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    AB-962
    Education

    Pupil safety: comprehensive school safety plans: use of smartphones.

    Engrossed
    CA
    ∙
    2025-2026 Regular Session
    0
    0
    Track
    Track

    Key Takeaways

    • Requires schools to allow student smartphone use during emergencies and perceived threats of danger.
    • Mandates trauma-informed active shooter drills that prohibit simulated violence and allow parents to opt out.
    • Requires schools to develop instructional continuity plans within 10 days of emergencies by July 2025.
    • Establishes protocols for temporary student transfers to nearby schools during emergencies.

    Summary

    Assembly Member Hoover's legislation refines California's comprehensive school safety plan requirements to address smartphone use policies, ensuring schools cannot prohibit students from using phones during emergencies or perceived threats. The measure amends Education Code provisions that currently require school districts to develop smartphone usage policies by July 2026.

    The bill establishes that when school safety plans include smartphone regulations, they must preserve students' ability to use devices in specified emergency situations. This aligns safety plan protocols with existing state law that protects student phone access during crises while allowing schools to otherwise restrict classroom phone use.

    Under the amended code, schools must continue evaluating and updating their comprehensive safety plans annually, maintaining publicly accessible files of all safety-related materials. The Department of Education remains responsible for providing compliance guidance through a posted checklist for developing these plans.

    This modification occurs within California's broader framework for school safety planning, which requires schools to address various security measures including disaster procedures, discipline policies, discrimination prevention, and emergency response protocols. The smartphone provision adds to existing requirements that schools establish procedures for safe campus environments while preserving essential communication capabilities during emergencies.

    Key Dates

    Next Step
    Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Education
    Next Step
    Senate Committee
    Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Education
    Hearing has not been scheduled yet
    Vote on Assembly Floor
    Assembly Floor
    Vote on Assembly Floor
    Vote on Assembly Floor
    Assembly Education Hearing
    Assembly Committee
    Assembly Education Hearing
    Assembly Education Hearing
    Read first time. To print.
    Assembly Floor
    Read first time. To print.
    Read first time. To print.

    Contacts

    Profile
    Steven ChoiR
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Not Contacted
    Not Contacted
    Profile
    Eloise ReyesD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Not Contacted
    Not Contacted
    Profile
    Lena GonzalezD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Not Contacted
    Not Contacted
    Profile
    Dave CorteseD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Not Contacted
    Not Contacted
    Profile
    Rosilicie Ochoa BoghR
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Not Contacted
    Not Contacted
    0 of 8 row(s) selected.
    Page 1 of 2
    Select All Legislators
    Profile
    Steven ChoiR
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Eloise ReyesD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Lena GonzalezD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Dave CorteseD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Rosilicie Ochoa BoghR
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Josh HooverR
    Assemblymember
    Bill Author
    Profile
    Christopher CabaldonD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Sasha Renee PerezD
    Senator
    Committee Member

    Get Involved

    Act Now!

    Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

    Introduced By

    Josh Hoover
    Josh HooverR
    California State Assembly Member
    40% progression
    Bill has passed all readings in its first house and is ready to move to the other house (4/24/2025)

    Latest Voting History

    View History
    Invalid DateTime
    PASS
    Assembly Floor
    Vote on Assembly Floor
    AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
    750479PASS

    Key Takeaways

    • Requires schools to allow student smartphone use during emergencies and perceived threats of danger.
    • Mandates trauma-informed active shooter drills that prohibit simulated violence and allow parents to opt out.
    • Requires schools to develop instructional continuity plans within 10 days of emergencies by July 2025.
    • Establishes protocols for temporary student transfers to nearby schools during emergencies.

    Get Involved

    Act Now!

    Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

    Introduced By

    Josh Hoover
    Josh HooverR
    California State Assembly Member

    Summary

    Assembly Member Hoover's legislation refines California's comprehensive school safety plan requirements to address smartphone use policies, ensuring schools cannot prohibit students from using phones during emergencies or perceived threats. The measure amends Education Code provisions that currently require school districts to develop smartphone usage policies by July 2026.

    The bill establishes that when school safety plans include smartphone regulations, they must preserve students' ability to use devices in specified emergency situations. This aligns safety plan protocols with existing state law that protects student phone access during crises while allowing schools to otherwise restrict classroom phone use.

    Under the amended code, schools must continue evaluating and updating their comprehensive safety plans annually, maintaining publicly accessible files of all safety-related materials. The Department of Education remains responsible for providing compliance guidance through a posted checklist for developing these plans.

    This modification occurs within California's broader framework for school safety planning, which requires schools to address various security measures including disaster procedures, discipline policies, discrimination prevention, and emergency response protocols. The smartphone provision adds to existing requirements that schools establish procedures for safe campus environments while preserving essential communication capabilities during emergencies.

    40% progression
    Bill has passed all readings in its first house and is ready to move to the other house (4/24/2025)

    Key Dates

    Next Step
    Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Education
    Next Step
    Senate Committee
    Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Education
    Hearing has not been scheduled yet
    Vote on Assembly Floor
    Assembly Floor
    Vote on Assembly Floor
    Vote on Assembly Floor
    Assembly Education Hearing
    Assembly Committee
    Assembly Education Hearing
    Assembly Education Hearing
    Read first time. To print.
    Assembly Floor
    Read first time. To print.
    Read first time. To print.

    Latest Voting History

    View History
    Invalid DateTime
    PASS
    Assembly Floor
    Vote on Assembly Floor
    AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
    750479PASS

    Contacts

    Profile
    Steven ChoiR
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Not Contacted
    Not Contacted
    Profile
    Eloise ReyesD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Not Contacted
    Not Contacted
    Profile
    Lena GonzalezD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Not Contacted
    Not Contacted
    Profile
    Dave CorteseD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Not Contacted
    Not Contacted
    Profile
    Rosilicie Ochoa BoghR
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Not Contacted
    Not Contacted
    0 of 8 row(s) selected.
    Page 1 of 2
    Select All Legislators
    Profile
    Steven ChoiR
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Eloise ReyesD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Lena GonzalezD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Dave CorteseD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Rosilicie Ochoa BoghR
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Josh HooverR
    Assemblymember
    Bill Author
    Profile
    Christopher CabaldonD
    Senator
    Committee Member
    Profile
    Sasha Renee PerezD
    Senator
    Committee Member