Bill Commons

CA AB 279

in committee

School libraries: model library standards.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 279 pass?

Not yet. CA AB 279 is in committee as of 2025-08-29 and has not come to a final vote. Latest recorded action (2025-08-29): In committee: Held under submission.

What is CA AB 279 about?

Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt standards, rules, and regulations for school library services. Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission, among other duties, to recommend the adoption of minimum standards for courses of study in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools to the state board upon request. Existing law requires the courses of study in public schools to conform to those minimum standards when adopted. This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2028, and every 8 years thereafter, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the state board, to consider recommending revisions to the standards for school library services to the state board. The bill would require, if the Superintendent decides to recommend revisions, the Superintendent to convene a group of experts to assist the Superintendent in developing the recommended revisions. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the Instructional Quality Commission, to hold a minimum of 2 public hearings in order for the public to provide input on the recommended revisions. The bill would require the Superintendent, within 18 months of convening the experts, to present to the state board the revised content standards for school library services, which the state board is required to adopt, reject, or modify, as provided. The operation of the bill would be subject to an appropriation being made for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.

Who sponsors CA AB 279?

Patel is the primary sponsor of CA AB 279.

Description

Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt standards, rules, and regulations for school library services. Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission, among other duties, to recommend the adoption of minimum standards for courses of study in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools to the state board upon request. Existing law requires the courses of study in public schools to conform to those minimum standards when adopted. This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2028, and every 8 years thereafter, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the state board, to consider recommending revisions to the standards for school library services to the state board. The bill would require, if the Superintendent decides to recommend revisions, the Superintendent to convene a group of experts to assist the Superintendent in developing the recommended revisions. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the Instructional Quality Commission, to hold a minimum of 2 public hearings in order for the public to provide input on the recommended revisions. The bill would require the Superintendent, within 18 months of convening the experts, to present to the state board the revised content standards for school library services, which the state board is required to adopt, reject, or modify, as provided. The operation of the bill would be subject to an appropriation being made for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.

Introduced
2025-03-13
Latest action
2025-08-29 — In committee: Held under submission.
Bill type
bill
Last updated

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Patelauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-01-21

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2025-01-22

    From printer. May be heard in committee February 21.

  3. 2025-02-10

    Referred to Com. on ED.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-03-13

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (March 12).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  5. 2025-03-17

    Read second time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  6. 2025-03-18

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    referral-committee

  7. 2025-04-09

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  8. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  9. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  10. 2025-06-03

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 1. Page 1967.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  11. 2025-06-04

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  12. 2025-06-18

    Referred to Com. on ED.

    referral-committee

  13. 2025-06-23

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on ED.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  14. 2025-07-17

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 16). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  15. 2025-08-18

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  16. 2025-08-29

    In committee: Held under submission.

Versions

  • 01/21/25 - Introduced — 2025-01-21Compare
  • 03/17/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-03-17Compare
  • 06/23/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-06-23Compare
  • AB279Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-03-12 · pass · 8-0

    Member-level votes (9)
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Garcia: other
  • Do pass.

    2025-05-23 · pass · 14-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Calderon: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Sanchez: other
  • AB 279 Patel Assembly Third Reading

    2025-06-03 · pass · 78-1

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • DeMaio: no
  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-07-16 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Choi: yes
  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-08-18 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Grayson: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

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