Student health: medical leaves of absence: mental health.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not specify if private postsecondary educational institutions and independent institutions of higher education are required to comply with the same conditions as public colleges. The bill's applicability to these entities is uncertain based on the provided information.

Student Health: Medical Leaves of Absence for Mental Health

This law requires California's public and private colleges to allow students to take a medical leave of absence without needing proof, and to provide reasonable accommodations during their studies.

What This Bill Does

• Requires schools to let students take a voluntary medical leave of absence starting in the 2027-28 school year.
• Allows students to stay enrolled even if they need time off for health reasons.
• Schools must give reasonable help to students facing medical challenges without needing proof from them.
• Prohibits schools from requiring students on a medical leave of absence to officially withdraw.
• Requires colleges to share their medical leave policies with faculty, staff, and students.

Who It Names or Affects

• Students in California's public and private higher education institutions
• Colleges and universities in the University of California system, California State University system, and California Community Colleges

Terms To Know

Medical leave of absence

Time off from school for health reasons.

Reasonable accommodations

Support given to help students continue their studies while facing medical challenges.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law only applies if the University of California's regents agree.
• It may require state funding for community colleges to follow these rules.

Official Summary Text

AB 1669, as amended, Pacheco.
Student health:
medical
leaves of absence: mental health.
The Donahoe Higher Education Act sets forth, among other things, the missions and functions of California’s public and independent segments of higher education and their respective institutions of higher education. The act requests the Regents of the University of California, and requires the Trustees of the California State University, to require each campus in their respective segments to grant students the right to reenroll in their baccalaureate degree program after withdrawing or stopping out, if the student was in good academic standing with the university.
This bill, commencing with the 2027–28 academic year, would require a campus of the University of California, the California State University, or the California Community Colleges, a private postsecondary educational institution, or an independent institution of higher education to
(1) adopt a written policy to allow a student to take a voluntary medical leave of absence for a period to be determined by the postsecondary educational institution, or for a period of
up to
one academic year, whichever is longer, and (2)
reasonably accommodate
provide reasonable accommodations to
a student facing
a
medical
challenges so
challenge, without requiring the student to provide documentation of the medical challenge, so that
the student is able complete their
courses
course
of study and research. The bill would prohibit the leave of absence policy from, among other things, requiring a student who takes a
medical
leave of absence to
withdraw
from
submit an official notice of withdrawal to
the postsecondary educational institution. The bill would require a postsecondary educational
institution to make
institution, among other things, to provide
the
medical
leave of absence policy
available to faculty, staff,
to students
and
all
employees
in a required training and available to students at an orientation session.
by sending an email at the beginning of each academic semester or term.
These provisions would apply to the University of California only to the extent that the regents, by
appropriate resolution, make them applicable. By imposing additional duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
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.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF