AB 715 — Educational equity: discrimination: antisemitism prevention.

Summary

(1) 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. Existing law prohibits the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school from adopting or approving the use of any textbook, instructional material, supplemental instructional material, or curriculum if its use would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit the adoption or approval of the use of any professional development materials if the use of the material would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination, as specified. The bill would similarly prohibit the adoption or approval of the use of professional development materials or services that promote, endorse, or otherwise support actions or the use of textbooks, instructional materials, supplemental instructional materials, or curriculum that would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination, as specified. If the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school knows or has reason to know that materials were used in a classroom or an action occurred that resulted in unlawful discrimination, or knows or has reason to know that professional development materials or services were used that resulted in unlawful discrimination, the bill would require investigation and remediation of the action, as provided. This bill would 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. The bill would require the Director of the Office of Civil Rights to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would require the Office of Civil Rights, in consultation with the State Department of Education and under the supervision of the Government Operations Agency, to, among other things, (A) provide education and educational resources to identify and prevent antisemitism and other forms of discrimination and bias, (B) share relevant laws and regulations with educational state agencies, school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and community stakeholders, and (C) annually submit a report to the Government Operations Agency, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the executive director of the State Board of Education, and the Legislature on the state of discrimination and bias in all local educational agencies, as specified. The bill would also require the Office of Civil Rights to employ the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would require the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to, among other things, develop, consult, and provide antisemitism education to school personnel to identify and proactively prevent antisemitism and to make recommendations, in coordination with the executive director of the state board, to the Legislature on legislation necessary for the prevention of antisemitism in educational settings. (2) Existing law authorizes a party to a written complaint of prohibited discrimination to appeal the action taken by the governing board of a school district to the State Department of Education. This bill would authorize a party to a written complaint of prohibited discrimination to appeal to the department based on the governing board of a school district's failure to issue an investigation report within a certain timeline. Existing law authorizes a person to file a complaint of an alleged violation with the local educational agency using the uniform complaint process or directly with the Superintendent as provided. If the Superintendent determines that a local educational agency has violated that prohibition and has not taken corrective action within 60 days, existing law authorizes the department to use any means authorized to effect compliance. This bill would authorize the department to require local educational agencies to take specified corrective actions, including obtaining technical assistance from the Office of Civil Rights and requiring the local educational agency to engage in regular reporting to the Office of Civil Rights and to use alternative instructional materials. The bill would prohibit instructional materials found to have resulted in unlawful discrimination, as provided, to be used in any current course offerings or any subsequent course offerings. If the unlawful discrimination involves antisemitism, the bill would require an improvement plan to be created in consultation with the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator. If a determination is made that an organization has contracted to provide any textbook, instructional material, professional development material, supplemental instructional material, or curriculum that violates specified laws that prohibit subjecting a pupil to unlawful discrimination, the bill would require a local educational agency or the Superintendent to notify the organization that it must take corrective action, as provided, and would require the organization found to be in violation to, among other things, reimburse all funds received for their services from the local educational agency. (3) Existing law prohibits instruction or school-sponsored activities that promote a discriminatory bias on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, or other characteristics, as provided. This bill would establish that discriminatory bias in instruction and school-sponsored activities does not require a showing of direct harm to members of a protected group and would not require members of a protected group to be present while the discriminatory bias is occurring for the act to be considered discriminatory bias. If the governing board or body of the local educational agency finds that instruction or school-sponsored activities are discriminatory, as provided, the bill would require corrective action to be taken, as provided. (4) Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to annually notify parents or guardians of minor pupils of specified rights and responsibilities of the parent or guardian and of specified school district policies and procedures. This bill would require the notification to additionally advise the parent or guardian of the protections, requirements, and responsibilities prescribed in this bill. (5) This bill would require the department, by October 1 of each year, to issue a management bulletin to all local educational agencies describing the protections, requirements, and responsibilities prescribed in certain laws. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the executive director of the state board and the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, to develop and maintain a distinct internet web page containing resources and information specific to antisemitism on its internet website. (6) This bill would make the operation of its provisions contingent upon the enactment of SB 48 of the 2025–26 Regular Session. (7) By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 10/07/25 - Chaptered Current pdf October 07, 2025
• Enrolled 09/16/25 - Enrolled pdf September 16, 2025
• Amended 09/09/25 - Amended Senate pdf September 09, 2025
• Amended 07/01/25 - Amended Senate pdf July 01, 2025
• Amended 05/12/25 - Amended Assembly pdf May 12, 2025
• Introduced 02/14/25 - Introduced pdf February 14, 2025
• AB715 View text html

Action History

1. October 07, 2025

   Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 428, Statutes of 2025.

2. October 07, 2025

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 24, 2025

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

4. September 13, 2025

   Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 3436.).

5. September 13, 2025

   Joint Rules 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)

6. September 12, 2025

   Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Page 3435.)

7. September 12, 2025

   In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

8. September 12, 2025

   Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 35. Noes 0. Page 2984.).

9. September 12, 2025

   Senate Rule 29 suspended. (Page 2961.)

10. September 12, 2025

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

11. September 11, 2025

    Assembly suspended Joint Rule 62(a). (Page 3339.)

12. September 11, 2025

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (September 11).

13. September 11, 2025

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

14. September 11, 2025

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (September 10). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

15. September 11, 2025

    Withdrawn from committee.

16. September 09, 2025

    Senate Rule 29.3(b) suspended. (Ayes 28. Noes 8. Page 2568.)

17. September 09, 2025

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on ED.

18. September 09, 2025

    Joint Rules 61 and 62(a) suspended. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 2731.)

19. July 01, 2025

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on ED.

20. June 11, 2025

    Referred to Coms. on ED. and JUD.

21. May 29, 2025

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

22. May 29, 2025

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 68. Noes 0. Page 1773.)

23. May 27, 2025

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

24. May 23, 2025

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).

25. May 21, 2025

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

26. May 21, 2025

    Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 1627.)

27. May 14, 2025

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (May 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

28. May 12, 2025

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.

29. May 12, 2025

    Re-referred to Com. on ED. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

30. May 12, 2025

    Joint Rules 61 and 62(a) suspended.

31. March 03, 2025

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

32. February 15, 2025

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.

33. February 14, 2025

    Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

• Rick Chavez Zbur · Primary

Votes

Subjects