Pupil safety: school employee misconduct: child abuse prevention.

Senator Pérez's comprehensive school safety legislation mandates new protections against child abuse and misconduct in California educational institutions. The bill requires schools to incorporate specific procedures for supervising and protecting children from abuse into their safety plans by July 2026, while expanding crime assessment requirements beyond school-related incidents.

The legislation establishes a statewide database by July 2027 to track investigations of misconduct by non-certificated school employees. Local educational agencies must review this system before hiring and report any substantiated misconduct investigations. The bill also prohibits schools from entering agreements that would prevent mandatory reporting of egregious misconduct or allow removal of substantiated complaints from personnel files.

Under the new requirements, schools must provide annual training on abuse prevention and mandated reporting for all employees and volunteers who interact with students. The Superintendent of Public Instruction will develop standardized resources on appropriate professional boundaries and prevention strategies. Starting July 2027, schools must deliver annual in-person instruction to students on abuse prevention, though parents retain the right to opt their children out of this training.

The legislation expands the definition of mandated reporters to include school board members, contractors, and volunteers whose duties involve student contact. It also broadens employment restrictions, prohibiting schools from hiring or retaining individuals convicted of specified sex offenses in positions requiring certification or student supervision.