Bill > AB395

This bill requires school districts, county education offices, and charter schools to make efforts to avoid scheduling the first day of class and high school graduation on dates when members of the public might be unable to attend due to religious, cultural, or ancestral holiday observances, starting in the 2026-27 school year. The bill also requires these entities to seek input from the affected community when making such scheduling decisions. Similarly, for higher education, the bill mandates that community colleges and California State University (and requests the University of California) make reasonable efforts to avoid scheduling institutional events like student orientation, move-in days, exams, and commencement ceremonies on dates of significant religious or cultural holidays, beginning in the 2026-27 academic year. The bill additionally requires state agencies to make reasonable efforts to avoid scheduling meetings or conferences on dates of important religious and cultural holidays, such as Eid al-Adha, Rosh Hashanah, and Diwali, and encourages local government legislative bodies to do the same. By promoting more inclusive scheduling practices, the bill aims to ensure that individuals are not inadvertently excluded from important educational and governmental events due to religious or cultural observances. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill imposes state-mandated costs, local agencies and school districts would be reimbursed for those expenses.

Budget and Finance, Education, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB395