AB 49: Schoolsites: immigration enforcement.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law prohibits, except as required by state or federal law or as required to administer a state or federally supported educational program, school officials and employees of a school district, county office of education, or charter school from collecting information or documents regarding citizenship or immigration status of pupils or their family members. Existing law requires the superintendent of a school district, the superintendent of a county office of education, and the principal of a charter school, as applicable, to report to the respective governing board or body of the local educational agency in a timely manner any requests for information or access to a schoolsite by an officer or employee of a law enforcement agency for the purpose of enforcing the immigration laws in a manner that ensures the confidentiality and privacy of any potentially identifying information.

This bill would prohibit school officials and employees of a local educational agency from allowing an officer or employee of an agency conducting immigration enforcement to enter a nonpublic area of a schoolsite, as defined, for any purpose without being presented with a valid judicial warrant, judicial subpoena, or a court order. The bill would require school officials and employees of a local educational agency, to the extent practicable, to request valid identification of any officer or employee of an agency conducting immigration enforcement seeking to enter a nonpublic area of a schoolsite. The bill would also prohibit a local educational agency and its personnel from disclosing or providing, in writing, verbally, or in any other manner, the education records of or any information about a pupil or a pupil’s family and household without the pupil’s parents’ or guardians’ written consent, a school employee, or a teacher to an officer or employee of an agency conducting immigration enforcement without a valid judicial warrant or judicial subpoena, or court order directing the local educational agency or its personnel to do so. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)Existing law requires the Attorney General, by April 1, 2018, in consultation with the appropriate stakeholders, to publish model policies limiting assistance with immigration enforcement at public schools, to the fullest extent possible consistent with federal and state law, and ensuring that public schools remain safe and accessible to all California residents, regardless of immigration status, as provided. Existing law requires local educational agencies, by July 1, 2018, to adopt those model policies developed by the Attorney General or equivalent policies.

This bill would require the Attorney General, by December 1, 2025, to update those model policies to ensure that the policies align with the above-described prohibitions on school officials and employees of local educational agencies allowing an officer or employee of an agency conducting immigration enforcement to enter a nonpublic area of a schoolsite without a valid judicial warrant or judicial subpoena, or a court order and from disclosing or providing certain information to those officers or employees, as provided. The bill also would require a local educational agency to update its model policy by March 1, 2026, and to make the policy available to the State Department of Education upon request. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(3)This bill would make these provisions severable.

(4)The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 26

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. September 20, 2025Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 122, Statutes of 2025.
2. September 20, 2025Approved by the Governor.
3. September 9, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
4. September 2, 2025Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 61. Noes 7. Page 2814.).
5. September 2, 2025Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Page 2813.)
6. September 2, 2025In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
7. September 2, 2025Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 2392.).
8. August 27, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
9. August 26, 2025Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
10. August 20, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
11. August 19, 2025From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 18).
12. July 17, 2025Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.