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AB-1665 • 2026

School athletics: coaches: youth athletics behavioral and mental health training.

School athletics: coaches: youth athletics behavioral and mental health training.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Pacheco (A) , Gabriel (A) , Irwin
Last action
2026-04-07
Official status
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not specify the exact content or cost of the mental health training.

Coaches Must Learn About Student Mental Health

This law requires high school coaches to complete yearly mental health training starting in the 2027-28 school year.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a new component on pupil mental health training to the California High School Coaching Education and Training Program.
  • Requires all high school coaches, including those at private schools that are members of the CIF, to complete yearly mental health training starting in the 2027-28 school year.

Who It Names or Affects

  • High school coaches who are part of interscholastic athletic programs.
  • Coaches in other types of high school athletic programs that a school district elects to offer, including private schools.

Terms To Know

California High School Coaching Education and Training Program
A program that teaches coaches how to coach safely and effectively, with an emphasis on mental health training starting in the 2027-28 school year.
California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)
An organization made up of schools and school-related personnel who run interscholastic athletic activities for high schools.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what the mental health training will cover.
  • It is unclear how much it will cost to provide this new training.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-07 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  2. 2026-04-06 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  3. 2026-03-26 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (March 25).

  4. 2026-03-19 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on ED.

  5. 2026-03-18 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  6. 2026-03-17 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (March 17).

  7. 2026-02-17 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on A.,E.,S., & T. and ED.

  8. 2026-01-30 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 1.

  9. 2026-01-29 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1665, as amended, Pacheco.
School athletics: coaches:
pupil
youth athletics behavioral and
mental health training.
Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to have general control of, and be responsible for, all aspects of the interscholastic athletic policies, programs, and activities in its school district, as provided, and requires the governing board of a school district to ensure that all interscholastic policies, programs, and activities in the school district comply with state and federal law. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to enter into associations or consortia with other governing boards for purposes of governing regional or statewide interscholastic athletics, as provided.
Existing law describes the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) as a voluntary organization that consists of school and school-related personnel with responsibility for administering interscholastic athletic
activities in secondary schools and states the intent of the Legislature that the CIF, in consultation with the State Department of Education, implement specified policies relating to interscholastic athletics.
Existing law, the 1998 California High School Coaching Education and Training Program, declares the intent of the Legislature to establish a California High School Coaching Education and Training Program, to be administered by school districts with an emphasis on specific components, including, among other components, sports psychology. Existing law requires every high school sports coach to complete, at their own expense, a coaching education program that meets the guidelines established by the California High School Coaching Education and Training Program.
This bill would add a component on
pupil
mental health training, as
specified, to the list of components to be emphasized by the 1998 California High School Coaching Education and Training Program. The bill, commencing with the 2027–28 school year, would require a person who serves as a coach in an interscholastic athletic program at a high school, including a private school, that is a member of the California Interscholastic Federation to complete
annual training in pupil mental health,
an initial training, and a subsequent training every 2 years, on mental health,
as provided. The bill, commencing with the 2027–28 school year, would also require a school district, county office of education, or charter school that elects to offer an athletic program, other than an interscholastic athletic program, to ensure that the athletic program’s coaches complete an initial training, and a
subsequent training every 2 years, that covers sudden cardiac arrest, as provided, and
pupil mental health,
youth athletics behavioral and mental health training,
as provided.
The bill, commencing with the 2027–28 school year, would further require a person who serves as a private school coach in an athletic program, other than an
interscholastic athletic program, that the governing board or body that maintains the school elects to offer, to complete an initial training, and a subsequent training every 2 years, in pupil mental health, as provided.

Current Bill Text

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