AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 9, 2025

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 9, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 23, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 24, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

93

CHAPTER 429

Statutes of 2025

[ Approved by Governor October 7, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 7, 2025. ]

Introduced by Senators Gonzalez and Weber Pierson and Assembly Members Fong and Ward

December 16, 2024

An act to add Sections 33803.2, 33803.3, 33803.4, and 33803.5 to the Education Code, relating to educational equity.

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

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. AB 715 of the 2025–26 Regular Session proposes to, among other things, (1) 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, and (2) state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation to establish coordinators to be employed within the Office of Civil Rights to prevent and address discrimination and bias.

This bill would require the Office of Civil Rights to employ a Religious Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, a Race and Ethnicity Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, a Gender Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, and an LGBTQ Discrimination Prevention Coordinator. The bill would require each of the coordinators to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

This bill would make the operation of its provisions contingent upon the enactment of AB 715 of the 2025–26 Regular Session.

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

SECTION 1.

Section 33803.2 is added to the Education Code, to read:

33803.2.

The Office of Civil Rights shall employ the Religious Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, who shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

SEC. 2.

Section 33803.3 is added to the Education Code, to read:

33803.3.

The Office of Civil Rights shall employ the Race and Ethnicity Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, who shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

SEC. 3.

Section 33803.4 is added to the Education Code, to read:

33803.4.

The Office of Civil Rights shall employ the Gender Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, who shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

SEC. 4.

Section 33803.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:

33803.5.

The Office of Civil Rights shall employ the LGBTQ Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, who shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

SEC. 5.

This act shall become operative only if Assembly Bill 715 of the 2025–26 Regular Session is enacted and becomes effective on or before January 1, 2026.