Assembly Standing Committee on Education

Good afternoon, everyone. I'm calling this hearing of the assembly education committee to order. We will begin this committee as a subcommittee and take votes once we establish a quorum. At this time, I would like to welcome committee members. We have, a committee member here, and, and welcome to the public for attending our hearing today.

We have 15 bills on file. And, unusually, we have a tip an atypical number on consent. There are 11 bills on consent. They are SB 945, SB 959, SB 1017 with amendments, SB 1058, SB 1133, SB 1188, SB 1347, SB 1378 with amendments, SB 1381 with amendments, SB 1412 with amendments, SB 1443.

And what that means is next hearing will be a little bit longer. Assembly member Zbur and assembly member Alvarez are not able to be present today, and assembly member Ahrens has been appointed to serve on the committee for this hearing. As a reminder, for each bill, we will have up to two witnesses in support and opposition. Each witness may speak for up to two minutes. Members of the public in the hearing room will have an opportunity to state their position. Please state your name, your affiliation, and position on the bill only.

Members of the public are also welcome to provide comment through the position letter portal on the committee's website. Before we begin, I do have a a statement to read regarding conduct at our hearings. We seek to protect the rights of all who participate in the legislative process so that we can have effective deliberation and decisions on the critical issues facing California.

As we proceed with the witness and public comment, I wanna make sure that everyone understands that the assembly has rules to ensure we maintain order and run an efficient and fair hearing. We apply these rules consistently to all people who participate in our proceedings regardless of the viewpoint that they express.

In order to facilitate the goal of the hearing as much and hear as much from the public within the limits of our time, we will not permit conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of legislative proceedings. We will not accept disruptive behavior or behavior that incites or threatens violence. The rules for today's hearing include no talking or loud noises from the audience. Public comment may be provided only at the designated time and place and as permitted by the chair.

Public comment must relate to the subject being discussed today, and no engaging in conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of this hearing.

Please be aware that violations of these rules may subject you to removal or other enforcement actions. And with that, we will begin with file item one, SB 608, Senator Menjivar. Please proceed when you're ready. And as a reminder, your witnesses will have two minutes each. Thank you.

Subcommittee, I'm here to present SB 608. As the Chair just mentioned, this is my third attempt at this bill. However, for the past two years, we have secured funding for the bill. Then now, we just need to get the bill passed and signed by the governor.

So first, I will be taking the committee amendments to update some of the terminology that is now being used that-- it was outdated in a previous version of my bill. SB 608 at the core is looking to protect what the analysis so beautifully mentioned, the increase of STIs amongst young people. As the analysis noted, close to 50% of the cases, as most recently data shows, are being accounted by young individuals, and the lack of equitable access to condoms and protection across California is attributable to that increase of representation of them in that data.

So SB 608 is looking to do a couple of things. Under the purview of this committee, I'll focus on the education part of it, is that we're looking to ensure that schools, grade 7 to 12, cannot prevent health centers from making them accessible for the students and cannot prevent from condoms being provided during an educational, public health, educational forum, or conversation should a student ask for them.

Outside of the purview here, the other provision that the committee does-- that the bill does, is that it prevents retailers, pharmacies from asking for identification to prove their age, knowing that there is no age verification law in California of how old you have to be to seek out contraceptions at these locations. Madam Chair, I'd now like to turn it over to my two witnesses in support of this bill.

Oh, last thing this bill does-- so sorry. I apologize. Pertinent to this committee is, we're providing authority to the Department of Education to comply with bills that have been passed in this space, the California Healthy Youth Act.

Good afternoon, Chair Patel.

You will need to turn your microphone on.

I apologize for that. Good afternoon, Chair Patel and Assembly Members. My name is Joaquin Avalos, and I have just completed my junior year at Da Vinci High School located in Hawthorne, California in LA County, and I'm here today on behalf of hundreds of students that are in strong support of Senate Bill 608. Me, myself, I work very hard to be healthy, and a part of that is to understand how STIs actually work and how comprehensive sex education can help me and my friends become healthier.

Expanding access to condoms in schools and communities and actually implementing comprehensive sex education would support us to lead healthy lives. California youth, and in particular, youth of color like me and most of my high school students, are disproportionately affected by the STI crisis. I know for a fact that students in my high school experience difficulties while trying to purchase condoms. For example, some are judged, some are asked for IDs, some are shamed, and some are even harassed in the process.

Youth with low incomes are often left without the option to regularly use condoms to protect their health and to prevent unintended pregnancy from occurring just because of the cost. My peers and I need comprehensive sex education to make informed choices about our health and our lives. You all are the leaders that can change this. California sex education-- oh. California needs you to take more action. Senate Bill 608 is a solution to this problem. California's youth deserves access. On behalf of students in California, I respectfully urge your aye vote. Thank you very much for your time.

Good afternoon, Dr. Patel--it's really good to see you--and committee members. My name is Stephanie Ocampo, and I am on Board of Directors for the California School-Based Health Alliance. I was also here last year as well advocating for this. California School-Based Health Alliance supports 450 school-based health centers and wellness centers in K-12 schools across California and is also a co-sponsor of this Senate Bill 608, the Youth Equity and Access Act.

While the California Health Youth Act already guarantees students the right to medically accurate sexual health education, SB 608 is the necessary step because it acknowledges without-- it acknowledges without access leaves young people unprotected. Together, these policies provide a coherent, evidence-based framework. The California School-Based Health Alliance knows that the school-based health centers serve as a trusted accessible source of clarity and care for the environment.

They provide comprehensive healthcare, including confidential reproductive healthcare to students who would otherwise face significant barriers to accessing care. But we still need to do more. According to the CDC's Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, in 2023, 21% of California high school students were sexually active and 52% of them did not use a condom during their last sexual intercourse.

I would also like to say that a part of this statistic as well, I was also a young mother and I got pregnant at 15. So this bill is extremely important to me. Why is this? Teens are often shamed, harassed, and discriminated against when they try to buy condoms.

Sometimes they are asked to show an ID or denied services because we appear to be too young. Despite the fact that there are no age requirements for condom or contraceptive purchases, for students in low-income communities or areas with high STI rates, these barriers are compounded by lack of transportation, lack of privacy, and lack of resources.

You're out of time. Please wind it up.

Okay. And I would respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

At this point, we'll take any public comments in support. As a reminder, name, affiliation, and position on the bill only. Thank you.

Chair and members, Kathy Mossberg, on behalf of APLA Health and San Francisco AIDS Foundation, both in support.

Angelo Pontes, on behalf of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, in support.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair and members. Tristan Brown of CFT, A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals, here in support.

Nicole Wordelman, on behalf of the Children's Partnership, in support.

Good afternoon, Chair and members. Karen Stout, here on behalf of the California Nurse Midwives Association, in support. Thank you.

Hello. Kelly Mac Millan, on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics California, in support.

Good afternoon. Bindu Mukkamala, on behalf of the National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter, in strong support.

Symphoni Barbee, on behalf of the ACLU Cal Action, in support. Thank you.

Good afternoon. Mclean Rozansky with the Alameda County Office of Education, in support.

Madam Chair and members, Rand Martin, on behalf of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in support. Thank you.

Good afternoon. Alejandro Solis, on behalf of CPCA Advocates, in support. Thank you.

Seeing no other public comments, at this time, I would invite two witnesses in opposition to please step forward. As a reminder, you have two minutes. You may proceed when ready.

Chair and members, my name is Greg Burt with the California Family Council, and we're in opposition to SB 608. First, parental authority. California law already gives parents a limited opt-out from sex education. SB 608 builds a separate channel for handing out contraception entirely outside of that framework. Under this bill, a 7th grader could attain condoms at school with no parental notification at all.

Parents are the constitutional recognized primary decision-makers for their child's health and moral formation, and courts have affirmed that authority for decades. This bill violates these rights. It also strips the decision from local school districts. A community that believes handing out condoms to 12-year-olds is a bad idea can say so today through its elected school board. SB 608 takes that choice away and imposes one answer on every district no matter what the local parents want.

The public health record cuts against this bill too. The CDC's own Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that early sexual initiation correlates with more sexual partners and higher risk behavior. Teens who delay do better. SB 608 pushes the opposite direction by normalizing early sexual activity, and it treats condom access as if it were disease prevention and it's not. The CDC is clear that condoms reduce but do not eliminate the risk, and they are much less effective on skin to skin infections like HPV, herpes, and syphilis.

California is in a congenital syphilis epidemic right now. Handing condoms to minors without honestly communicating these limits creates a false sense of security. Abstinence remains the only method that is 100% effective. Honest policy should say so. We urge you to invest instead in strengthening the parent-child communication and encouraging self-control.

You are at time. Please wrap it up.

We ask you to oppose this bill. Thanks so much.

Thank you. At this time, we'll take public comments in opposition. As a reminder, name, affiliation, and position on the bill only. Thank you.

Hello. Brock Campbell from the California Baptist Capitol Ministry. On behalf of six California Baptist churches--Ridgewood Heights in Eureka, Faith in Sheridan, Calvary in American Canyon, New Testament in Hanford, Faith in Atascadero, and Lighthouse in Santa Maria--we're in opposition.

Hello. Emily Campbell with the California Baptist Capitol Ministry. On behalf of these five California Baptist churches--South Coast in Santa Barbara, Freedom's Way in Santa Clarita, Mountain Avenue in Banning, Solid Rock in Bellflower, and Silicon Valley Chinese Baptist in Santa Clara--oppose.

Damian Julian, full-time college student, in opposition.

Pastor Brandon Campbell, California Baptists for Biblical Values and Pastor of the Faith Baptist Church in Sheridan, California, in opposition.

Christine Campbell, in opposition.

Sara Bachez with Children Now, in support. Sorry for the late--

Seeing no further comment in opposition, I will bring it back to the dais. Are there any questions at this time on AB 608? Seeing none, we have not established a quorum yet, so we will put this on call. Would you like to close?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll use this close to address some of the concerns from the opposition. I don't want 7th graders to be engaged in sexual activity. I don't think anyone wants that. I also am-- I also disagree that if an individual gets pregnant at that age, they won't be successful.

I have a young lady to the right of me who is testifying in the California State Senate who was a teen mom and is part of a national state-led organization who is successful in her own right. So I think I also wanna denounce that kind of accusation. What is happening is that not every single kid is telling their parent that they're gonna be engaging in sexual activity. We are not next to every single minor 24/7.

The current chair of this committee has kids that by default says that she is not with her kids at this very moment, and while parents are-- do their best to stay on top of what their kids are doing, we were all young once, and I got away with a lot of things that my mom to this day does not know.

So we recognize that it is naive to think that we can control the entire actions of a young individual, but what we can do is, when they make that personal hard decision to engage in sexual activity at whatever age, that they have the resources necessary to stay safe because I don't think we can prevent them from engaging, but we can provide them with the tools to be safe and not be part of the one half, the 50% of the STI cases that fall between the ages of 15 and 24. This is a step in the right direction.

This is not the end-all to all teen pregnancies, this is not the end-all to all STIs, but it does help to curve those STIs and to perhaps not have-- then, as you'll notice, we already have a decline in teen pregnancies, but this will help with the STIs. With that, respectfully asking for an aye vote when appropriate.

Thank you. We will now move on to File Item Five, and that is SB 965, Senator Blakespear. Please remember to turn your own microphone on when ready. You may proceed whenever ready, and as a reminder, your witnesses have two minutes each. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you, chair. Hello, colleagues. I rise to present SB 965, which will make it easier for 16 and 17 year olds to get library cards. I gladly accept the committee's amendments.

SB 965 would simply prohibit libraries from requiring a parent to be physically present for a 16 or 17 year old to get a library card. Recently, my son needed to get a public library card for a school research assignment. Unfortunately, we learned that a parent had to be there in person. Our son is independent and responsible. He works a job, has a driver's license, drives himself regularly to and from school and work.

And furthermore, I provide him permission for all sorts of other activities simply by signing a form or providing approval through email or online. The requirement that I physically go to the library with him is burdensome and outdated and presents an unnecessary barrier to library use for youth. This doesn't just impact my family. His teacher and the school's principal is here today to share how students have had this problem for years.

When I looked into this issue further, I learned that libraries all over the state have highly variable rules on how young adults can access the library.

Some of them are far less restrictive than the one that we went to in Carlsbad. My bill removes one common restriction used by some libraries that simply shouldn't be there. This bill maintains local control. Libraries can still set their own policies, such as who is liable for any damage to any library materials. Libraries can even continue to require a parent or guardian signature or consent, just not the parent's physical presence.

We want to encourage teenagers to go to the library to check out books, and we should make it as easy as possible. I worked closely with the California Library Association to make sure that this policy works on the ground and does not create additional administrative burdens.

With me to testify in support, I have SB 965 or in support of SB 965, I have Alicia Temby, principal and teacher at the Grauer School, and Esme McCreary, a student at the Grauer School as well.

Before you get started, I would like to have the secretary call the roll to establish a quorum.

[Roll Call]

We have a quorum. You may begin your witness testimony.

Good afternoon, assembly members, and thank you, Senator Blake Spear. Thank you to two of my students, Azmi McCrary and Zaid Nazif, for being here in support of SB 965. My name is Alicia Temby, and I'm a US history teacher and principal at the Grauer School in Encinitas. My educational philosophy hinges upon giving students a voice and helping them develop their confidence. I do this through teaching core values and providing ample opportunities for students to engage in Socratic discussions and expeditionary learning.

A key lever in accomplishing this is allowing students to become experts on topics they're passionate about. Public libraries are an important vehicle through which this can happen. My students engage in a six week long research paper. I require them to use at least two books, so we take a field trip to a local library. The majority of my students drive and easily could get a library card on their own.

However, requiring an in person signature from a parent means 30 to 50% of my students are unable to get a library card. The academic books needed for the research paper are not easily found through online retailers. Unfortunately, these students then have to rely on digital resources that are not as in-depth, have to spend more time online, which I try to avoid when possible, and cannot fulfill a key part of the project.

Partnerships between local libraries and secondary schools should be fostered, and this bill moves the needle in the right direction. As a society that is leaning more and more towards sound bites and tweets and further away from long form writing, we should do everything we can to make books accessible to young people.

It is up to us to create a more informed citizenry that sees value in developing expertise through books. Teachers like me who rely on local libraries for projects would benefit from a simplified process. Thank you.

Thank you, Alicia. Good afternoon. My name is Esme McCrory, and I am a rising senior at the Grauer School in Encinitas. SB 965 is important to me because I've dealt firsthand with the effects of the restricted access to library cards. This February, my US history teacher, Alicia Tembi, assigned a research paper on a topic of our choosing related to World War two.

We had to use primary sources and secondary sources from our local library. I was motivated and excited to take a deeper look into Japanese internment camps. I knew the library would provide me with a wide array of resources to help me become an expert.

We were told to obtain library cards prior to the field trip to the library. This should have been an easy task for me to accomplish on my own. However, library rules required my parent to be present. This task was not as simple as it sounds. I have younger brothers who participate in high commitment sports requiring significant transportation assistance from my parents.

Additionally, I have my own sports and school commitments. There's no time in which my parents and my own schedule would line up. Due to this, I was unable to participate in the assignment to my full potential. Instead, I had to rely on my classmates' books and online resources, stripping away the main goal of the assignment that was to independently find resources and not rely solely on our devices to the extent our society already does.

I encourage you to consider my story when voting on this bill. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony at this time. We'll take any public comment in support. Name, affiliation, and position. Thank you.

Thank you, madam chair. Tristan Brown, CFT in support.

Sara Bachez with children now in support.

Mario Guerrero with California Faculty Association in support.

Thank you. At this time, are there any witnesses in opposition? Please step forward.

Tweener position, madam chair, if I may. Good afternoon, madam chair and members. I'm Christina Di Caro representing the California Library Association. The California Library Association has officially removed its opposed position on this bill, the May '26 version of the bill which is before you today. We also fully support the inclusion of the proposed committee amendments pertaining to the emancipated youth. We want to thank the Senator and her excellent, excellent staff for working with us for months and months to try to craft something that would work on the ground for public libraries.

So thank you so much. With this, we are neutral today.

Thank you for that Tweener input. At this time, are there any public comments in opposition? Seeing none, I will bring it back to the dais. Do we have any comments from members? Thank you.

We have a motion in a second. I wanna thank you, Esme McCreary, for being with us here today. Did I get your name right? It's it's very important that we engage public, especially our youth in the civic process. Certainly, we want to encourage our young folk to use the library more and to search for those primary sources.

And oftentimes, books are the most vetted sources in publication. So learning how that process works is very critical. Can I ask you, when you were a young person seeking that library card, and library use, what did you most often go to the library for?

Well, I was unable to obtain the library card for the field trip because it just didn't happen in time. However, I did go and attend with my friends, and we were able to go to the study rooms and kind of study there and do some research, looked at more books. And that was really fun, but I kinda felt like I was relying on everyone else, which was kinda hard.

But, yeah, it was really important to, like I have older sisters who are in college, and they like to go to the library and study and stuff. So I just wanted to do more stuff like that.

So then what was your work around to be able to complete your assignment?

Well, I attended the field trip. However, I picked out books, and I had my friends rent it out for me. Then I had to find more resources online rather than doing the actual physical book.

So thank you for being clever and finding an a way to complete your assignment, but how unfortunate that you were not able to do it directly yourself. So, hopefully, with this bill, we will be able to correct that for future students. Thank you. With that, seeing no further comments, we have a motion and a second. Senator, would you like to close?

Yes. Thank you very much for your support of this bill, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Excellent. Madam secretary, would you please call the roll?

File item five, SB 965. The motion is do pass as amended to appropriations. [Roll Call]

The bill has six zero votes.

It and we'll relieve the we'll leave the roll open for votes. Thank you. At this time, we'll revisit file item one. Do we have a motion? That was SB 608. There's a motion and a second. Madam secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

That is four to one. The bill is on call. At this point, we have file item six, and that is SB 998, Senator Gonzalez. You may bring your witnesses forward at this time. You will have to turn your own microphone on.

You may start when ready, and your witnesses each have two minutes. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair and members. I want to begin by accepting the committee amendments and thank the committee staff for their collaboration. I'm here to present Senate Bill 998, which defines the roles and responsibilities of five Discrimination Prevention Coordinators housed in the newly created Office of Civil Rights at the Government Operations Agency. GovOps last year, in collaboration with the chairs of the AAPI, Black, and LGBTQ Caucuses, the Legislature passed SB 48, establishing four Discrimination Prevention Coordinators.

SB 998 fulfills our commitment to follow-up legislation, clarifying coordinator roles, and ensuring these positions have the tools to do their jobs effectively.

Additionally, the bill adds a new coordinator focused on disability discrimination prevention and creates four deputy coordinators on anti-Black racism, anti-Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander discrimination, anti-Latino discrimination, and anti-Native American discrimination. Each coordinator will work with local educational agencies, upon request, to ensure administrators are equipped to proactively identify and address incidents involving discrimination based on the protected characteristics outlined in Section 220.

A school's culture and climate shape everything, and SB 998 strengthens the foundation by equipping educators with restorative justice practices, cultural competency training, and providing tailored student services. With me to testify in support is Beth Graves Meyerhoff, Senior Attorney from Public Counsel, as well as John Garcia, Director of Youth and Family Programs from the Sacramento LGBT Center, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Please.

Good afternoon, chair and members. My name is Beth Graves Meyerhoff, and I'm a Senior Attorney of Public Counsel, a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial, gender, and economic justice. Our education equity team serves many students of color, students with disabilities, and gender expansive youth experiencing racial, gender, or disability discrimination in school.

Our office has seen an exponential increase in the number of students seeking services after experiencing discrimination, often intersectional, leading to a devastating effect on a student's ability to thrive in school. The law prohibits discrimination. Nevertheless, discrimination in school happens. The California Department of Education's uniform complaint procedures process saw an upward trajectory in recent years of complaints based on protected status. In 2025, well over half of the education equity complaints filed with CDE span two or more protected categories.

SB 998 recognizes that students often fall into more than one protected class and ensures the coordinators for race, gender, LGBTQ plus, and disability create the intersectional framework our students desperately need. Federal rollbacks significantly impacted the Office for Civil Rights' capacity. In 2025, OCR received a record number of civil rights complaints yet dismissed upwards of 90% of individual discrimination complaints.

This bill is filling a vacuum by preventing discrimination and ensuring that schools have guidance and staff to provide clear direction on how to identify and address discrimination on the school campus. Every student has the right to feel safe and to be seen on a school campus.

Senate Bill 998 will help schools provide a place for students to learn and grow, free from discrimination and harassment. And I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Good afternoon. My name is Jon Garcia on behalf of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center. I also wanna assure that I was a previously a teacher for seven years. It's essential to have dedicated staff available to properly address and prevent discrimination from occurring while also promptly addressing these incidents as they happen. Emotional and physical safety are vital to young people's ability to learn and grow.

And I believe SB 998 is a massive step towards supporting student development. All staff at school sites should have access to guidance and clear direction on how to prevent and address discrimination in their classroom and their site as a whole. When staff are not thoroughly trained, supported, and prepared to address these situations, we see a variety of unfortunate side effects.

Students may skip school to avoid peers altogether. In the 2024-25 school year, while non chronically absentee students missed an average of seven days of school year, non binary students on average missed over nineteen days of school year.

Families may come to the conclusion that school staff at their current site do not intend to support their student and may elect to transfer their child to another school site or withdraw from the public education system altogether. Then we see the most extreme consequences. In 2020, the suicide rate for young people in the black community was nearly twice the rate of their peers.

For LGBTQ plus high school students, 75% of young people reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row. While school should be a place for students to learn and grow, our most vulnerable student populations cannot do that when they face discrimination on a daily basis.

Students cannot and will not see academic success if they are solely focused on survival or escaping a hostile environment. The most effective way to support all students is to set expectations for every school environment and follow-up this or follow this up with ongoing and intentional effort to ensure compliance to these policies.

By clearly defining the responsibilities of the coordinators established in SB 998, as they can be proactive in preventing discrimination against students rather than course correcting after that harm has already been done.

Thank you for your testimony today. I see we are joined by several Assembly Members here. We don't typically have co-presentation of Senate Bills with Assembly Members, but here we are. And I will give yield time. Are you here in support or do you have...

I'm like, hey. Support. No. Good afternoon, Madam Chair and Members. I'm Assembly Member Dr. LaShae Sharp-Collins, and I'm here on behalf of the Legislative Black Caucus. And I'm proud to actually sit before you today to support Senate Bill 998.

As we discuss educational equity, we must be honest about the challenges that still exist. Black students continue to face disproportionate discipline, unequal access to opportunities, and barriers that impact their success in classrooms.

In California, black students make up a small percentage of overall student enrollment, yet they continue to be suspended at a disproportionately higher rate than their peers. These disparities have persisted for years and they reflect challenges that cannot be ignored.

For many black students well, for many students, but especially black students, trust matters. And when a student experiences, when they experience discrimination or feel unheard, they need to know that there was someone that they can turn to, someone who would understand, and not only the issues they are facing, but the broader history and lived experiences that may be shaping that particular experience.

If a black student cannot find someone who understands their actual culture, their community, or the challenges they face, it can be difficult for them to believe that their concerns will truly be heard and also be understood.

Representation alone is not an answer, but perspectives truly matter. Cultural understanding matters, and the ability to recognize experiences that may otherwise be overlooked matters. Research consistently shows that students who have access to trusted adults at school are more likely to be engaged in learning, attending schools regularly, and achieve academic success.

Every student deserves access to support from individuals who are equipped to understand their experiences, build trust, and help them navigate challenges in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, many black families do not know where to turn when issues arise, and schools often lack consistency in how complaints are handled or how discrimination prevention efforts are implemented.

So Senate Bill 998 helps address these challenges by strengthening the role of the discrimination prevention coordinators and establishing a clearer framework for prevention, accountability, and compliance. By ensuring that schools have designated individuals equipped to support students and family, this bill helps create greater transparency, consistency, and trust.

A student should never have to wonder whether their concerns would be understood before deciding whether to even speak up. Every student deserves to feel safe, deserve to feel valued, deserve to feel heard, and to be supported at schools. And for these reasons, I respectfully ask for your aye vote once again on behalf of the Legislative Black Caucus. Thank you for your time.

It's a motion and a second. Assembly Member Ward.

Thank you, Madam Chair and Members. I'll be brief. I wanna start by thanking the Latino Caucus Chair for her work on this and for inviting me and fellow co-authors to present SB 998 alongside of her today and Madam Chair for your grace to be able to allow us to be able to co-present. This is a critically important bill.

SB 998 will take the next step to combat hate by building out the responsibilities of the anti-discrimination coordinators established in last year's SB 48. These discrimination prevention coordinators bring focused expertise, oversight, and accountability to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, receive equitable educational opportunities.

As the LGBTQ Legislative Caucus Chair, this legislation is particularly critical for LGBTQ plus students. According to California's DOJ 2025 State of Pride report, overall anti LGBT bias hate incidences rose 13.9% in one year alone, while anti transgender bias hate incidences rose by 12.3%. And these aren't just statistics.

This is a call to action. Hate and harassment targeting youth is increasing, and it is showing up in our schools. FBI data shows that schools are now the third most common location for reported hate crimes nationwide, and the California Civil Rights Department found that 80% of youth aged 12 to 17 who experienced hate did so at school.

By laying out the responsibilities of the LGBTQ discrimination prevention coordinator, SB 998 ensures that these rising threats do not go unaddressed and they ensure that students and their families have a trusted resource to help prevent and respond to hate.

This bill strengthens California's commitment to treating every student who is able to learn in a safe and supportive learning environment no matter their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, or background. Thank you, Madam Chair and Members. I respectfully ask for your aye vote at the appropriate time.

Assembly Member Fong.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair and Members. As Chair of the AAPI Legislative Caucus, I'm proud to join Senator Gonzalez and my colleagues and urge a strong aye vote on SB 998. SB 998 not only provides details on the roles and responsibilities of the diversity coordinators established by SB 48 along with other deputy coordinators.

SB 998 establishes a deputy coordinator on anti AAPI discrimination. Since the COVID 19 pandemic, the AAPI community has experienced and been a target of numerous anti Asian hate incidences and hate crimes, including incidents at schools with our students.

The deputy coordinators established by this bill will help prevent and address any incidents targeting our diverse communities. Students cannot learn if they feel unsafe and they deserve to be safe on our campuses. And I wanna thank Senator Gonzalez and her staff for taking the lead on this bill and urge an aye vote on SB 998. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. At this time, we will take any public comments in support. Name, affiliation, and position on the bill only. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair and Members. Tristan Brown with CFT here in support.

Good afternoon. Bindu Mukkamala on behalf of the National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter in support.

Good afternoon. Diana Vu on behalf of the Association of California School Administrators in support.

Good afternoon. Mario Guerrero on behalf of the California Faculty Association. We are support if amended to remove the appointment of the coordinator. Thank you.

Thank you. Seeing no other public comment at this time. Any witnesses in opposition? At this time...

Good afternoon, Madam Chair and Member. We actually... Oussama Mokeddem on behalf of Council on American Islamic Relations California. We're actually a support if amended position. Hinges upon the coordinators being civil servant hires rather than appointees.

And considering the tragic shooting in San Diego at a local mosque and school, we're also requesting a deputy anti Muslim discrimination prevention coordinator housed under the religious discrimination prevention coordinator. At the very least, if not that, a scope for addressing anti Muslim hate.

And we'd like to thank the Senator and her staff for being such great partners throughout this process and having an open line of conversation. And we look forward to reaching a point where we can fully support this legislation together. Thank you.

Thank you for that tweener testimony. This time, any public comments in opposition? Seeing none, I'll bring it back to the dais. I would, before we begin with any questions or comments, I would like to make a note that the motion is do pass to Judiciary Committee with amendments to be processed in that committee. Thank you. Any comments? Questions?

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, I just wanna thank the author for bringing this forward and for the unbelievable leadership. This is a beautiful sight to see. It really is. And what a secret weapon by bringing our colleagues in on this. You know, this isn't just a microcosm. This legislation isn't symbolic. It's not.

It's meaningful, and it goes beyond the boundaries of the school, playground itself, right, and the classroom itself. Because we all know how much what happens at school impacts the fabric of the entire community itself. And so, on behalf of all communities in the state of California, this is critically important. I'm happy to support it today. Thank you so much.

Seeing no other comments from the dais, there was, do we have a motion and a second? We have a motion and a second. I would like to add my additional praise to the author for working diligently on this bill from the moment its need presented itself.

And making sure that, working hard to make sure that everyone is included and the needs of all students are addressed to keep them safe on campus. As a school board trustee, one thing we would say over and over and over again is students are not safe, they are not learning.

Students need to feel like they're safe and welcomed on campus and making sure that we have everything in our toolkit to address when they're not feeling safe on campus is so critical. So I wanna thank the author for her work on this bill and for accepting our amendments, our proposed amendments, and for keeping this policy moving forward. With that, we have a motion and a second. Madam Secretary? Oh, Senator, would you please close?

I just wanna say thank you, Madam Chair and Members, for this, as well as our diversity caucus leaders who have been really pushing the envelope here. We have learned a lot through this last year, just engaging.

But as Assembly Member Lowenthal mentioned, this is truly has been, like, the biggest collaboration more than anything. And we take heart, and I certainly take heart to a lot of the support and opposition that was raised. We will continue meeting with folks to ensure we get this right.

But more importantly, when this gets passed and then when this gets signed, that our students know that they're heard in every step of the way. That is the most important and that this is implemented in a way that secures them, their safety, their well-being, and uplifts them here in California. So with that, I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Madam Secretary.

File item six, SB 998. The motion is do pass to Judiciary Committee with the amendments to be processed in that committee. [Roll Call]

The count is 4-0. It is on call. Thank you. We will now move on to file item two. That is SB 845, Senator Pérez.

You may proceed when ready, and please remember to turn on your own microphones. Alrighty.

Thank you. Fastest motion I've ever received. Good afternoon, madam chair and members. First, I wanna thank the committee staff for their work on SB 845.

I also wanna start my presentation by accepting the committee's amendments reflected on page 16 of the committee analysis to make clarifying, conforming, and technical changes throughout the bill, including expanding work based learning definitions so they are not limited to the work experience education program, allowing state special schools to offer work based learning programs, removing academic program references to work based learning activities, clarifying daily minute requirements so reduced instructional minutes apply only to work based learning activities, eliminating duplicative CTE planning and reporting requirements for certain school districts, and authorizing the career technical education incentive grant program to offer work based learning activities.

SB 845 will implement key components of the master plan for career education, as well as recommendations provided by the California Youth Apprenticeship Committee to expand youth apprenticeship programs. California's education and workforce frameworks are leaving many students behind, especially low income, black, Latino, and English learner youth who enroll in college at lower rates and face barriers to completing a four year degree. While sixty two percent of high school graduates enroll in college within a year, only 34% of Californians hold at least a bachelor's degree.

At the same time, 30% of future jobs will require training beyond high school, but less than a four year degree. Career education provides specialized training for jobs that are essential for upward economic mobility.

However, our career education system is not meeting the needs of students and workforce demands. When students struggle with the transition from education to employment, it can reinforce existing racial and generational wealth disparities. Additionally, our system is failing to address the state's declining workforce and trade industries, a problem that will only worsen as more workers reach retirement age.

California voters recognize the importance of career education as highlighted in a recent survey by All 4 Ed, where three quarters of voters believe it is very or extremely important for K through 12 schools to provide career connected learning and develop partnerships with colleges and employers.

To address these issues, SB 845 expands access to career connected learning across the state by strengthening hands on learning opportunities, removing barriers to industry participation, and connecting students with high demand careers, all efforts that are guided by the career education master plan and the recommendations of the California Youth Apprenticeship Committee.

Doing so will provide a strong foundation for preparing students for career success, which is essential for building a more inclusive economy. Joining me to testify in support of the bill is Isis Oriana with the California Workforce Association and Lee Angela Reid with the Capital Advisors Group.

You have two minutes.

Good afternoon, madam chair and members. Isis Orianna with the California Workforce Association here representing all 45 local workforce development boards across the state in California. CWA is proud to cosponsor SB 845. Local workforce development boards sit at the intersection of education and employment. We see every day what happens when students leave high schools without a clear pathway.

SB 845 solves a problem we hear about constantly from our partners in the field. The legal framework for work based learning hasn't kept pace with what schools and employers are actually trying to accomplish together. Districts want to expand youth apprenticeship programs. Employers want to hire and train young people, but ambiguous definitions, unclear liability, and misaligned funding authority create barriers that stop programs before they even start. This bill addresses that directly.

It establishes clear, consistent definitions of work based learning, internships, and youth apprenticeship that apply across CTE, early college credit, and workforce program, not just within the narrow work experience education program. Equally important, this bill gives local educational agencies explicit authority to cover insurance costs, serve as the employer of record, and award credit for paid on the job training. Those are the specific barriers our workforce board partners, employers, and their LEA collaborators say prevent them from scaling what already works.

What CUSD has built in Compton is proof concept. SB 845 is the infrastructure that lets every district replicate it.

We respectfully ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon. Lee Angela Reid on behalf of Compton Unified School District. Superintendent Brawley wasn't able to be here, so I have I have his comp prepared comments that I'd like to share on his behalf. Compton Unified School District strongly supports Senate bill 845 because it removes barriers that can prevent high school students from accessing meaningful earn and learn opportunities. CUSD is committed to ensuring that scholars graduate prepared to compete in post secondary education, the workforce, and high wage, high demand careers.

Through 17 unique CTE pathways, CUSD scholars are already learning college credit, gaining work based learning experience, and building the skills needed for long term economic mobility. CUSD is actively partnering with registered apprenticeship program sponsors, industry partners, labor partners, and apprenticeship intermediaries, including Launch Apprenticeship Network to expand paid and unpaid work based learning opportunities aligned to where there's our CTE pathways.

These efforts include career activation day in partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Economic Opportunity, heavy metal summer experience with IBEW Local eleven in Southland Industries, Water Leaders Academy paid internships with water the with the water replenishment district, and paid internships through the Child Mind Institute's Youth Mental Health Academy. CUSD has already demonstrated the power of youth apprenticeship and practice. The district currently employs 15 multimedia specialist apprentices and two information technology specialist apprentices who were hired while still in high school.

Their CTE coursework served as the related and supplemental instruction for their apprenticeships, allowing scholars to connect classroom learning directly to paid hands on work experience. CUSD teachers also worked with the district departments to help design apprenticeship competencies, ensuring strong local alignment between instruction, workplace expectations, and industry skills.

In addition, the district offers multiple pre apprenticeship programs embedded within CTE pathways and connected to registered apprenticeship opportunities through formal linkage agreements with partners such as Western States Regional Council of Count Carpenters, The Handy Foundation, and others. Senate Bill 845 is critical because it allows local education agencies to award credit for work experience connected to

Please wrap it up you're over time.

You got it. Youth apprenticeship. For CUSD scholars, this means greater access to industry aligned training, college, career credit, and we ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you. At this time, we'll take public comment in support. Name, name, affiliation, and position. Thank you.

Good afternoon, madam chair. Chris McCailey here on on behalf of the Society for Human Resource Management, the nation's largest HR professional organization in support. Thank you, Doctor. Patel.

Good afternoon, madam chair, members. Mike West on behalf of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California in support.

Hello. Sophia Quach on behalf of the Bay Area Council in support.

Thank you. Seeing no other public comments, any witnesses in opposition? Public comment in opposition? Great. Let's bring it back to the dais.

Any questions? It's a motion and a second. Thank you. Any comments? Nope.

We're all good. Madam Senator, would you like to close?

I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Madam secretary, please call the roll.

File item two, SB 845. The motion is do pass as amended to Labor Employment Committee. [Roll Call]

With six votes, the bill is out. We'll hold the roll open for add ons. Thank you. We will now move to the consent calendar. Is there a motion? Is there a motion? Is there a second?

With the motion and the second? On the consent calendar, madam secretary, please call the roll.

The consent calendar motions are as follows. SB 945, do pass to appropriations. SB 959, do pass to appropriations. SB 1017, do pass as amended to appropriations. SB 1058, do pass.

SB 1133, do pass to appropriations. SB 1188, do pass to military and veterans affairs committee. SB 1347, do pass. SB 1378, do pass as amended to appropriations. SB 1381, do pass as amended to appropriations.

SB 1412, do pass as amended to appropriations. And SB 1443, do pass to appropriations. On the consent calendar, [Roll Call]

The consent calendar has seven votes. It is out. We'll leave the roll open for add ons. For those bills on call, madam secretary, can you please call the roll?

File item one, SB 608. The motion is do passed as amended to health. [Roll Call]

That bill is out. The vote is five one, but we'll leave the roll open for add ons.

File item two, SB 845. The motion is do pass as amended to labor and employment. File item one, SB 608. The motion is do passed as amended to health. [Roll Call]

That bill is seven zero. We'll we'll leave the roll open for add ons.

File item five, SB 965. The motion is do pass as amended to appropriations. File item one, SB 608. The motion is do passed as amended to health. [Roll Call]

That bill has seven zero. It is out. Will he leave the role open for assembly member File item one, SB 608. The motion is do passed as amended to health. [Roll Call].

File item six, SB 998. The motion is do passed to judiciary committee with the amendments to be processed in that committee. File item one, SB 608. The motion is do passed as amended to health. [Roll Call]

That bill has five zero now. It is out. We'll leave the roll open. Starting with the consent calendar, madam secretary, please call the roll.

On the consent calendar, File item one, SB 608. The motion is do passed as amended to health. [Roll Call] So that is 80. The consent calendar is out.

That's now eight zero. The consent calendar is out.

File item one, SB 608. The motion's do passes amended to health committee. [Roll Call] That is six to one. That bill is out.

Vote total is six to one. The bill is out.

File item two, SB 845. The motion's do pass as amended to labor and employment committee. [Roll Call] That is eight zero.

The vote is eight zero. The bill is out.

File item five, SB 965. Motion is do passed as amended to appropriations. [Roll Call] It's now eight zero.

The bill is eight zero. It is out.

File item six, SB 998. The motion is do passed to judiciary committee with the amendments to be processed in that committee. [Roll Call] Six zero. The bill is out.

Total is six zero. The bill is out. And with that, we are adjourned.