The California legislature has enacted several new laws for the 2023-24 session that will impact students and school personnel. Here are some key changes that parents and families should be aware of:

Restrictions on Suspensions for Defiance

SB 274 bans suspensions for willful defiance for students in grades six through eight until July 1, 2029, extending a previous deadline of July 1, 2025. For students in grades nine through twelve, this restriction is already in place until July 1, 2029, although teachers can still suspend students from class for defiance. The bill notes that students from marginalized groups—such as Black, LGBTQ+, homeless, disabled, or foster care students—are disproportionately affected by suspensions for defiance. Suspensions can have further negative impacts, including missing out on school meals.

Guaranteed Recess Time

Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, SB 291 mandates that public schools provide at least 30 minutes of recess on regular instructional days and at least 15 minutes on early release days.

Protection for Diverse Books

AB 1078 prohibits schools from banning textbooks or instructional materials that highlight the contributions of Latino Americans, LGBTQ+ individuals, or other ethnic, cultural, religious, or socioeconomic groups. Schools also cannot ban textbooks or materials already adopted if they include diverse and inclusive perspectives. This law comes in response to a growing trend of book bans across the country.

Opioid Overdose Protocols

SB 10, also known as Melanie’s Law, requires schools serving grades seven through twelve to include protocols for handling opioid overdoses in their comprehensive safety plans. This law, named after Melanie Ramos, a student who died from a fentanyl overdose, aims to improve school responses to drug emergencies.

Climate Change Education

AB 285 mandates that science curricula include instruction on the causes, effects, and mitigation of climate change by the 2024-25 school year.

Heat Illness Response

AB 1653 requires school districts and charter schools with athletic programs to update their emergency action plans to include procedures for heat illness. The California Interscholastic Federation must also develop guidelines for preventing and managing heat-related illnesses.

Incident Reporting for Sports Harassment

AB 1327 requires the California Department of Education to create a standardized incident form to track racial discrimination, harassment, or hazing in high school sports. Schools must post this form on their websites by April 1, 2025, and report information from these forms annually.

Upcoming Changes for Future School Years

- Fentanyl Education:

Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, schools that require health education for graduation must include information on the dangers of fentanyl use, as stipulated by AB 2429.

- Personal Finance Course:

AB 2927 requires high schools to offer a semester-long personal finance education course by the 2027-28 school year, which will become a graduation requirement by the 2030-31 school year.

- LGBTQ Cultural Competency Training:

AB 5, or the Safe and Supportive Schools Act, requires online training in LGBTQ cultural competency for teachers and school employees at grades seven through twelve starting in the 2025-26 school year, continuing through the 2029-30 school year.