Senate BillChaptered/SignedBusiness and Professions
SB 744: Accrediting agencies.
What SB 744 does, verified December 8, 2025
This bill aims to establish a temporary accreditation status for national or regional accrediting agencies recognized by the US Department of Education. The agencies would retain their recognition until July 1, 2029, as long as they continue to operate in a similar manner to their status on January 1, 2025. After that, the provisions would be repealed. The bill primarily targets postsecondary education, requiring institutions to be accredited by a recognized agency to qualify for certain programs and receive approval to operate.
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
✓In CommitteeComplete
✓First Chamber FloorComplete
✓Second ChamberComplete
✓GovernorComplete
6ChapteredCurrent
Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 425, Statutes of 2025. (2025-09-12)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions33 total · showing 5
| Oct. 06, 2025 | Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 425, Statutes of 2025. |
| Oct. 06, 2025 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep. 23, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m. |
| Sep. 13, 2025 | Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 5. Page 3026.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. |
| Sep. 12, 2025 | Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 60. Noes 18. Page 3391.) Ordered to the Senate. |
Latest bill textChaptered version, October 6, 2025 · 758 words
Senate Bill No. 744
CHAPTER 425
An act to add and repeal Section 144.7 of the Business and Professions Code, and to amend, repeal, and add Section 66010 of the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.
[ Approved by Governor October 06, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 06, 2025. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 744, Cabaldon. Accrediting agencies.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions as the segments of postsecondary education in the state. Existing law requires certain postsecondary educational institutions to be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education to qualify as an independent institution of higher education to be eligible for certain programs and to receive an approval to operate.
Existing laws applicable to, among other things, the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by the Department of Consumer Affairs require applicants for licensure or licensees to satisfy educational requirements by completing programs or degrees from institutions or universities accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency or association recognized by the United States Department of Education, or otherwise impose a requirement that a school or program be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.
This bill would require, for purposes of any code or statute, a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education as of January 1, 2025, to retain that recognition until July 1, 2029, provided that the accrediting agency continues to operate in substantially the same manner as it did on January 1, 2025. The bill would repeal those provisions on January 1, 2030.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 144.7 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:144.7.
(a) For purposes of any code or statute, a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education as of January 1, 2025, shall retain that recognition until July 1, 2029, provided that the accrediting agency continues to operate in substantially the same manner as it did on January 1, 2025.(b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.
SEC. 2.
Section 66010 of the Education Code is amended to read:66010.
(a) Public higher education consists of (1) the California Community Colleges, (2) the California State University, and each campus, branch, and function thereof, and (3) each campus, branch, and function of the University of California.(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), as used in this part, “independent institutions of higher education” are those nonpublic higher education institutions that grant undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, or both, and that are formed as nonprofit corporations in this state and are accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.
(2) For purposes of any code or statute, a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education as of January 1, 2025, shall retain that recognition until July 1, 2029, provided that the accrediting agency continues to operate in substantially the same manner as it did on January 1, 2025.
(c) No provision of this part is intended to regulate, subsidize, or intrude upon private education, including, but not limited to, independent educational institutions and religious schools, nor to vary existing state law or state constitutional provisions relating to private education.
(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.
SEC. 3.
Section 66010 is added to the Education Code, to read:66010.
(a) Public higher education consists of (1) the California Community Colleges, (2) the California State University, and each campus, branch, and function thereof, and (3) each campus, branch, and function of the University of California.(b) As used in this part, “independent institutions of higher education” are those nonpublic higher education institutions that grant undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, or both, and that are formed as nonprofit corporations in this state and are accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.
(c) No provision of this part is intended to regulate, subsidize, or intrude upon private education, including, but not limited to, independent educational institutions and religious schools, nor to vary existing state law or state constitutional provisions relating to private education.
(d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2030.
Text of SB 744 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions