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AB-1884 • 2026

Interscholastic athletics: drug testing: suspensions: nicotine use.

Interscholastic athletics: drug testing: suspensions: nicotine use.

Children Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Hadwick (A) , Sharp-Collins
Last action
2026-04-17
Official status
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill authorizes rather than requires school boards to set up drug testing programs.

Interscholastic Athletics: Drug Testing for Students

This bill authorizes school districts to create drug testing programs for students in grades 7 to 12, focusing on nicotine use and allowing tests for alcohol and controlled substances. It also protects students from suspension if they test positive under these programs.

What This Bill Does

  • Authorizes school boards to set up drug testing programs for students involved in extracurricular activities like sports.
  • Includes testing for nicotine use, alcohol, and controlled substances as part of the program.
  • Limits suspensions based on positive drug tests unless a student has three or more positive results.
  • Protects students from being suspended if they test positive for drugs under these programs.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students in grades 7 to 12 participating in extracurricular activities like sports and clubs.
  • School boards that manage public and private secondary schools.

Terms To Know

Suspension
A punishment where a student is not allowed to attend school for a certain period of time.
Diversion Program
A program that helps students who have broken rules by offering them support instead of punishment.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how schools will fund these drug testing programs.
  • It is unclear if the bill will be signed into law and when it would take effect.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-17 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  2. 2026-04-13 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on ED.

  3. 2026-04-09 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  4. 2026-04-08 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (April 7).

  5. 2026-03-23 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on A.,E.,S., & T.

  6. 2026-03-19 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on A.,E.,S., & T. Read second time and amended.

  7. 2026-03-19 California Legislative Information

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

  8. 2026-02-13 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

  9. 2026-02-12 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1884, as amended, Hadwick.
Interscholastic athletics: drug testing: suspensions: nicotine use.
Existing law authorizes public and private secondary schools to participate in interscholastic sports, and authorizes schools to enter into associations or consortia to enact and enforce rules relating to eligibility for, and participation in, these activities.
Existing law requires the governing board of a school district that maintains one or more schools containing any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to establish a policy regarding participation in extracurricular and cocurricular activities by pupils in those grades as a condition for the receipt of specified school funding allocations. Existing law requires the policy to condition pupil participation in extracurricular and cocurricular activities upon satisfactory educational progress in the previous grading period.
This bill would
require
authorize
the governing board of a school district to adopt, as part of the above-described policy regarding participation in extracurricular and cocurricular activities, provisions establishing a drug testing program for pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive. The bill would require
the
an adopted
program to include nicotine testing for athletic extracurricular activities, and authorize the program to
(1)
include testing for alcohol and controlled
substances, and (2) apply to other, nonathletic extracurricular activities.
substances.
The bill would, among other things, require the basis for testing to be random and suspicionless, unless the school has a reasonable suspicion that a pupil used nicotine, or, if applicable, alcohol or a controlled substance. The bill would
require the
authorize an adopted
drug testing program to condition the voluntary participation in athletic extracurricular
activities, and, if applicable, other extracurricular activities,
activities
on participation in the drug testing program, as provided. The bill would prohibit the results of these drug tests from being made available to criminal or juvenile authorities, except as
provided, and would require the results to be shared with the superintendent of the school district or their designee, the coach of the extracurricular athletic
team, or, if applicable, adult leader of the other extracurricular activity,
team,
and the pupil’s parents or other person having legal custody, as provided.
Upon the third cumulative instance of a positive drug test, the bill would prohibit a pupil from participating in athletic extracurricular activities for the remainder of that athletic season, as provided.
The bill would authorize a pupil drug testing program to require a pupil to participate in a diversion program as a condition of continuing
to participate in athletic extracurricular activities upon at least 3 cumulative instances of a positive drug test.
Existing law prohibits a pupil from being suspended from school or recommended for expulsion, unless the superintendent of the school district or the principal of the school in which the pupil is enrolled determines that the pupil has committed a specified act, including, among other acts, that the pupil (1) unlawfully possessed, used, sold, or otherwise furnished, or had been under the influence of, a controlled substance, an alcoholic beverage, or an intoxicant of any kind, or (2) possessed or used tobacco, or products containing tobacco or nicotine products.
Existing law prohibits the suspension of a pupil who voluntarily discloses, in order to seek help through services or supports, their use of a controlled substance, alcohol, intoxicants of any kind, tobacco, products containing
tobacco, or nicotine products solely for that disclosure.
This bill would additionally prohibit the suspension of a pupil who tests positive for a controlled substance, alcohol, intoxicants of any kind, tobacco, products containing tobacco, or nicotine products pursuant to
the
an adopted
pupil drug testing program
from being suspended
solely for that positive test.
Existing law authorizes a principal or the principal’s designee who, in their professional capacity, has knowledge of or observes a pupil whom they know, or reasonably suspect as evidenced by the pupil’s apparent intoxication, has consumed an alcoholic beverage or abused a controlled
substance, to report the known or suspected instance of alcohol or controlled substance abuse to the parent or parents, or other person having legal custody, of the pupil. Existing law prohibits a principal or principal’s designee who so reports from being subject to civil or criminal liability, except as specified.
This bill would extend the above-described authorization to report to the parent or parents, or other person having legal custody, and related liability protections, to a principal or the principal’s designee who knows or reasonably suspects that a pupil has used nicotine, as provided.

Current Bill Text

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