Chapter 5 - Office of Civil Rights

California Education Code — §§ 33800-33804

Sections (8)

§ 33800

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 428, Sec. 5. (AB 715) Effective January 1, 2026.

For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(a)“Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.

(b)“Office” means the Office of Civil Rights established pursuant to Section 33801.

§ 33801

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 428, Sec. 5. (AB 715) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)The Office of Civil Rights is hereby established under the administration of the Government Operations Agency.

(b)The Director of the Office of Civil Rights shall be appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(c)The purpose of the office is to work directly with local educational agencies to prevent and address discrimination and bias pursuant to Section 220.

(d)The office shall engage with and seek advice from coordinators established under this chapter on actions implemented by this office.

§ 33802

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 428, Sec. 5. (AB 715) Effective January 1, 2026.

The Office of Civil Rights, in consultation with the department, and under the supervision of the Government Operations Agency, shall do all of the following:

(a)Provide education and educational resources to identify and prevent antisemitism and other forms of discrimination and bias, and share relevant laws and regulations with educational state agencies, local educational agencies, and community stakeholders.

(b)Annually submit a report to the Government Operations Agency, the Superintendent, the executive director of the state board, and the Legislature, consistent with Section 9795 of the Government Code, on the state of discrimination and bias in all local educational agencies serving

pupils in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The report shall include specific information on the type of discrimination or bias against a group protected by Section 220. The report shall be made publicly available on the agency’s internet website.

(c)Recommend strategies to combat discrimination or bias against groups protected by Section 220 in local educational agencies serving pupils in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to the department and local educational agencies, including proactive strategies using a restorative justice approach with a focus on repairing harm, fostering empathy, and healing relationships.

(d)(1) Beginning January 1, 2027, annually review a report that the department shall provide to the Office of Civil Rights that includes a summary of all

complaints made pursuant to Section 33315 that involve discrimination as defined in Section 220. The summary shall include specific information on the type of discrimination or bias against groups protected by Section 220, any action taken by the department in response to each complaint and the timeline for that action, and the disposition of each complaint.

(2)Advise on subsequent action regarding complaints made pursuant to Section 33315 that involve discrimination as defined in Section 220, including either or both of the following:

(A)Provide advice to the department and the relevant county office of education, if appropriate, to implement corrective actions that may include, but not be limited to, targeted and intensive assistance for teachers, administrators and staff to identify and proactively prevent antisemitism and other forms of discrimination and bias and on

restorative justice practices.

(B)Provide technical assistance to teachers, administrators, governing board or body members or other school staff, upon the request of the Superintendent, district superintendent, county superintendent of schools, or the governing board or body of a local educational agency, in order to resolve discrimination issues at schoolsites.

(e)(1) Provide assistance, in consultation with the office of the Attorney General and the department, on proper protocols to respond to discrimination complaints filed pursuant to Section 33315.

(2)Subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, the office shall develop a training module, in consultation with the department, the executive director of the state board, and the office of the Attorney General, regarding

the appropriate manner to process and resolve discrimination complaints filed pursuant to Section 33315. The training module shall include, but not be limited to, information on timelines, appeals, and protocols regarding the interaction with pupils, parents, and school staff, in resolving complaints in a timely manner.

§ 33803

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 428, Sec. 5. (AB 715) Effective January 1, 2026.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation to do both of the following:

(a)Establish coordinators to be employed within the office to prevent and address discrimination and bias.

(b)Enact the duties and responsibilities of the coordinators.

§ 33803.1

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 428, Sec. 5. (AB 715) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)The Office of Civil Rights shall employ the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator who shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

(b)The Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, in consultation with the department, and under the supervision of the Government Operations Agency, shall do all of the following:

(1)Develop, consult on, and provide antisemitism education to teachers, staff, governing board or body members, administrators, and other local educational agency personnel to identify and proactively prevent antisemitism.

(2)Make recommendations, in coordination with the executive

director of the state board, to the Legislature, consistent with Section 9795 of the Government Code, on legislation necessary for the prevention of antisemitism in educational settings.

(3)Engage and advise on the actions taken by the office on issues relating to antisemitism and the Jewish community.

(4)Engage with local educational agencies on the handling of antisemitism.

(5)Beginning September 1, 2027, track and report to the Legislature, consistent with Section 9795 of the Government Code, the executive director of the state board, and the Superintendent complaints and resolutions or lack of resolutions of complaints made pursuant to Section 33315 relating to antisemitism in all local educational agencies serving pupils in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive.

(6)Engage with relevant community stakeholders, as determined by the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, in the execution of their duties.

(c)The United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, published by the Biden Administration on May 25, 2023, shall be a basis to inform the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator on how to identify, respond to, prevent, and counter antisemitism.

§ 33803.4

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 429, Sec. 3. (SB 48) Effective January 1, 2026.

The Office of Civil Rights shall employ the Gender Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, who shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

§ 33803.5

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 429, Sec. 4. (SB 48) Effective January 1, 2026.

The Office of Civil Rights shall employ the LGBTQ Discrimination Prevention Coordinator, who shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

§ 33804

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 428, Sec. 5. (AB 715) Effective January 1, 2026.

The reports or summaries required pursuant to this chapter shall not contain any personally identifying information about any individual, and the information in the report shall be sufficiently deidentified to prevent the identification of the individuals involved in the complaint. The underlying data shall be confidential and protected from public disclosure, including disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code), except that the information may be disclosable to the same extent as the data was disclosable by the entity that collected the data.