Assembly BillChaptered/SignedEducation
AB 1230: Pupil discipline: expulsions: procedures.
What AB 1230 does, verified December 6, 2025
This bill aims to improve the process of pupil discipline in schools. It requires a plan of rehabilitation to include periodic reviews and a preliminary assessment for readmission at least 45 days before the end of the expulsion term. The plan must be tailored to the individual pupil's needs and address the pupil's behavior that led to the expulsion. The governing board of a school district must assist the pupil in locating opportunities to complete the requirements of the plan and indicate whether or not the pupil had access to necessary resources. The board cannot require the pupil or their parent/guardian to pay for costs or services related to the plan. The board must readmit the pupil unless the pupil has not substantially met the conditions of the rehabilitation plan despite having access to necessary resources or continues to exhibit behaviors that led to expulsion. The board can…
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Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 294, Statutes of 2025. (2025-09-03)Alert me
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| Oct. 03, 2025 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 294, Statutes of 2025. |
| Oct. 03, 2025 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep. 15, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4:30 p.m. |
| Sep. 04, 2025 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 2936.). |
| Sep. 04, 2025 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 2936.). |
Latest bill textChaptered version, October 3, 2025 · 2,657 words
Assembly Bill No. 1230
CHAPTER 294
An act to amend Sections 48916, 48916.1, and 48926 of the Education Code, relating to pupil discipline.
[ Approved by Governor October 03, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 03, 2025. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1230, Bonta. Pupil discipline: expulsions: procedures.
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to order a pupil expelled upon finding that the pupil committed one or more of a specified act, as provided. Existing law requires an expulsion order to remain in effect until the governing board orders the readmission of a pupil and requires the governing board to recommend a plan of rehabilitation for the pupil at the time of the expulsion order that may include recommendations for, among other things, improved academic performance, tutoring, or counseling. Existing law requires the governing board of each school district to adopt rules and regulations establishing a procedure for the filing and processing of requests for readmission and the process for the required review of all expelled pupils for readmission. Existing law requires the governing board, upon completion of the readmission process, to readmit the pupil unless the governing board makes a finding that the pupil has not met the conditions of the rehabilitation plan or continues to pose a danger to campus safety or to other pupils or employees of the school district.
Existing law requires each county superintendent of schools in counties that operate community schools, in conjunction with superintendents of school districts within the county, to develop a plan for providing education services to all expelled pupils in that county, as provided. Existing law requires the plan to enumerate existing educational alternatives for expelled pupils, identify gaps in educational services to expelled pupils, and strategies for filling those service gaps. Existing law requires each school district to maintain specified data related to pupil expulsions, including, among other things, the number of pupils recommended for expulsion.
This bill would require a plan of rehabilitation to include periodic review and a preliminary assessment for readmission at least 45 days before the end of the expulsion term, be tailored to the individual pupil’s needs, and address the pupil’s behavior that led to the expulsion and would authorize the plan of rehabilitation to be developed in consultation with specified school personnel, as provided. The bill would require the governing board of a school district to (1) assist the pupil in locating opportunities accessible to the pupil that are necessary to complete the requirements of a plan for rehabilitation, as provided, and (2) as part of the process for a required review, indicate whether or not the pupil had access to the necessary resources to complete their rehabilitation plan. The bill would prohibit the governing board from requiring the pupil or the pupil’s parent or guardian to pay for any costs or services that the governing board determines to be necessary for the pupil to complete a plan of rehabilitation and would prohibit an expelled pupil from being denied readmission due to financial or transportation barriers or a lack of viable opportunities to complete a term of the rehabilitation plan. The bill would require the governing board to instead readmit the pupil, unless the governing board makes a finding that the pupil (1) has not substantially met the conditions of the rehabilitation plan despite having access to the necessary resources and viable opportunities to complete their plan or (2) continues to exhibit documented behaviors that the pupil was expelled for or is documented to have committed one or more new acts during the expulsion term that would make the pupil eligible for another expulsion. The bill would authorize the governing board to extend the expulsion term, as specified, if the governing board makes one of those specified findings, as provided.
This bill would require the above-described plan for providing education services to all expelled pupils in the county to (1) include any services that may be required pursuant to an expelled pupil’s individualized education program or plan pursuant to Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, (2) identify multiple educational programs and services for expelled pupils, (3) outline a timely readmission process after the expulsion term is complete, and (4) describe the steps to be taken by the school district to support the successful transition of a pupil upon readmission, as provided. The bill would require each school district to maintain additional data related to pupil expulsions, including, among other things, the average length of expulsion terms, including any extensions, and would delete obsolete provisions related to that data.
By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies or local officials, the bill would constitute 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.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 48916 of the Education Code is amended to read:48916.
(a) An expulsion order shall remain in effect until the governing board, in the manner prescribed in this article, orders the readmission of a pupil. At the time an expulsion of a pupil is ordered for an act other than those described in subdivision (c) of Section 48915, the governing board shall set a date, not later than the last day of the semester following the semester in which the expulsion occurred, when the pupil shall be reviewed for readmission to a school maintained by the district or to the school the pupil last attended. If an expulsion is ordered during summer session or the intersession period of a year-round program, the governing board shall set a date, not later than the last day of the semester following the summer session or intersession period in which the expulsion occurred, when the pupil shall be reviewed for readmission to a school maintained by the district or to the school the pupil last attended. For a pupil who has been expelled pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 48915, the governing board shall set a date of one year from the date the expulsion occurred, when the pupil shall be reviewed for readmission to a school maintained by the district, except that the governing board may set an earlier date for readmission on a case-by-case basis.(b) (1) The governing board shall recommend a plan of rehabilitation for the pupil at the time of the expulsion order, which shall include, but not be limited to, periodic review and a preliminary assessment for readmission at least 45 days before the end of the expulsion term. The plan shall be tailored to the individual pupil’s needs and address the pupil’s behavior that led to the expulsion. The plan may be developed in consultation with school personnel who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the pupil and include recommendations for improved academic performance, tutoring, special education assessments, job training, counseling, employment, community service, or other rehabilitative programs.
(2) The governing board shall assist the pupil in locating opportunities accessible to the pupil that are necessary to complete the requirements of a plan for rehabilitation, including, but not limited to, opportunities for counseling and community service.
(3) The governing board shall not require the pupil or the pupil’s parent or guardian to pay for any costs or services the governing board determines to be necessary for the pupil to complete a plan of rehabilitation.
(c) (1) The governing board of each school district shall adopt rules and regulations establishing a procedure for the filing and processing of requests for readmission, a process for the required review of all expelled pupils for readmission, and a procedure for the transition process for readmitted pupils. As part of the process for a required review, the governing board shall indicate whether or not the pupil had access to the necessary resources to complete their rehabilitation plan. A rehabilitation plan that is not completed due to financial or transportation barriers or a lack of viable opportunities to complete a term of the rehabilitation plan shall not be a basis to deny the readmission of a pupil. A description of the readmission procedure shall be made available to the pupil and the pupil’s parent or guardian at the same time the pupil and the pupil’s parent or guardian are notified of the expulsion order.
(2) Upon completion of the readmission review process, the governing board shall readmit the pupil, unless the governing board makes a finding that the pupil (A) has not substantially met the conditions of the rehabilitation plan despite having access to the necessary resources and viable opportunities to complete their rehabilitation plan or (B) continues to exhibit documented behaviors that the pupil was expelled for or is documented to have committed one or more new acts during the expulsion term that would make the pupil eligible for another expulsion.
(3) If the pupil is not readmitted pursuant to paragraph (2), the expulsion term may be extended for one semester at a time, at which point the pupil shall be reassessed for readmission pursuant to paragraph (1).
(d) If the governing board denies the readmission of an expelled pupil pursuant to subdivision (c), the governing board shall make a determination to continue the placement of the pupil in the alternative educational program initially selected for the pupil during the period of the expulsion order or to place the pupil in another program that may include, but need not be limited to, serving expelled pupils, including placement in a county community school.
(e) The governing board shall provide written notice to the expelled pupil and the pupil’s parent or guardian describing the reasons for denying the pupil readmittance into the regular school district program. The written notice shall also include the determination of the educational program for the expelled pupil pursuant to subdivision (d). The expelled pupil shall enroll in that educational program unless the parent or guardian of the pupil elects to enroll the pupil in another school district.
SEC. 2.
Section 48916.1 of the Education Code is amended to read:48916.1.
(a) At the time an expulsion of a pupil is ordered, the governing board of the school district shall ensure that an educational program is provided to the pupil who is subject to the expulsion order for the period of the expulsion. Before an expulsion order is finalized, the governing board shall notify the pupil and the pupil’s family of the available educational options for expelled pupils as outlined in the plan pursuant to Section 48926. No later than three days after the expulsion, the governing board shall complete the initial referral of the pupil for enrollment in an educational program. Except for pupils expelled pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 48915, the governing board of a school district is required to implement the provisions of this section only to the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose in the annual Budget Act or other legislation, or both.(b) Notwithstanding any other law, an educational program provided pursuant to subdivision (a) may be operated by the school district, the county superintendent of schools, or a consortium of districts or in joint agreement with the county superintendent of schools.
(c) An educational program provided pursuant to subdivision (b) may not be situated within or on the grounds of the school from which the pupil was expelled.
(d) If the pupil who is subject to the expulsion order was expelled from any of kindergarten or grades 1 to 6, inclusive, the educational program provided pursuant to subdivision (b) may not be combined or merged with educational programs offered to pupils in any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive. The district or county program is the only program required to be provided to expelled pupils as determined by the governing board of the school district. This subdivision, as it relates to the separation of pupils by grade levels, does not apply to community day schools offering instruction in any of kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, and established in accordance with Section 48660.
(e) (1) Each school district shall maintain the following outcome data:
(A) The number of pupils recommended for expulsion.
(B) The grounds for each recommended expulsion.
(C) Whether the pupil was subsequently expelled.
(D) Whether the expulsion order was suspended.
(E) The type of referral made after the expulsion.
(F) The disposition of the pupil after the end of the period of expulsion, including the completion of a rehabilitation plan or the successful readmission of the pupil, or both.
(G) The average length of expulsion terms, including any extensions.
(2) The Superintendent may require a school district to report this data as part of the coordinated compliance review.
(f) If the county superintendent of schools is unable at any time during the expulsion term and for any reason to serve the expelled pupils of a school district within the county, the county superintendent of schools shall notify the governing board of that school district. Upon notification, the governing board of the school district shall ensure that another educational program is provided to the pupil who is subject to an expulsion order for the duration of the expulsion order. The governing board of the school district may enter into an agreement with a county superintendent of schools in another county to provide education services for the school district’s expelled pupils. Upon the change of a pupil’s eligibility for an educational program or at the request of the pupil’s parent or guardian, the governing board of the school district shall review with the pupil and the pupil’s parent or guardian the educational options for expelled pupils as outlined in the plan pursuant to Section 48926.
SEC. 3.
Section 48926 of the Education Code is amended to read:48926.
(a) (1) Each county superintendent of schools in counties that operate community schools pursuant to Section 1980, in conjunction with superintendents of the school districts within the county, shall develop a plan for providing education services, including any services that may be required pursuant to a pupil’s individualized education program or plan pursuant to Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794), to all expelled pupils in that county. The plan shall be adopted by the governing board of each school district within the county and by the county board of education.(2) The plan shall accomplish all of the following:
(A) Enumerate existing educational alternatives for expelled pupils.
(B) Identify gaps in educational services to expelled pupils and recommend strategies for filling those service gaps.
(C) Identify multiple educational programs and services.
(D) Outline a timely readmission process after the expulsion term is complete.
(E) Describe the steps to be taken by the school district, in collaboration with the county office of education, to support the successful transition of a pupil upon readmission.
(F) Identify alternative placements for pupils who are expelled and placed in district community day school programs, but who fail to substantially meet the terms and conditions of their rehabilitation plan.
(b) Each county superintendent of schools, in conjunction with the superintendents of the school districts, shall submit to the Superintendent the county plan for providing educational services to all expelled pupils in the county no later than June 30, 1997, and shall submit a triennial update to the plan to the Superintendent that reflects the outcome data pursuant to Section 48916.1, on June 30 thereafter.
SEC. 4.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.Text of AB 1230 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions