AB1713 - Public postsecondary education: students with disabilities: verification: academic accommodations.

Enrolled August 27, 2026 Passed IN Senate August 24, 2026 Passed IN Assembly August 25, 2026 Amended IN Senate July 01, 2026 Amended IN Assembly March 16, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 1713 Introduced by Assembly Member Ransom (Coauthor: Assembly Member Patel) February 04, 2026 An act to add Section 67312.3 to the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1713, Ransom. Public postsecondary education: students with disabilities: verification: academic accommodations. Existing law provides for various programs and services for students with disabilities in public postsecondary education. Existing law requires the California Community Colleges and the California State University, and authorizes the University of California, with respect to services provided for disabled students, to, at a minimum, conform to the level and quality of services provided by the Department of Rehabilitation to its clients, as provided. If a campus of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, or the University of California requires verification of a student’s disability before providing academic accommodations requested by the student, this bill, commencing September 1, 2027, would require that campus to accept, as verification of the student’s disability, an individualized education program and a specified plan issued by a school district, county office of education, or charter school, and an individual program plan issued by a regional center that contracts with the State Department of Developmental Services that documents the student’s disability. If a student requests academic accommodations due to a disability, the bill, commencing September 1, 2027, would prohibit a campus of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, or the University of California from requiring the student to obtain new or additional diagnostic evaluations, as provided, and would authorize the campus to require supplemental information to evaluate the student’s request for academic accommodations and to determine the type of reasonable accommodations that are appropriate and best suited for the student’s educational needs, as provided. 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 67312.3 is added to the Education Code, to read: 67312.3. (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “504 plan” means a plan adopted pursuant to Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794). (2) “IEP” means an individualized education program adopted pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 56300) of Part 30 of Division 4 of Title 2 and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.). (3) “IPP” means an individual program plan developed pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 4640) of Chapter 5 of Division 4.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (4) “Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school. (5) “Public higher education institution” or “institution” means a campus of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, or the University of California. (b) Commencing on September 1, 2027, if a public higher education institution requires verification of a student’s disability before providing academic accommodations requested by the student, the institution shall accept an IEP, an IPP, a 504 plan, or any combination of an IEP, an IPP, or a 504 plan, issued by a local educational agency or a regional center for the student as verification of the existence of the student’s disability. (c) Commencing on September 1, 2027, if a student has requested academic accommodations due to a disability, a public higher education institution shall not require the student to obtain a new or an additional diagnostic evaluation solely to verify the existence of a disability that is documented in an IEP, an IPP, or a 504 plan issued by a local educational agency or a regional center for the student. (d) Commencing on September 1, 2027, if a student has requested academic accommodations due to a disability, a public higher education institution may require supplemental information that is reasonably necessary to evaluate the student’s request for academic accommodations and to determine the type of reasonable accommodations that are appropriate and best suited for the student’s educational needs. A public higher education institution may use the supplemental information to assess the functional limitations associated with the student’s disability and the reasonable accommodations necessary to provide equal access to the institution’s programs, services, and activities. A public higher education institution shall not use the supplemental information to dispute or invalidate an underlying disability determination that is documented in an IEP, an IPP, a 504 plan, or any combination of an IEP, an IPP, or a 504 plan, issued by a local educational agency or a regional center. (e) An IEP, an IPP, or a 504 plan accepted pursuant to this section shall only serve as a verification of the existence of a student’s disability, and shall not require a public higher education institution to provide the accommodations, modifications, or services documented in the IEP, IPP, or 504 plan. A public higher education institution shall determine and approve reasonable accommodations consistent with applicable state and federal law and within existing institutional resources. (f) This section shall be implemented in a manner that is consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794). (g) This section does not apply to a public higher education institution’s implementation of Title IX of the federal Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1681 et seq.) or Section 66281.7. (h) Notwithstanding Section 67400, this section shall apply to the University of California.