heat illness related to the athletic program's activities or events.

SB 499 (Menjivar) of the 2023-24 Session would have required every school in the state, contingent on appropriation, to develop and implement an extreme heat action plan. The bill would also have required every school to replace outdoor surfaces with more heat resistant materials the next time the school replaces an outdoor surface. This bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

SB 394 (Gonzalez) of the 2023-24 Session would require, upon an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, the California Energy Commission (CEC), in consultation with the CDE, Division of the State Architect (DSA), OPSC, and NRA, to facilitate an interagency process and stakeholder engagement to develop a Master Plan for Healthy, Sustainable, and Climate-Resilient Schools.

AB 2800 (Chu), Chapter 21, Statutes of 2021, adds basic understanding of the signs and symptoms of, and appropriate responses to, heat illness, to the training component of the 1998 HSCTP.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

Alameda County Office of Education
California School Nurses Organization

1 individual

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Tanya Lieberman / ED. / (916) 319-2087