AB908 - Instructional materials: compliance review.

Amended IN Senate July 07, 2025 Amended IN Assembly April 21, 2025 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 908 Introduced by Assembly Member Solache February 19, 2025 An act to amend Sections 253 and 51204.5 Section 60040 of the Education Code, relating to educational equity. pupil instruction. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 908, as amended, Solache. Sex discrimination: social sciences instruction: Instructional materials: compliance review. Existing law requires governing boards of school districts, when adopting instructional materials for use in the schools, to include materials that accurately portray the cultural and racial diversity of our society, including, among others, the contributions of people of all genders in all types of rolls, and the role and contributions of Native Americans, African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, LGBTQ+ Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic status groups to the total development of California and the United States. This bill would require the State Department of Education to monitor compliance with the above-described instructional materials adoption requirement as part of its annual compliance monitoring of state and federal programs. Existing law states the policy of the State of California 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 discrimination on the basis of those specific characteristics in any program or activity conducted by an educational institution that receives, or benefits from, state financial assistance or enrolls pupils who receive state student financial aid. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to annually review 20 school districts for compliance with those sex discrimination provisions and regulations adopted pursuant to those provisions. Existing law requires instruction in social sciences to include a study of the role and contributions of, among others, people of all genders, Latino Americans, LGBTQ+ Americans, and members of other ethnic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic status groups. This bill would require the above-described required instruction in social sciences to be included in the compliance review. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 60040 of the Education Code is amended to read: 60040. (a) When adopting instructional materials for use in the schools, governing boards shall include only instructional materials that, in their determination, accurately portray the cultural and racial diversity of our society, including: (a) (1) The contributions of people of all genders in all types of roles, including professional, vocational, and executive roles. (b) (2) The role and contributions of Native Americans, African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, LGBTQ+ Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic status groups to the total development of California and the United States. (c) (3) The role and contributions of the entrepreneur and labor in the total development of California and the United States. (b) The department shall monitor compliance with the requirements of this section as part of its annual compliance monitoring of state and federal programs. SECTION 1. Section 253 of the Education Code is amended to read: 253. (a) Compliance with the sex discrimination provisions of this chapter, regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter, and instruction in social sciences required pursuant to Section 51204.5 shall be included in the annual Coordinated Compliance Review Manual provided to school districts by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Any review of that compliance shall also include a review of the school district’s records of complaints of sexual harassment brought by pupils and employees of the school district. (b) The superintendent shall annually review 20 school districts for compliance with sex discrimination laws and regulations as specified in subdivision (a). The superintendent shall select from those districts subject to review, in a given year, a sampling of districts from each of the following categories: (1) Those districts within which the greatest number of sex discrimination complaints have been filed since its previous coordinated compliance review. (2) Those districts with the largest enrollments. (3) All other districts, selected on a random basis. (c) The superintendent and the department shall only be required to implement the provisions enumerated in this section in fiscal years in which sufficient funds have been appropriated for those purposes. SEC. 2. Section 51204.5 of the Education Code is amended to read: 51204.5. (a) Instruction in social sciences shall include the early history of California and a study of the role and contributions of people of all genders, Native Americans, African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, LGBTQ+ Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic status groups, to the economic, political, and social development of California and the United States of America, with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in contemporary society. (b) This section shall be subject to compliance review pursuant to Section 253.