SB-998 • 2026

Educational equity: discrimination prevention coordinators.

Education

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Gonzalez (S) , Weber Pierson
Last action: 2026-04-24
Official status: Set for hearing May 4.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about the exact duties or actions required from local educational agencies.

Educational Equity: Adding Discrimination Prevention Coordinators

This law adds a Disability Discrimination Prevention Coordinator and changes the title of another coordinator to include more groups. It also creates deputy coordinators for specific types of discrimination.

What This Bill Does

Adds a new position called the Disability Discrimination Prevention Coordinator in the Office of Civil Rights.
Changes the name of the LGBTQ Discrimination Prevention Coordinator to LGBTQ+ Discrimination Prevention Coordinator.
Requires each coordinator, with help from the State Department of Education and under supervision by the Government Operations Agency, to develop education programs for teachers, staff, and administrators to prevent discrimination.
Creates deputy coordinators for Anti-Black Racism, Anti-AAPI Discrimination, and Anti-Latino Discrimination who report directly to the Race and Ethnicity Discrimination Prevention Coordinator.

Who It Names or Affects

The Office of Civil Rights in California
Local educational agencies in California

Terms To Know

Intersectionality: When different aspects of a person's identity, like race and gender, combine to create unique experiences of discrimination.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much money will be used for these new positions.
It is unclear what specific actions local educational agencies must take based on this law.

Bill History

2026-04-24 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 4.
2026-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-04-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 21.
2026-04-15 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 15). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2026-04-09 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 15.
2026-04-08 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED.
2026-04-08 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Coms. on ED. and JUD.
2026-03-25 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2026-02-18 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on RLS.
2026-02-10 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 12.
2026-02-09 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 998, as amended, Gonzalez.
Educational equity: discrimination prevention coordinators.
Existing law states the policy of the State of California is to afford all persons in public schools, regardless of their disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other specified characteristic, equal rights and opportunities in the educational institutions of the state. Existing law establishes the Office of Civil Rights, under the administration of the Government Operations Agency. Existing law requires the Office of Civil Rights to employ a Religious Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, a Race and Ethnicity Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, a Gender Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, and an LGBTQ Discrimination Prevention Coordinator. Existing law requires each of the coordinators be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.
This bill
would require the Office of Civil Rights to employ a Disability Discrimination Prevention Coordinator to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would change the title of the LGBTQ Discrimination Prevention Coordinator to instead be the LGBTQ+ Discrimination Prevention Coordinator. The bill would require each of the coordinators, in consultation with the State Department of Education, and under the supervision of the Government Operations Agency, to, among other things, (1) develop, consult on, and provide discrimination education to teachers, staff, governing board and body members, administrators, and other local educational agency personnel to identify and proactively prevent discrimination, as provided, (2) provide technical
assistance
assistance, upon specified request,
to local
educational agencies to access restorative justice resources, training, and practitioners, and (3) engage with local educational agencies to ensure administrators are equipped to address conflicts at an early stage with the goal of proactively resolving incidents of discrimination, as specified.
This bill would require the Office of Civil Rights to employ a Deputy Coordinator on Anti-Black Racism, a Deputy Coordinator on Anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander (Anti-AAPI) Discrimination, and a Deputy Coordinator on Anti-Latino Discrimination, and would require these deputy coordinators to report directly to the Race and Ethnicity Discrimination Prevention Coordinator. The bill would require the Office of Civil Rights to provide resources and training on how to properly assist in cases of discrimination that involve the intersectionality of protected characteristics, as provided.

Current Bill Text

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