Bill > AB642

This bill expands existing catastrophic leave programs for school employees by allowing school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to permit employees to donate eligible leave credits (vacation and sick leave) not only for catastrophic illness or injury, but also when an employee is impacted by a state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor. The bill also introduces a new requirement that starting in the 2026-27 school year, educational agencies must report enrollment and disenrollment information for pupils displaced by state emergencies through CALPADS (California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System). When an employee requests donated leave, they must provide verification of the emergency's impact, have exhausted their own paid leave, and be unable to work due to the emergency or illness. Employees can donate a minimum of eight hours of leave, and the total donated leave is capped at 12 consecutive months. The bill includes a provision that if the Commission on State Mandates determines the bill creates additional costs for local agencies, those costs will be reimbursed. The bill is classified as an urgency statute, with its immediate implementation justified by recent events like the Los Angeles fires that left educators and students facing significant hardships.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB642