AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 13, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

97

Introduced by Assembly Member Alanis

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Zbur)

January 12, 2026

An act to add Section 33356 to the Education Code, relating to interscholastic athletics.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law describes the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) as a voluntary organization that consists of school and school-related personnel with responsibility for administering interscholastic athletic activities in secondary schools, and sets forth the Legislature’s intent regarding the CIF’s implementation of certain policies. Existing law requires the CIF, on or before January 1, 2023, and on or before January 1 every 7 years thereafter, to report to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature and the Governor on its evaluation and accountability activities undertaken pursuant to specified provisions. Existing law requires the report to include the goals and objectives of the CIF with regard to, and the status of, among other things, the quality of coaching and officiating, as provided.

Existing law requires all noncertificated candidates, prior to assuming a paid or volunteer position to work with pupils in a pupil activity program sponsored by a school district, including an interscholastic program, to obtain an Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Existing law requires the commission, upon verification of a candidate’s personal identification and verification that the candidate meets specified requirements, to initially issue an Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate to the candidate for a 5-year period and authorizes the certificate to be renewed, as provided.

This bill would require the CIF to verify the eligibility of its officials to officiate CIF contests by requiring those officials to annually register through a platform, as provided. The bill would require the platform to consist of (1), until July 1, 2028, a statewide and standardized background screening, (2), commencing July 1, 2028, a record of a valid Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate issued by the commission, including the applicable expiration date, (3) a record of rules tests, online training modules, sport-specific annual certification, and continuing education requirements, and (4) a record of liability insurance coverage. The bill would require the CIF to verify, as specified, that all components of the platform are complete before an official is deemed and marked as eligible to receive an assignment to officiate. The bill would require the CIF to ensure that its participating member schools, school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools can access the platform to verify the eligibility of an official, as specified. The bill, commencing July 1, 2028, would require the commission to regularly publish a list on its internet website of Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate holders who have their certificate suspended or revoked by the commission and would require the CIF to ensure that the platform selected by the CIF regularly reviews the list published by the commission in order to update the eligibility of the officials whose Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate has been suspended or revoked.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 33356 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 33355, to read:

33356.

(a) The California Interscholastic Federation shall require its officials to annually register through a platform selected by the California Interscholastic Federation to verify the official’s eligibility to officiate California Interscholastic Federation contests. The platform shall consist of all of the following components:

(1) (A) Until July 1, 2028, a statewide and standardized background screening.

(B) Commencing July 1, 2028, a record of a valid Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate issued by the commission pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 44258.7, including the applicable expiration date.

(2) A record of rules tests, online training modules, sport-specific annual certifications, and continuing education requirements.

(3) A record of liability insurance coverage.

(b) (1) (A) The California Interscholastic Federation shall, through its chosen platform, verify that all components listed in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (a) are complete before an official is deemed and marked as eligible to receive an assignment to officiate.

(B) (i) Until July 1, 2028, verification pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be done annually.

(ii) Commencing July 1, 2028, the California Interscholastic Federation shall maintain the platform and, as part of the verification requirement in subparagraph (A), ensure that the platform selected by the California Interscholastic Federation regularly reviews the list published by the commission pursuant to subdivision (c) in order to update the eligibility of the officials whose Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate has been suspended or revoked.

(2) Only officials who are deemed to be eligible in the selected platform may be assigned to California Interscholastic Federation contests by assignors or officiating associations.

(3) The California Interscholastic Federation shall ensure that its participating member schools, school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools can access the platform to verify the eligibility of an official, but shall not have access to the sensitive information in each individual component of the platform.

(c) Commencing July 1, 2028, the commission shall regularly publish a list on its internet website of Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate holders who have their certificate suspended or revoked by the commission.

(d) The California Interscholastic Federation shall not be considered an employer of officials.