AB2444 - Personal Income Tax Law: qualified tuition program.

Amended IN Assembly April 13, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 2444 Introduced by Assembly Member Michelle Rodriguez February 20, 2026 An act to amend Sections 17072, 17140, and 17140.3 of, and to add Section Sections 17206.2 and 19548.3.5 to, the Revenue and Taxation Code, relating to taxation, to take effect immediately, tax levy. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2444, as amended, Michelle Rodriguez. Personal Income Tax Law: qualified tuition program. The Personal Income Tax Law, in conformity with federal income tax law, generally defines “gross income” as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, and provides various exclusions from gross income. Existing law, known as the Golden State Scholarshare Trust Act, establishes the Golden State Scholarshare College Savings Trust (Scholarshare trust), under the administration of the Scholarshare Investment Board, to provide financial aid for postsecondary education costs of participating students. Existing state and federal law generally includes in gross income distributions from a qualified tuition program, as defined to include the Scholarshare trust, except as provided. Existing federal law, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, excludes from gross income, for federal income tax purposes, distributions from a qualified tuition program that are made after December 31, 2023, and are paid in a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer to a Roth IRA, as described. The Personal Income Tax Law generally conforms to federal income tax law relating to qualified state tuition programs, except as specified. Among those exceptions, existing state law does not conform to the above-described exclusion for distributions from a qualified tuition program. This bill would instead conform to that federal exclusion for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2030. 2031. The Personal Income Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, allows various deductions from gross income in calculating adjusted gross income. This bill would, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, 2027, and before January 1, 2032, would allow a deduction in determining adjusted gross income for contributions to a Scholarshare account by a qualified taxpayer, as specified. Existing law requires a bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 17072 of the Revenue and Taxation Code is amended to read: 17072. (a) Section 62 of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to adjusted gross income defined, shall apply, except as otherwise provided. (b) Section 62(a)(2)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, shall not apply. (c) Section 62(a)(21) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to attorneys attorney’s fees relating to awards to whistleblowers, shall not apply. (d) For each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2026, 2027, and before January 1, 2032, Section 62(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to the general rule, is modified to provide that the deduction under Section 17206.2 shall be allowed in determining adjusted gross income. SEC. 2. Section 17140 of the Revenue and Taxation Code is amended to read: 17140. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings as provided in the Golden State Scholarshare Trust Act (Article 19 (commencing with Section 69980) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code): (1) “Beneficiary” has the meaning as set forth in Section 69980 of the Education Code. (2) “Benefit” has the meaning as set forth in Section 69980 of the Education Code. (3) “Participant” has the meaning as set forth in Section 69980 of the Education Code. (4) “Participation agreement” has the meaning as set forth in Section 69980 of the Education Code. (5) “Scholarshare trust” has the meaning as set forth in Section 69980 of the Education Code. (b) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1998, and before January 1, 2002, except as otherwise provided in subdivision (c), gross income of a beneficiary or a participant does not include any of the following: (1) Any distribution or earnings under a Scholarshare trust participation agreement, as provided in Article 19 (commencing with Section 69980) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code. (2) Any contribution to the Scholarshare trust on behalf of a beneficiary shall not be includable as gross income of that beneficiary. (c) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1998, and before January 1, 2002: (1) Any distribution under a Scholarshare trust participation agreement shall be includable in the gross income of the distributee in the manner as provided under Section 72 of the Internal Revenue Code, as modified by Section 17085, to the extent not excluded from gross income under this part. For purposes of applying Section 72 of the Internal Revenue Code, the following apply: (A) All Scholarshare trust accounts of which an individual is a beneficiary shall be treated as one account, except as otherwise provided. (B) All distributions during a taxable year shall be treated as one distribution. (C) The value of the participation agreement, income on the participation agreement, and investment in the participation agreement shall be computed as of the close of the calendar year in which the taxable year begins. (2) A contribution by a for-profit or nonprofit entity, or by a state or local government agency, for the benefit of an owner or employee of that entity or a beneficiary whom the owner or employee has the power to designate, including the owner or employee’s minor children, shall be included in the gross income of that owner or employee in the year the contribution is made. (3) For purposes of this subdivision, “distribution” includes any benefit furnished to a beneficiary under a participation agreement, as provided in Article 19 (commencing with Section 69980) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code. (4) (A) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to that portion of any distribution that, within 60 days of distribution, is transferred to the credit of another beneficiary under the Scholarshare trust who is a “member of the family,” as that term is used in Section 529(e)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by Section 211 of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-34), of the former beneficiary of that Scholarshare trust. (B) Any change in the beneficiary of an interest in the Scholarshare trust shall not be treated as a distribution for purposes of paragraph (1) if the new beneficiary is a “member of the family,” as that term is used in Section 529(e)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by Section 211 of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-34), of the former beneficiary of that Scholarshare trust. (d) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2002, Sections 529(c) and 529(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to tax treatment of designated beneficiaries and contributors and to other definitions and special rules, respectively, shall apply, except as otherwise provided in Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001) and this part. (e) (1) The amendments made by Section 302(a)(1) of Division Q of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113) to Section 529(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to other definitions and special rules, shall apply except as otherwise provided. (2) The amendments made by Section 302(b)(1) of Division Q of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113) to Section 529(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to distributions, shall apply, except as otherwise provided. (3) The amendments made by Section 302(c)(1) of Division Q of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113) to Section 529(c)(3)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to special rule for contributions of refunded amounts, shall apply, except as otherwise provided. (f) (1) The amendments made by Section 11025(a) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-97) to Section 529(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to change in beneficiaries or programs, shall apply, except as otherwise provided. (2) (A) The amendments made by Section 11032(a)(1) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-97) to Section 529(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to tax treatment of designated beneficiaries and contributors, shall not apply, except as otherwise provided. (B) The amendments made by Section 11032(a)(2) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-97) to Section 529(e)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to qualified higher education expenses, shall not apply, except as otherwise provided. (C) In the case of any distribution made under Section 529(e)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by Section 11032(a)(2) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-97), that would be treated for federal income tax purposes as a “qualified higher education expense” under Section 529(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by Section 11032(a)(1) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-97), the amount of that distribution shall, notwithstanding anything in Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code to the contrary, be includable in the gross income of the distributee in the manner as provided under Section 72 of the Internal Revenue Code. (D) Any distribution includable in the gross income of a distributee under subparagraph (C) shall not affect the exempt status of the qualified tuition program under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code for purposes of this part. (g) (1) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2021, the amendments made by Section 302(a) of Division O of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-94) to Section 529(c)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to distributions for certain expenses associated with registered apprenticeship programs, shall apply. (2) For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2021, the amendments made by Section 302(b)(1) of Division O of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-94) to Section 529(c)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to distributions for qualified education loan repayments, shall apply. (h) (1) For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026, and for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2030, 2031, Section 529(c)(3)(E) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to special rollovers to Roth IRAs from long-term qualified tuition programs, shall not apply. (2) In the case of any distribution made under Section 529(c)(3)(E) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to the special rollover to Roth IRAs from long-term qualified tuition programs, treated for federal income tax purposes as a “qualified rollover contribution” under Section 408A(e)(1)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code, the amount of that distribution shall, notwithstanding Section 529 or Section 408A of the Internal Revenue Code to the contrary, be includable in the gross income of the distributee in the manner as provided under Section 72 of the Internal Revenue Code for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026, and for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2030. 2031. (3) Any distribution includable in the gross income of a distributee under paragraph (2) shall not affect the exempt status of the qualified tuition program under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code for purposes of this part. SEC. 3. Section 17140.3 of the Revenue and Taxation Code is amended to read: 17140.3. Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to qualified state tuition programs, shall apply, except as otherwise provided. (a) Section 529(a) of the Internal Revenue Code is modified as follows: (1) By substituting the phrase “under this part and Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001)” in lieu of the phrase “under this subtitle.” (2) By substituting “Article 2 (commencing with Section 23731)” in lieu of “Section 511.” (b) A copy of the report required to be filed with the Secretary of the Treasury under Section 529(d) of the Internal Revenue Code shall be filed with the Franchise Tax Board at the same time and in the same manner as specified in that section. (c) (1) The amendments made by Section 302(a)(1) of Division Q of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113) to Section 529(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to other definitions and special rules, shall apply except as otherwise provided. (2) The amendments made by Section 302(b)(1) of Division Q of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113) to Section 529(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to distributions, shall apply, except as otherwise provided. (3) The amendments made by Section 302(c)(1) of Division Q of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113) to Section 529(c)(3)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to special rule for contributions of refunded amounts, shall apply, except as otherwise provided. (d) (1) The amendments made by Section 11025(a) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-97) to Section 529(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to change in beneficiaries or programs, shall apply, except as otherwise provided. (2) (A) The amendments made by Section 11032(a)(1) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-97) to Section 529(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to tax treatment of designated beneficiaries and contributors, shall not apply, except as otherwise provided. (B) The amendments made by Section 11032(a)(2) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-97) to Section 529(e)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to qualified higher education expenses, shall not apply, except as otherwise provided. (C) In the case of any distribution made under Section 529(e)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by Section 11032(a)(2) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-97), that would be treated for federal income tax purposes as a “qualified higher education expense” under Section 529(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by Section 11032(a)(1) of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-97), the amount of that distribution shall, notwithstanding anything in Sectio [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]