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SB-914 • 2026

School accountability: audits: annual review.

School accountability: audits: annual review.

Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Ashby
Last action
2026-04-17
Official status
Set for hearing April 27.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details about management letters or their meanings.

School Accountability: Changing Audit Review Dates

This law changes when local schools must review their yearly financial checks and accept or reject them at a public meeting.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the date by which school boards must review annual audits from January 31 to March 31 each year, or within 45 days after receiving the audit report, whichever is later.
  • Requires school boards to hold a public meeting where they accept or reject the annual audit report.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local educational agency governing boards
  • School districts and charter schools

Terms To Know

Audit
A review to check if financial records are correct.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a school board fails to review or accept/reject an audit on time.
  • It's unclear how much extra work this change will create for local schools and boards.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-17 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 27.

  2. 2026-04-15 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  3. 2026-04-06 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED.

  4. 2026-04-02 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 15.

  5. 2026-02-11 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on ED.

  6. 2026-01-28 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 27.

  7. 2026-01-27 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 914, as amended, Ashby.
School accountability: audits: annual review.
Existing law requires the governing board of each local educational agency to either provide for an audit of the books and accounts of the local educational agency or make arrangements with the respective county superintendent of schools to provide for that auditing. Existing law requires the governing board of each local educational agency, by January 31 of each year, to review, at a public meeting as an item on the agenda, the annual audit of the local educational agency for the prior year, any audit exceptions identified in that audit, the recommendations or findings of any management letter issued by the auditor, and any description of correction or plans to correct any exceptions or management letter issue, as provided.
This bill would change the date by which the governing
board or
body of each
local educational agency
school district, educational joint powers authority, county superintendent of schools, or charter school
is required to review the above-described annual audit of the local educational agency at a public meeting from January 31 of each year to instead be
March 31 of each year, or
within
45 days after the issuance of an audit
report, whichever is later.
report. The bill would additionally
require the governing board or body of the local educational agency, at the public meeting described above, to accept or reject the annual audit report.
To the extent
the changed date would
the bill would
impose additional duties on local educational agencies or other local entities or officials, 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

Read the full stored bill text
Download Bill PDF