School facilities.

Senator Cabaldon's school facilities legislation expands California's health and safety funding criteria beyond seismic risks to include wildfires, floods, and other Governor-proclaimed emergencies. The measure modifies the Leroy F. Greene School Facilities Act to allow school districts facing these hazards to access state construction and modernization funds when facilities pose unacceptable risks to occupants or disrupt educational services.

The bill establishes a cost-based framework for determining funding eligibility. Districts must demonstrate that extraordinary circumstances necessitate excessive construction costs and conduct cost-benefit analyses comparing mitigation expenses to full replacement. Projects qualify for modernization funding when mitigation costs fall below 50% of replacement value, while replacement funding becomes available when mitigation reaches or exceeds that threshold. The legislation permits districts to employ any authorized project delivery method and use machine learning tools to prepare permitting documents, while state agencies may automate non-discretionary aspects of their review processes.

Beginning July 2026, the measure requires the Department of Education, Division of State Architect, Office of Public School Construction, and State Allocation Board to conduct quinquennial reviews of school construction processes in partnership with the Government Operations Agency. These reviews must incorporate feedback from local education agencies and construction experts to identify potential improvements. The agencies must report findings to legislative committees, with the initial 2026 report addressing specific priorities including review timelines, emergency reconstruction methods, and alternatives to first-come-first-served approval practices.