AB715 - Educational equity: discrimination: antisemitism prevention.

Assembly Bill No. 715 CHAPTER 428 An act to amend Sections 244, 262.3, 48980, 51500, 51501, and 60151 of, to add Section 60152 to, to add Article 11 (commencing with Section 280) to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 1 of, and to add Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 33800) to Part 20 of Division 2 of Title 2 of, the Education Code, relating to education. [ Approved by Governor October 07, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 07, 2025. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 715, Zbur. Educational equity: discrimination: antisemitism prevention. (1) Existing law states the policy of the State of California is to afford all persons in public schools, regardless of their disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other specified characteristic, equal rights and opportunities in the educational institutions of the state. Existing law prohibits the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school from adopting or approving the use of any textbook, instructional material, supplemental instructional material, or curriculum if its use would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit the adoption or approval of the use of any professional development materials if the use of the material would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination, as specified. The bill would similarly prohibit the adoption or approval of the use of professional development materials or services that promote, endorse, or otherwise support actions or the use of textbooks, instructional materials, supplemental instructional materials, or curriculum that would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination, as specified. If the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school knows or has reason to know that materials were used in a classroom or an action occurred that resulted in unlawful discrimination, or knows or has reason to know that professional development materials or services were used that resulted in unlawful discrimination, the bill would require investigation and remediation of the action, as provided. This bill would establish the Office of Civil Rights, under the administration of the Government Operations Agency, with the purpose of working directly with local educational agencies to prevent and address discrimination and bias, as specified. The bill would require the Director of the Office of Civil Rights to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would require the Office of Civil Rights, in consultation with the State Department of Education and under the supervision of the Government Operations Agency, to, among other things, (A) provide education and educational resources to identify and prevent antisemitism and other forms of discrimination and bias, (B) share relevant laws and regulations with educational state agencies, school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and community stakeholders, and (C) annually submit a report to the Government Operations Agency, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the executive director of the State Board of Education, and the Legislature on the state of discrimination and bias in all local educational agencies, as specified. The bill would also require the Office of Civil Rights to employ the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would require the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to, among other things, develop, consult, and provide antisemitism education to school personnel to identify and proactively prevent antisemitism and to make recommendations, in coordination with the executive director of the state board, to the Legislature on legislation necessary for the prevention of antisemitism in educational settings. (2) Existing law authorizes a party to a written complaint of prohibited discrimination to appeal the action taken by the governing board of a school district to the State Department of Education. This bill would authorize a party to a written complaint of prohibited discrimination to appeal to the department based on the governing board of a school district’s failure to issue an investigation report within a certain timeline. Existing law authorizes a person to file a complaint of an alleged violation with the local educational agency using the uniform complaint process or directly with the Superintendent as provided. If the Superintendent determines that a local educational agency has violated that prohibition and has not taken corrective action within 60 days, existing law authorizes the department to use any means authorized to effect compliance. This bill would authorize the department to require local educational agencies to take specified corrective actions, including obtaining technical assistance from the Office of Civil Rights and requiring the local educational agency to engage in regular reporting to the Office of Civil Rights and to use alternative instructional materials. The bill would prohibit instructional materials found to have resulted in unlawful discrimination, as provided, to be used in any current course offerings or any subsequent course offerings. If the unlawful discrimination involves antisemitism, the bill would require an improvement plan to be created in consultation with the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator. If a determination is made that an organization has contracted to provide any textbook, instructional material, professional development material, supplemental instructional material, or curriculum that violates specified laws that prohibit subjecting a pupil to unlawful discrimination, the bill would require a local educational agency or the Superintendent to notify the organization that it must take corrective action, as provided, and would require the organization found to be in violation to, among other things, reimburse all funds received for their services from the local educational agency. (3) Existing law prohibits instruction or school-sponsored activities that promote a discriminatory bias on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, or other characteristics, as provided. This bill would establish that discriminatory bias in instruction and school-sponsored activities does not require a showing of direct harm to members of a protected group and would not require members of a protected group to be present while the discriminatory bias is occurring for the act to be considered discriminatory bias. If the governing board or body of the local educational agency finds that instruction or school-sponsored activities are discriminatory, as provided, the bill would require corrective action to be taken, as provided. (4) Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to annually notify parents or guardians of minor pupils of specified rights and responsibilities of the parent or guardian and of specified school district policies and procedures. This bill would require the notification to additionally advise the parent or guardian of the protections, requirements, and responsibilities prescribed in this bill. (5) This bill would require the department, by October 1 of each year, to issue a management bulletin to all local educational agencies describing the protections, requirements, and responsibilities prescribed in certain laws. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the executive director of the state board and the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, to develop and maintain a distinct internet web page containing resources and information specific to antisemitism on its internet website. (6) This bill would make the operation of its provisions contingent upon the enactment of SB 48 of the 2025–26 Regular Session. (7) By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) In April 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom released the Golden State Plan to Counter Antisemitism. That report noted that, “Antisemitism has proliferated at a shocking speed in recent years, globally and here in California.” (b) In 2025, Attorney General Rob Bonta released the annual Hate Crime in California report, which found that anti-Jewish bias events accounted for 76 percent of all reported religious hate crimes, while Jewish people make up only approximately 3 percent of the state’s population. (c) It has been well documented that Jewish and Israeli American pupils across California are facing a widespread surge in antisemitic discrimination, harassment, and bullying. In many cases, such discrimination, harassment, and bullying has been so severe and pervasive that it has placed Jewish pupils at risk and limited, or completely impeded, their ability to learn or engage in school programs or activities. (d) Discrimination, harassment, and bullying of Jewish pupils has included antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories; discriminatory slurs, symbols, and expressions; physical and verbal assaults; discrimination by proxy and through the use of coded language; collective blame and generalizations about Jewish people; vilification of Jews and Israelis; and distortions of Jewish religion, ancestry, history, and identity. This discrimination, harassment, and bullying, including the use of inappropriate instructional materials and instruction, has deeply impacted Jewish pupils across California and the nation resulting in the vilification and ostracization of Jewish pupils. (e) In certain communities, the discrimination, harassment, and bullying of Jewish pupils has become so severe and pervasive that Jewish pupils have been advised to hide any outward identifying signs of their Jewish identity. (f) Educators, administrators, pupils, parents, elected officials, faith and community leaders, and nonprofit organizations across California have called for stronger government action to prevent and address antisemitism, including antisemitism in public education. (g) California classrooms must be safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environments for pupils of all faiths and backgrounds, including Jewish and Israeli pupils. (h) The Legislature has a legitimate pedagogical interest in reducing antisemitism in schools and ensuring that no pupil faces an antisemitic school environment. An antisemitic school environment means a school environment that subjects pupils or employees who are, or are perceived to be, Jewish or Israeli to harassment, discrimination, or violence based on their religion, nationality, race, or ethnicity. (i) The United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, published by the Biden Administration on May 25, 2023, shall be a basis to inform schools on how to identify, respond to, prevent, and counter antisemitism. (j) The United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism has called on schools to treat antisemitism with the same seriousness as other forms of hate, and has called on schools to create a clear and transparent mechanism for pupils to report hate incidents and acts of antisemitism. Additionally, the United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism affirms that antisemitic discrimination may be classified as discrimination on the basis of religion, national origin, ethnicity, or some combination of these factors. (k) Antisemitism is dangerous, antithetical to California values, and must not be tolerated in any California classroom, regardless of whether Jewish pupils are present in that classroom. (l) As noted in the United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism: “Antisemitism threatens not only the Jewish community, but all Americans. People who peddle these antisemitic conspiracy theories and fuel racial, ethnic, and religious hatred against Jews also target other communities—including Black and brown Americans; Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders; LGBTQI+ individuals; Muslim Americans; women and girls; and so many others.” SEC. 2. Section 244 of the Education Code is amended to read: 244. (a) (1) The governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school shall not adopt or approve the use of any textbook, instructional material, supplemental instructional material, professional development materials, or curriculum for classroom instruction if the use of the textbook, instructional material, supplemental instructional material, or curriculum would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination pursuant to Section 220. (2) If the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school knows or has reason to know that materials were used in a classroom or an action occurred that violated Section 220, the governing board of the school district, the county board of education, or the governing body of the charter school shall investigate and remediate the action, which may include, but is not limited to, the implementation of restorative justice practices. (b) (1) The governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school shall not adopt or approve the use of any professional development materials or services if the professional development materials or services promote, endorse, or otherwise support actions or the use of any textbook, instructional material, supplemental instructional material, or curriculum which would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination pursuant to Section 220. (2) If the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school knows or has reason to know that professional development materials or services were used or an action occurred that violated Section 220, the governing board of the school district, the county board of education, or the governing body of the charter school shall investigate and remediate the action, which may include, but is not limited to, the implementation of restorative justice practices. (c) Notwithstanding any other law, a complaint pursuant to this section may be file [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]