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California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Senate Bill

SB 549: Heritage schools: enrollment and notice.

Enacted Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

SB 549 is a senate bill introduced in the California Senate on February 20, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Heritage schools: enrollment and notice. Primary sponsor: Benjamin Allen (D). It lists 1 additional sponsor. Most recent recorded action (September 30, 2026): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 970, Statutes of 2026.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

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

Under existing law, a “heritage school” is a school that, among other things, offers education or academic tutoring, or both, in a world language and education on the culture, traditions, or history of a country other than the United States to children who are at least 4 years and 9 months of age and no older than 18 years of age and who attend a public or private full-time day school. Existing law exempts a heritage school from licensure by the State Department of Social Services as a child day care center, as specified.

This bill would expand the definition of “heritage school” to also include a school that provides services to children younger than 4 years and 9 months of age who are enrolled in kindergarten, including transitional kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive.

Existing law requires a heritage school, upon a pupil’s enrollment in a heritage school, to provide a notice to the pupil’s parent or guardian stating that the heritage school is exempt from childcare licensure and that attendance at a heritage school does not satisfy California’s compulsory education requirements.

This bill would require a heritage school, upon a pupil’s enrollment in a heritage school, to also provide notice that the State Department of Education has no regulatory authority over heritage schools and does not monitor heritage school operations or instruction.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 2

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Benjamin AllenPrimary sponsorDemocraticSenate24
Henry SternCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate27

“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. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 970, Statutes of 2026.
  2. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 970, Statutes of 2026.
  3. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 970, Statutes of 2026.
  4. Approved by the Governor.
  5. Approved by the Governor.
  6. Approved by the Governor.
  7. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
  8. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
  9. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
  10. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 5998.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
  11. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
  12. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page