AB 2191: High school graduation requirements: alternate pathways for individuals with exceptional needs: statewide resources.

California · Assembly · 2025–2026 Regular Session · last verified August 15, 2026

What AB 2191 does, verified August 15, 2026

The bill aims to provide alternate pathways to high school graduation for individuals with exceptional needs. It establishes a statewide resource to help school districts create customized graduation plans for these students. This resource will be developed by the state department of education and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. The resource will focus on building capacity within the state's system of support, training, and technical assistance. The goal is to provide more flexible and inclusive graduation options for students with exceptional needs.

Bill journey

✓IntroducedComplete

✓In CommitteeComplete

✓First Chamber FloorComplete

4Second ChamberCurrent

5GovernorPending

6ChapteredPending

Last action: In committee: Held under submission. (2026-08-13)Alert me

Author and sponsors

Asm. Sharon Quirk-SilvaAuthor · California State Assembly

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Recent actions14 total · showing 5

Aug. 13, 2026	In committee: Held under submission.
Jun. 22, 2026	In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Jun. 10, 2026	From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 10). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
May. 27, 2026	Referred to Com. on ED.
May. 14, 2026	In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

Full action history, 9 earlier actionsConnect Plus

Latest bill textAmended version, March 26, 2026 · 681 words

Amended IN Assembly March 26, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2191

Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk-Silva

February 19, 2026

An act to amend Section 52073.2 of the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2191, as amended, Quirk-Silva. High school graduation requirements: alternate pathways for individuals with exceptional needs: statewide resources.

Existing law establishes the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to advise and assist school districts, county superintendents of schools, and charter schools in achieving their local control and accountability plan goals. Existing law requires a local educational agency to exempt an individual with exceptional needs who satisfies specific eligibility criteria from all courses and other requirements adopted by the governing board or body of the local educational agency that are additional to the statewide course requirements and to award the pupil a diploma of graduation from high school, as provided.

The bill would, subject to an appropriation, require the State Department of Education and the collaborative to, on or before ~~an unspecified date,~~ July 1, 2027, establish a statewide resource focused on establishing alternate pathways to a diploma for individuals with exceptional needs through capacity building within the state’s system of support, training, and technical assistance.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a statewide resource for local educational agencies to establish alternate pathways to a diploma for individuals with exceptional needs as authorized in Section 51225.31 of the Education Code through capacity building within the state’s system of support, training, and technical assistance.

SEC. 2.

Section 52073.2 of the Education Code is amended to read:

52073.2.

(a) The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence and the department shall establish a process, administered by the department, to select, subject to approval by the executive director of the state board in consultation with the Department of Finance, special education local plan areas, county offices of education, or consortia of special education local plan areas and county offices of education to serve as special education resource leads to work with lead agencies selected pursuant to Sections 52073 and 52073.1, and other county offices of education, to improve pupil outcomes as part of the statewide system of support pursuant to this article.

(b) The process to select special education resource leads shall ensure that no more than 10 special education resource leads are selected to provide specific expertise on special education issues within the statewide system of support. At least three resource leads shall be selected in a manner to ensure statewide representation and focus directly on building local and regional capacity to support local educational agencies in achieving the goals, actions, and services identified in their local control and accountability plans. Special education resource leads shall be selected for a term not to exceed five years.

(1) At least one resource lead shall be selected to support the development and implementation of high-quality individualized education programs.

(2) At least one resource lead shall be selected to, in partnership with a family support organization, or coalition of family support organizations, that provides support to families of pupils with disabilities, provide capacity building, training, and technical assistance on family support for families of pupils with disabilities, and conflict prevention and alternate dispute resolution in special education.

(d) Subject to an appropriation included in the annual Budget Act for this purpose, the department and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, on or before ~~____,~~ July 1, 2027, shall establish a statewide resource focused on establishing alternate pathways to a diploma for individuals with exceptional needs as authorized pursuant to Section 51225.31 through capacity building within the state’s system of support, training, and technical assistance.

(e) For purposes of this section, “family support organization that provides support to families of pupils with disabilities” includes, but is not limited to, a state or federally funded organization that provides support to families of pupils with disabilities.

Text of AB 2191 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions