Search2024 Legislative Session Adjourns
By Mishaal Gill and Veronica Molina
On Sat., Aug. 31, the 2024 Legislative Session adjourned, and it took legislators until midnight to discuss and vote on eligible measures. The past couple of weeks have been nothing short of long debated floor sessions to transfer bills to the Governor, and despite working over the three-day weekend, several bills died on the floor as the clock ran out. Tensions ran high as floor debate was limited on the Assembly floor, causing friction between parties, and the Governor ordered a special session in an effort to address gas prices, which Senate Pro Tempore Mike McGuire refused outright. As it is the second year of a two-year session, any legislation that was not passed by the midnight deadline is considered dead. Overall, the Legislature has transmitted 1,551 legislative proposals to the Governor’s desk, and he has until Sat., Sept. 30, 2024, to act.
This legislative year started with over 2,520 measures being introduced. Thus far, 550 bills have been Chaptered, and 1,001 bills have been Enrolled after passing both houses. The remaining measures were either vetoed or stalled. Only three bills have been vetoed.
Below is the list of CASBO position bills that were heard and their status.
Bills That Moved Forward
Facilities/Contracting
SB 1374 (Becker): Net energy metering. This bill would require the California Public Utilities Commission, by July 1, 2025, that any contract or tariff, as part of the Net Energy Metering program for renewable electrical generation facilities constructed, to serve multiple customers with meters on a single property or multiple meters of a single customer on a property or a set of contiguous properties to be eligible to use or collect their electrical load.
CASBO Position: Support
Votes: Ayes 28 – Noes 9
Location: Enrolling and Engrossing
SB 937 (Weiner) Development projects: fees and charges. This bill would prohibit local government from requiring payment of fees or charges for public improvements or facilities on a designated residential development project before the development receives a certificate of occupancy, except under certain conditions. It also authorizes local government to collect certain unpaid fees or charges following a specified procedure if the housing developer does not post a performance bond or letter of credit.
CASBO Position: Oppose
Votes: Ayes 30 – Noes 1
Location: Enrolling and Engrossing
Governance/Accountability
SB 1315 (Archuleta): Reporting requirements. This bill requires the California Department of Education to conduct a report on the number and types of reports that local educational agencies are required to submit on an annual basis.
CASBO Position: Co-Sponsor
Votes: Ayes 40 – Noes 0
Location: Enrolling and Engrossing
SB 1288 (Becker): AI working group. This bill would require the California Department of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop and or convene a working group to study Artificial Intelligence in education. The guidance on the safe use of AI in education must be developed on or before January 1, 2026. The developed model policy, to be posted on the working group’s website on or before July 1, 2026. A report of findings or recommendations to be submitted on or before January 1, 2027, to the legislature.
CASBO Position: Support
Votes: Ayes 30 – Noes 1
Location: Enrolling and Engrossing
Human Resources
AB 1997 (McKinnor) Teachers’ Retirement Law. This bill would redefine “annualized pay rate” to mean the salary, as described, a person could earn during a school term in a position subject to membership if creditable service were performed for that position on a full-time basis, to be determined pursuant to a publicly available pay schedule by a prescribed method.
CASBO Position: Support
Votes: Ayes 39 – Noes 0
Location: Enrolling and Engrossing
AB 2088 (McCarty): Public postings: vacancies. This bill would require an education employer to accept a current part-time classified employee who meets the minimum qualification of a position with the most seniority, regardless of the prior positions held with the employer. It would also require classified employees who work part-time assignments that equal the number of hours for a full-time assignment to receive the same benefits as employees who work full-time.
CASBO Position: Oppose
Votes: Ayes 52 – Noes 14
Location: Enrolling and Engrossing
AB 2245 (Carrillo): Permanent status: ROCPs. This bill would require service as an instructor at specified regional occupational centers or programs to be included in computing the service required to attain permanent employee status at a school district.
CASBO Position: Oppose
Amendments: The bill was recently amended to clarify it only applies to ROCPs run by single districts.
Votes: Ayes 60 – Noes 11
Location: Enrolling and Engrossing
Bills that Stalled
AB 2901 (Aguiar-Curry): Paid leave. This bill would require a public school employer to provide up to 14 weeks of fully paid leave for certificated or classified employees who are absent due to pregnancy-related conditions.
CASBO Position: Oppose
Location: Bill was pulled from being heard on the Senate floor
Bills Signed by the Governor
SB 956 (Cortese): Design-build contracts. This bill would reauthorize K-12 districts to use the design-build delivery method when constructing and designing school facilities and removes the sunset altogether.
CASBO Position: Support
AB 2268 (Muratsuchi) English language proficiency assessment. This bill would exempt students in transitional kindergarten from being assessed for English language development using the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California.
Note: The bill was amended to add the emergency clause.
CASBO Position: Support
What’s Next
- Governor Newsom will have until Sept. 30, 2024, to determine the faith of the proposals that make it to his desk.
- 7: Early voting sites open.
- 5: General election.
Calls to Action
CASBO position bills SB 1315, AB 2088, and SB 937 have reached the governor’s desk, and he has until September 30 to act on the bills. We need you to make your voice heard now by sending a message to the Governor and urging him to maintain a strong commitment to education!
Requesting a signature on SB 1315
SB 1315 (Archuleta), a CASBO co-sponsored bill with CSBA, will help address the sheer volume and breadth of requirements that are straining LEAs’ capacity to balance public accountability with educational priorities.
Requesting a veto on AB 2088 and SB 937
AB 2088 (McCarty) would create restrictions on how and when classified position vacancies are filled, to the detriment of K-14 students and other current and future school employees.
SB 937 (Wiener) would prevent school districts and other local agencies from collecting development impact fees until the issuance of a certificate of occupancy and would delay the construction of the schools needed to serve new residents by several years.
Please follow the link to sign on and take action!
