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AB-542 • 2026

Continuation schools and classes: youth workforce development programs.

Continuation schools and classes: youth workforce development programs.

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Celeste Rodriguez
Last action
2025-10-13
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 696, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Youth Workforce Development Programs in Continuation Schools

This law allows continuation high schools to offer youth workforce development programs on weekdays, as long as students still attend at least 15 hours of classes each week.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows school districts with continuation high schools or classes to provide youth workforce development programs.
  • Requires these programs to be offered on one or two weekdays per week.
  • Ensures that students participating in the program are still enrolled for at least 15 hours of class time each week.
  • Needs school districts to set up ways to track student attendance and participation during the workforce development activities.

Who It Names or Affects

  • School districts with continuation high schools or classes
  • Students attending these schools

Terms To Know

Continuation High School
A type of school that helps students who are at risk of dropping out to finish their education.
Youth Workforce Development Program
Programs designed to help young people gain work experience and skills for future employment.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how many students can participate in the program.
  • It is unclear what kind of workforce development programs will be offered.
  • There are no details on funding or support from other agencies for these programs.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-13 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 696, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-13 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-15 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4:30 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-08 California Legislative Information

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3033.).

  5. 2025-09-04 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-04 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2521.).

  7. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  8. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  9. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).

  10. 2025-07-14 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  11. 2025-07-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 2). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  12. 2025-06-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on ED.

  13. 2025-06-18 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on ED. and APPR.

  14. 2025-06-05 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  15. 2025-06-04 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 2065.)

  16. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  17. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

  18. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 23).

  19. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)

  20. 2025-05-14 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

  21. 2025-05-01 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  22. 2025-04-07 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on ED.

  23. 2025-04-03 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on ED. Read second time and amended.

  24. 2025-03-20 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  25. 2025-02-27 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on ED.

  26. 2025-02-26 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on ED. Read second time and amended.

  27. 2025-02-24 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on ED.

  28. 2025-02-12 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 14.

  29. 2025-02-11 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 542, Celeste Rodriguez.
Continuation schools and classes: youth workforce development programs.
Existing law requires the governing board of each school district to fix the length of the schoolday for grades and classes of the schools maintained by the school district, subject to certain conditions and requirements. Under existing law, in continuation high schools and continuation education classes, a day of attendance is 180 minutes of attendance and a pupil is prohibited from being credited with more than 15 hours of attendance per school week, proportionately reduced for those school weeks having weekday holidays on which classes are not held.
This bill would authorize the governing board of a school district that maintains a continuation high school or continuation education classes to offer youth workforce development programs, as defined, to pupils on one or 2 weekdays per school week if it ensures that those pupils are otherwise
enrolled in at least 15 hours of class attendance per school week. The bill would require a school district that implements a youth workforce development program for these purposes to establish procedures to track pupil attendance and pupil participation while engaging in a youth workforce development program.

Current Bill Text

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