CA AB1435

Establishes the College Athlete Protection Program under the State Department of Education, administered by an 11-member panel with expertise in sports medicine, brain injury, athlete abuse, and athletics governance, to protect college athletes in California intercollegiate athletic programs.

Requires the panel to develop policy guidelines and mandates for medical record retention (10 years minimum), injury transparency, return-to-play protocols, and athlete safety standards; conduct compliance inspections; and issue annual reports starting in 2021.

Makes personnel at institutions of higher education mandatory reporters of suspected violations by January 1, 2020; prohibits retaliation against whistleblowers; and subjects violators to civil penalties, temporary or permanent employment bans, or other penalties determined by the panel.

Requires NCAA-affiliated California institutions with athletic programs to pay annual regulatory fees based on number of full-time employee coaches, capped at $4 million aggregate total, deposited into the College Athlete Protection Act Fund.

Sunsets on January 1, 2023; all provisions are severable if any are found invalid.