SB 1181: Violence Prevention, Pupil Wellness, and School Safety Grant Program.
The bill aims to improve communication between local educational agencies and regional fusion centers regarding credible school safety threats. It establishes a pilot program in certain counties, including Fresno, Kern, Kings, Tulare, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus, to study and evaluate improved coordination protocols. The program will develop voluntary protocols between participating agencies and fusion centers, ensuring compliance with state and federal privacy laws. The program will not involve the bulk monitoring of students or collection of student information unrelated to a credible safety threat. A report will be submitted to the legislature by January 1, 2029, to evaluate the program's effectiveness.
| Aug. 13, 2026 | August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. |
| Aug. 05, 2026 | August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file. |
| Jul. 02, 2026 | Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Jul. 02, 2026 | From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 1). |
| Jun. 25, 2026 | Re-referred to Com. on ED. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96. |
| Amended IN Assembly July 02, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly June 23, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly June 10, 2026 |
| Amended IN Senate May 22, 2026 |
| Amended IN Senate April 28, 2026 |
| Amended IN Senate March 25, 2026 |
| Introduced by Senator Hurtado |
February 18, 2026 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Tulare, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)Tragic incidents of teenage shooting deaths in the Central Valley, including Senate District 16 areas, demonstrate broader trends of escalating gun violence and youth involvement in firearm-related threats. For example, in Hanford in the County of Kings, 17-year-old Ayden Anthony Wyatt was fatally shot at the Casa del Sol Apartments in January 2026, leading to arrests and underscoring risks from gun violence in school-adjacent communities.
(b)Similar violence has affected nearby regions, including in Clovis in the County of Fresno portion of Senate District 16, where 18-year-old Caleb Quick was killed outside a McDonald’s in April 2025 by two 16-year-old suspects, and a 15-year-old boy died in a December 2025 accidental shooting, exemplifying trends of youth access to firearms contributing to preventable fatalities and school safety concerns.
(c)In the County of Kern, multiple teenage fatalities from shootings illustrate pervasive trends of gun violence impacting youth mental health and community stability in rural areas, including all of the following:
(1)Fifteen-year-old Prince Michael Banner was killed at The Marketplace in November 2024, with a 16-year-old arrested.
(2)A 12-year-old boy was murdered in Lamont in October 2024, with a juvenile admitting to the crime.
(d)The proliferation of untraceable ghost guns exacerbates these trends, as seen in incidents like the February 2026 discovery of an 18-year-old in nearby San Jose manufacturing 27 ghost guns using 3D printers, highlighting how easily accessible technology enables youth involvement in firearm-related threats within the broader Central Valley region.
(e)Social media’s role in perpetuating harm demonstrates trends of online hate impacting youth futures and school environments. For example, in February 2026 at Redwood High School in Visalia in the County of Tulare, students arranged shirts to spell a homophobic slur in a viral photo, leading to investigations, community backlash, and long-term online stigma that could hinder the futures of involved students while making LGBTQ+ youth feel unsafe and unwelcome in schools.
(f)It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to protect the mental health, safety, and well-being of children and adolescents in California, particularly in underserved areas like Senate District 16, by addressing the growing impact of AI, digital technologies, and emerging threats on youths’ mental health development through improved coordination and privacy-protected information sharing.
SECTION 1.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:SEC. 2.
Article 5.1 (commencing with Section 233.9) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, to read: Article 5.1. Central Valley Violence Prevention, Student Pupil Wellness, and School Safety Grant Pilot Program
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)Safe schools and communities are essential to student success, academic achievement, workforce development, and economic prosperity.
(b)Communities throughout California’s central valley continue to experience challenges related to youth violence, chronic absenteeism, behavioral health needs, substance abuse, gang involvement, and emerging digital threats affecting youth and families.
(c)School safety, violence prevention, and student well-being are interconnected and require coordinated efforts among educators, families, behavioral health professionals, community organizations, emergency management professionals, and law enforcement agencies.
(d)Evidence-based violence prevention, early intervention, mentoring, counseling, and behavioral health services have been shown to improve educational outcomes, reduce violence, and increase community safety.
(e)Community-based organizations and local governments play a critical role in preventing violence before it occurs and connecting youth and families with needed support services.
(f)Some community-based organizations providing violence prevention and behavioral health services have experienced reductions or uncertainty in available funding, creating challenges in maintaining prevention-focused programs.
(g)It is the intent of the Legislature to support a comprehensive public safety strategy that addresses both the root causes of violence and the need for safe school and community environments.
233.9.1.233.9.
(c)Eligible applicants shall include all of the following:
(1)Local educational agencies.
(2)County offices of education.
(3)Community-based organizations.
(4)Local governments.
(5)Tribal governments.
(6)Partnerships consisting of one or more of the entities identified in this subdivision.
(2)School counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers.
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