Senate Constitutional AmendmentIntroduced
SCA 1: Educational expenses: school choice flex accounts and special education flex accounts.
What SCA 1 does, verified March 23, 2026
The proposed constitutional amendment aims to provide more educational options for California students. The amendment would allow the state to disburse funds to parents for tuition and education-related expenses associated with attending private schools, regardless of religious affiliation. This would be in addition to the existing public school system. The amendment would also modify the way ad valorem property tax revenues are allocated to local agencies. The amendment would define average daily attendance to include all children enrolled in public schools, as well as those who are eligible to enroll but choose to use school choice or special education flex accounts. The amendment would also provide that its provisions are severable and require the attorney general to defend against any challenges to its validity.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: Referred to Coms. on ED. and E. & C.A. (2026-01-05)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions3 total · showing 3
| Jan. 05, 2026 | Referred to Coms. on ED. and E. & C.A. |
| Jan. 16, 2025 | From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 15. |
| Jan. 15, 2025 | Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. |
Latest bill textIntroduced version, January 15, 2025 · 1,418 words
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Constitutional Amendment
No. 1
| Introduced by Senator Grove |
January 15, 2025 |
A resolution to propose to the people of the State of California an amendment to the Constitution of the State, by adding Section 8.5 to Article IX thereof, and by adding Section 8.1 to Article XVI thereof, relating to educational expenses.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCA 1, as introduced, Grove. Educational expenses: school choice flex accounts and special education flex accounts.
(1) The California Constitution requires the Legislature to encourage, by all suitable means, the promotion of intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural improvement. The California Constitution also requires the Legislature to provide for a system of common schools by which a free school is kept up and supported in each district at least 6 months in every year. The California Constitution prohibits public money from being appropriated for the support of any sectarian or denominational school or any school not under the exclusive control of the officers of the public schools.
This measure, notwithstanding the constitutional provisions referenced above or any other provision of the California Constitution, would authorize the state, and every agency or political subdivision of the state, to disburse funds pursuant to an agreement between the state and a parent or legal guardian of an eligible child for tuition and education-related expenses associated with attending a private school serving students in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, irrespective of religious affiliation, as provided by statute, and provide tax or other public benefits to private schools serving students in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, irrespective of religious affiliation, to further the promotion of intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural improvement.
(2) The Classroom Instructional Improvement and Accountability Act, an initiative approved by the voters as Proposition 98 at the November 8, 1988, statewide general election, amended the California Constitution to, among other things, set forth a formula for computing the minimum amount of revenues that the state is required to appropriate for the support of school districts and community college districts based on one of 3 tests in any given fiscal year, one of which is based on the percentage of General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts and community college districts, respectively, in fiscal year 1986–87, and 2 of which are based on, among other things, changes in enrollment. The California Constitution measures changes in enrollment by the percentage change in average daily attendance.
The California Constitution generally prohibits the total annual appropriations subject to limitation of the state and each local government from exceeding the appropriations limit of the entity of government for the prior fiscal year, adjusted for the change in the cost of living and the change in population, and prescribes procedures for making adjustments to the appropriations limit. The California Constitution defines the change in population of a school district or community college district as the percentage change in the average daily attendance of the school district or community college district from the preceding fiscal year, as determined by a method prescribed by the Legislature.
For purposes of measuring changes in enrollment as they relate to computing the minimum amount of revenues the state is required to appropriate for the support of school districts and community college districts, and for purposes of measuring the change in population of a school district or community college district to determine the total annual appropriations limit for school districts and community college districts, this measure would define average daily attendance to include all children enrolled in public kindergarten schools, elementary schools, and secondary schools and all children who are eligible to enroll in public kindergarten schools, elementary schools, and secondary schools but have chosen to fund their kindergarten, elementary, or secondary education with a School Choice Flex Account or Special Education Flex Account, as provided.
(3) The California Constitution generally prohibits the Legislature from enacting a statute to modify or change the manner in which ad valorem property tax revenues are allocated to local agencies, except as provided.
This measure would authorize the Legislature, by statute, to require the allocation of ad valorem property tax revenues in the manner described in the School Choice Flex Account Act of 2025.
(4) This measure would provide that its provisions are severable and would require the Attorney General to defend against any action challenging the validity of the measure, as provided.
Resolved by the Senate, the Assembly concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California at its 2025–26 Regular Session commencing on the second day of December 2024, two-thirds of the membership of each house concurring, hereby proposes to the people of the State of California, that the Constitution of the State be amended as follows:
First—
That Section 8.5 is added to Article IX thereof, to read:SEC. 8.5.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution, including Section 8 of this article and Section 5 of Article XVI, the State, and every agency or political subdivision of the State, may disburse funds pursuant to an agreement between the State and a parent or legal guardian of an eligible child for tuition and education-related expenses associated with attending a private school that serves students in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, irrespective of religious affiliation, as provided by statute, and may provide tax or other public benefits to a private school serving students in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, irrespective of religious affiliation, to further the purposes of Section 1 of this article.Second—
That Section 8.1 is added to Article XVI thereof, to read:SEC. 8.1.
For purposes of Section 8 of this article and Section 8 of Article XIII B, the term “average daily attendance” shall include the average daily attendance of all children enrolled in public kindergarten schools, elementary schools, and secondary schools and the average daily attendance of all children who are otherwise eligible to enroll in public kindergarten schools, elementary schools, and secondary schools but have chosen to fund their kindergarten, elementary, or secondary education with a School Choice Flex Account or Special Education Flex Account established pursuant to Article 19.2 (commencing with Section 69995) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution, including Section 25.5 of Article XIII, the Legislature may, by statute, require the allocation of ad valorem property tax revenue pursuant to Section 69995.12 of the Education Code.Third—
(a) The provisions of this measure are severable. If any provision of this measure or its application is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, that decision shall not affect any other provision or application that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that it would have adopted this measure and each and every portion, section, subdivision, paragraph, clause, sentence, phrase, word, and application not declared invalid or unconstitutional irrespective of whether any portion of this measure, or application thereof, is subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.(b) This measure is intended to be comprehensive. It is the intent of the Legislature that if this measure, and acts relating to the same subject, appear on the same statewide election ballot, the provisions of the other act or acts shall be deemed to be in conflict with this measure. If this measure, and one or more conflicting acts, are adopted by the voters in the same election, and this measure receives a greater number of affirmative votes, the provisions of this measure shall prevail in their entirety, and all provisions of the conflicting acts shall be null and void.
(c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Attorney General shall defend against any action challenging, in whole or in part, the validity of this measure, and shall have an unconditional right to intervene in any action to defend the validity of this measure.
(2) If the Attorney General declines to defend the validity of the measure in any action, the Attorney General shall nonetheless file an appeal from, or seek review of, any judgment of any court that determines that the measure is invalid, in whole or in part, if necessary or appropriate to preserve the state’s standing to defend the law in conformity with the Attorney General’s constitutional duty to see that the laws of the state are adequately enforced.
Text of SCA 1 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions