Bill
SB 998
SB 998 creates specialized discrimination prevention coordinators in California schools to provide education, guidance, and accountability across anti-discrimination efforts.
Purpose and main objective
- SB 998 aims to expand and reorganize California’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) leadership and duties to strengthen prevention, education, and technical assistance related to discrimination in public schools.
- The bill repeals the existing Section 33803 and restructures the discrimination prevention framework, adding a Disability Discrimination Prevention Coordinator and updating the LGBTQ-related title. It also creates multiple Deputy Coordinators focused on anti-Black, anti-AAPI, and anti-Latino discrimination, all reporting to the Race and Ethnicity Discrimination Prevention Coordinator.
Key provisions and changes
- New and revised coordinators (appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate):
- Religious Discrimination Prevention Coordinator
- Race and Ethnicity Discrimination Prevention Coordinator
- Gender Discrimination Prevention Coordinator
- LGBTQ+ Discrimination Prevention Coordinator (renamed from LGBTQ Discrimination Prevention Coordinator)
- Disability Discrimination Prevention Coordinator (new)
- Deputy Coordinators (reporting to the Race and Ethnicity Coordinator):
- Deputy Coordinator on Anti-Black Racism
- Deputy Coordinator on Anti-AAPI Discrimination
- Deputy Coordinator on Anti-Latino Discrimination
- Cross-cutting responsibilities for all discrimination coordinators (in consultation with the State Department of Education and under OCR supervision):
- Develop, consult on, and provide discrimination-related education to teachers, staff, administrators, and governing bodies to identify and proactively prevent discrimination.
- Provide technical assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) to access restorative justice resources and practitioners; include guidance for professional development and a resource list for educator preparation programs.
- Engage with LEAs to ensure early conflict resolution and proactive handling of discrimination incidents.
- Provide information on training topics such as nondiscrimination laws, trauma-informed restorative practices, bullying prevention, and inclusive curricula.
- Track and report complaints and resolutions to the Legislature beginning September 1, 2027, with confidentiality protections (no personally identifiable information). Reports cover discrimination in TK–12 settings and, for race/ethnicity programs, may include anti-immigrant complaints as applicable.
- Engage with community stakeholders to address high-priority discrimination issues.
- Make legislative recommendations to prevent discrimination in educational settings, in coordination with the state board’s executive director, under the Government Code’s 9795 provisions.
- Intersectionality and resource development:
- 33802.1 requires OCR to provide resources and training on discrimination cases involving intersectionality of protected characteristics.
- Coordinators’ roles are designed to be flexible beyond their exact titles to address intersectional and evolving needs.
Who is affected
- California public schools and local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools where applicable.
- School administrators, teachers, board members, and other LEA personnel who would participate in discrimination education and training.
- Communities and organizations serving Black, LGBTQ+, immigrant, Latino, AAPI, disability, and other protected groups, which OCR would engage with for targeted resources and outreach.
Timelines and procedures
- Beginning September 1, 2027, OCR must begin tracking and reporting complaints and resolutions related to discrimination, per Section 33315, with annual or periodic reports to the Legislature (no PII).
- Revisions take effect upon enactment and governor/Senate confirmation processes for appointing coordinators.
- The bill includes standard legislative-tracking provisions and fiscal considerations noted as “Fiscal Committee: YES” but no new appropriations are specified.
Overall impact
- SB 998 significantly broadens and professionalizes the state’s approach to preventing discrimination in schools by creating specialized coordinators, formalizing cross-cutting duties, emphasizing intersectionality, and enhancing accountability through annual reporting and legislative engagement.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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