AB 167 Summary

• Appropriates $300 million for California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program to expand access to classroom-based pre-K programs through base grants, enrollment grants, and supplemental grants to local educational agencies.

• Establishes model curriculum development for Vietnamese American refugee experience, Cambodian genocide, Hmong history and cultural studies (by September 1, 2024) and Native American studies (by September 1, 2025) through contracts with county offices of education, with $1.031 billion appropriated for development and platform hosting.

• Appropriates $754 million for Expanded Learning Opportunities Program to provide before and after school programs and intersessional activities for unduplicated pupils in kindergarten through grade 6, with extended deadline for 2020-21 charter school financial audits to January 31, 2022.

• Modifies independent study requirements and procedures, expands eligibility for free school meals starting 2022-23 school year, extends telehealth guidelines development deadline to December 31, 2022, and allows substitute teachers to serve up to 60 cumulative days per assignment through July 1, 2022.

• Adjusts school closure provisions to require 180 instructional days (instead of 175) and restricts attendance credit for COVID-19 related absences from September 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, with exceptions for staffing shortages and students with exceptional needs.