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New Laws Expand Financial Disclosure Requirements and May Allow Public Campaign Funding

Recent legislation signed by Governor Newsom provides significant amendments to the Political Reform Act of 1974 (Political Reform Act).

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New California Laws Affecting Groundwater Sustainability Agencies: AB 293 and AB 709

Governor Newsom signed two bills this past October that directly impact California’s Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs).  Assembly Bill (AB) 293 requires GSAs to modify their websites on or before January 1, 2026, to include information on their board of directors and executives.

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Legislature Significantly Increases Statutory Ceiling on Compensation for School Board Members

Effective January 1, 2026, the maximum monthly compensation for school board and county board of education members allowed by statute will be five times the current maximum amount.

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California Federal District Court Enjoins Enforcement of “Parental Exclusion Policies”

On December 22, 2025, in Mirabelli v. Olson, the United States District Court, Southern District of California, issued a permanent injunction which, in part, prohibits the State from implementing or enforcing what have sometimes been referred to as “parental exclusion policies.

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2025 Land Use & Housing Legislative Developments

The 2025 legislative session continued the recent trend of producing several significant housing and land use measures signed into law.  The following legislative update provides a brief summary of the reforms and their associated statutory changes.

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Legislature Makes Multiple Technical Changes to the Brown Act

On October 3, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 707, which will go into effect on January 1, 2026.  SB 707 makes significant updates to the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act), with the intent of reducing barriers to public participation at meetings held by legislative bodies.

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The FBI’s New Definition Expands Title IX Coverage

A recent change to the definition of “sexual assault” has significant impacts regarding what conduct local educational agencies (LEA) must investigate under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and the 2020 Title IX Regulations.

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California Makes Slight Adjustments to Laws Regarding Truancy, Expulsion, and School Holidays

Assembly Bills (AB) 461, 1230, and 268 were recently signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.  These bills affect policies regarding truancy, rehabilitation plans for expelled students, and school holidays.

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Bid Thresholds Raised For 2026

According to the California Department of Education’s Office of Financial Accountability and Information Services, and pursuant to Public Contract Code section 20111, subdivision (a), the bid threshold for K-12 school districts’ purchases of equipment, materials, supplies and services (except construction services) will be adjusted to $119,100, effective January 1, 2026.

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