Legislative update: Here’s what Gov. Newsom vetoed in 2019

Click here to download CSBA’s “What’s New for 2020” report detailing all newly signed laws. Most laws become effective Jan. 1, 2020, unless otherwise noted.

The “What’s New for 2020” report contains 91 bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that affect K-12 public education. The Governor vetoed an additional 43 bills (listed in the table below) that CSBA had monitored throughout the year, 19 of which CSBA adopted an official legislative position on.

In total, Gov. Newsom signed 870 new Senate and Assembly bills in 2019 while vetoing 172, a veto rate of 16.5 percent.

Key bills vetoed by Gov. Newsom include:

Assembly Bill 751 (O’Donnell), the Pathways to College Act (CSBA co-sponsored): AB 751 would have permitted school districts to offer an alternate assessment (i.e. SAT or ACT) during the school day in lieu of the Smarter Balanced test. A similar measure was vetoed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown last year.

AB 500 (Gonzalez), paid maternity leave (CSBA position: Oppose): AB 500 would have required school districts, charter schools and community colleges to provide at least six weeks of full pay for pregnancy-related leaves of absence taken by certificated, academic and classified employees. CSBA, along with a coalition including ACSA, CASBO and others, opposed the bill specifically on the grounds of 1) the fiscal impact that it would have on local educational agencies, and 2) the complexity it would add to an already complicated set of employee-leave programs.

Senate Bill 5 (Beall), Affordable Housing & Community Development Investment Program (CSBA position: Oppose): Also working with a broad coalition including CTA, ACSA, CASBO, SSDA and others, CSBA opposed SB 5. The bill, while a well-intentioned effort to address California’s housing crisis, would have authorized cities and counties to reduce their required contributions to the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund, which provides a stable source of revenue for school districts and determines the level of state funding under the Proposition 98 formula.

AB 967 (Smith), charter schools, LCAPs (CSBA Position: Support): AB 967 would have applied current processes governing Local Control and Accountability Plan development to charter schools. In his veto message, Gov. Newsom wrote that charter school reforms made in the 2019–20 state budget (which include public hearing and meeting provisions, and requirements to post LCAPs online), should be “given a chance to work before these additional requirements should be considered.”

AB 197 (Weber), full-day kindergarten (CSBA Position: Support if Amended): AB 197 would have required all elementary schools to offer at least one full-day kindergarten program beginning in 2022–23. In his veto message, the Governor stated that he was unable to sign the bill, as it “would impose new costs outside the budget.” A total of $300 million (one-time, non-Proposition 98) was included in the 2019–20 budget as part of a kindergarten facilities grant program.

All education-related bills vetoed by Gov. Newsom:

Bill: Author: Topic: CSBA Position: Veto Date:
AB 500 Gonzalez School and community college employees: paid maternity leave. Oppose 10/13/19 – Veto msg.
SB 5 Beall Affordable Housing and Community Development Investment Program. Oppose Unless Amended 10/13/19 – Veto msg.
AB 751 O’Donnell Pupil assessments: Pathways to College Act. Co-Sponsor 10/12/19 – Veto msg.
AB 16 Rivas, Luz Homeless children and youths: reporting. Support 10/13/19 – Veto msg.
AB 28 Obernolte High school diplomas: State Seal of STEM. Support 10/12/19 – Veto msg.
AB 258 Jones-Sawyer Pupil health: School-Based Pupil Support Services Program Act. Support 10/12/19 – Veto msg.
AB 773 Gonzalez Voter education: high school pupils. Support 10/7/19 – Veto msg.
AB 852 Burke Pupil instruction: academic content standards: update of adopted standards. Support 10/12/19 – Veto msg.
AB 967 Smith Local control and accountability plans. Support 10/7/19 – Veto msg.
AB 1249 Maienschein Health care service plans: regulations: exemptions. Support 9/27/19 – Veto msg.
AB 1322 Berman School-based health programs. Support 10/11/19 – Veto msg.
AB 1393 Weber Pupil instruction: model curriculum: Laotian history and cultural studies. Support 10/12/19 – Veto msg.
SB 468 Jackson Taxation: tax expenditures: California Tax Expenditure Review Board. Support 10/11/19 – Veto msg.
AB 197 Weber Full-day kindergarten. Support if Amended 10/13/19 – Veto msg.
AB 1558 Ramos Apprenticeship programs: career fairs. Support if Amended 10/9/19 – Veto msg.
AB 624 Gabriel Pupil and student health: identification cards: sexual assault hotline and reproductive health care telephone numbers. Approve 10/12/19 – Veto msg.
AB 1233 Smith Advanced placement examinations: fees. Approve 10/12/19 – Veto msg.
AB 1214 Melendez School employees: training: cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Neutral 10/13/19 – Veto msg.
SB 695 Portantino Special education: individualized education programs: translation services. Neutral 10/12/19 – Veto msg.
AB 130 Low Postsecondary education: Higher Education Performance, Accountability, and Coordination Commission. No official position 10/8/19
AB 166 Gabriel Medi-Cal: violence preventive services. No official position 10/13/19
AB 171 Gonzalez Employment: sexual harassment. No official position 10/12/19
AB 211 Calderon Personal income taxes: deduction: California qualified tuition program. No official position 10/13/19
AB 283 Chu CalWORKs: school attendance: immunizations. No official position 10/13/19
AB 314 Bonta Public employment: labor relations: release time. No official position 10/12/19
AB 346 Cooper Workers’ compensation: leaves of absence. No official position 10/13/19
AB 354 Quirk-Silva School meals: free or reduced-price meals. No official position 10/12/19
AB 512 Ting Medi-Cal: specialty mental health services. No official position 10/13/19
AB 776 Kalra Education data: pupil identifiers: early childhood education programs. No official position 9/27/19
AB 842 Limón Child nutrition: school, childcare, and preschool meals. No official position 10/13/19
AB 1085 McCarty After school programs: substance use prevention: funding: cannabis revenue. No official position 10/7/19
AB 1184 Gloria Public records: writing transmitted by electronic mail: retention. No official position 10/13/19
AB 1578 Rivas, Luz School Pavement to Parks Grant Program. No official position 10/11/19
AB 1613 O’Donnell Public works: prevailing wages. No official position 10/13/19
AB 1658 Carrillo Teacher credentialing: adult education: workgroup. No official position 9/27/19
AB 1736 Daly Notification requirements. No official position 10/13/19
SB 10 Beall Mental health services: peer support specialist certification. No official position 10/13/19
SB 35 Chang Human trafficking: California ACTS Task Force. No official position 10/13/19
SB 163 Portantino Health care coverage: pervasive developmental disorder or autism. No official position 10/12/19
SB 212 Allen Elections: local voting methods. No official position 10/13/19
SB 268 Wiener Ballot measures: local taxes. No official position 10/13/19
SB 428 Pan Pupil health: school employee training: youth mental and behavioral health. No official position 10/13/19
SB 518 Wieckowski Civil actions: settlement offers. No official position 10/12/19