Policy Tracker

Violence Prevention, Pupil Wellness, and School Safety Grant Program.

CA · Legislation · 2025 · SB1181

Melissa Hurtado(D)
Legislation
Engrossed

Record updated Aug 13, 2026

Summary

An act to add Article 5.1 (commencing with Section 233.9) to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, relating to school safety.

Official SourceLegiScan

Timeline

2026-08-13

A

August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

2026-08-05

A

August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.

2026-07-02

A

From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 1).

2026-07-02

A

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

2026-06-25

A

Re-referred to Com. on ED. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

2026-06-23

A

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.M.

2026-06-10

A

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.M.

2026-06-04

A

Referred to Coms. on E.M and ED.

Bill Text

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Amended  IN  Assembly  July 02, 2026
Amended  IN  Assembly  June 23, 2026
Amended  IN  Assembly  June 10, 2026
Amended  IN  Senate  May 22, 2026
Amended  IN  Senate  April 28, 2026
Amended  IN  Senate  March 25, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 1181

Introduced by Senator Hurtado

February 18, 2026

An act to add Article 5.1 (commencing with Section 233.9) to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, relating to school safety.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1181, as amended, Hurtado. Central Valley Violence Prevention, Student Pupil Wellness, and School Safety Grant Pilot Program.
Existing law establishes the State Department of Education in state government, and vests the department with specified powers and duties relating to the state’s public school system. Existing law declares the policy of the state to ensure that all local educational agencies work to reduce violence, improve pupil safety at schools, and improve the connections between pupils and supportive adults, schools, and communities.
This bill would require the State Department of Education, department, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, to establish and administer the Central Valley Violence Prevention, Student Pupil Wellness, and School Safety Grant Pilot Program to, upon appropriation by the Legislature, award grants to eligible entities located in certain counties, school districts, county offices of education, or charter schools for evidence-based violence prevention, student pupil wellness, and public safety initiatives, as specified. The bill would require the department to consult with representatives of the office, local educational agencies, county behavioral health departments, community-based organizations, and law enforcement public safety agencies when it develops guidelines for the program. The bill would also require each grant recipient to submit findings to the department on the effectiveness of its activities funded by the grant which shall be used by and would require the department in to use those findings to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2029, evaluating the effectiveness of the grant program and providing recommendations regarding violence prevention, student pupil wellness, school safety, and behavioral health investments in the central valley, on or before January 1, 2029. investments.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Tulare, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus.

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a)Tragic incidents of teenage shooting deaths in the Central Valley, including Senate District 16 areas, demonstrate broader trends of escalating gun violence and youth involvement in firearm-related threats. For example, in Hanford in the County of Kings, 17-year-old Ayden Anthony Wyatt was fatally shot at the Casa del Sol Apartments in January 2026, leading to arrests and underscoring risks from gun violence in school-adjacent communities.

(b)Similar violence has affected nearby regions, including in Clovis in the County of Fresno portion of Senate District 16, where 18-year-old Caleb Quick was killed outside a McDonald’s in April 2025 by two 16-year-old suspects, and a 15-year-old boy died in a December 2025 accidental shooting, exemplifying trends of youth access to firearms contributing to preventable fatalities and school safety concerns.

(c)In the County of Kern, multiple teenage fatalities from shootings illustrate pervasive trends of gun violence impacting youth mental health and community stability in rural areas, including all of the following:

(1)Fifteen-year-old Prince Michael Banner was killed at The Marketplace in November 2024, with a 16-year-old arrested.

(2)A 12-year-old boy was murdered in Lamont in October 2024, with a juvenile admitting to the crime.

(d)The proliferation of untraceable ghost guns exacerbates these trends, as seen in incidents like the February 2026 discovery of an 18-year-old in nearby San Jose manufacturing 27 ghost guns using 3D printers, highlighting how easily accessible technology enables youth involvement in firearm-related threats within the broader Central Valley region.

(e)Social media’s role in perpetuating harm demonstrates trends of online hate impacting youth futures and school environments. For example, in February 2026 at Redwood High School in Visalia in the County of Tulare, students arranged shirts to spell a homophobic slur in a viral photo, leading to investigations, community backlash, and long-term online stigma that could hinder the futures of involved students while making LGBTQ+ youth feel unsafe and unwelcome in schools.

(f)It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to protect the mental health, safety, and well-being of children and adolescents in California, particularly in underserved areas like Senate District 16, by addressing the growing impact of AI, digital technologies, and emerging threats on youths’ mental health development through improved coordination and privacy-protected information sharing.

SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) Safe schools and communities are essential to pupil success, academic achievement, workforce development, and economic prosperity.
(2) Communities throughout California continue to experience challenges related to youth violence, chronic absenteeism, behavioral health needs, substance abuse, gang involvement, and emerging digital threats affecting youth and families.
(3) School safety, violence prevention, and pupil well-being are interconnected and require coordinated efforts among educators, families, behavioral health professionals, community organizations, emergency management professionals, and law enforcement agencies.
(4) Evidence-based violence prevention, early intervention, mentoring, counseling, and behavioral health services have been shown to improve educational outcomes, reduce violence, and increase community safety.
(5) Community-based organizations and local governments play a critical role in preventing violence before it occurs and connecting youth and families with needed support services.
(6) Some community-based organizations providing violence prevention and behavioral health services have experienced reductions or uncertainty in available funding, creating challenges in maintaining prevention-focused programs.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to support a comprehensive public safety strategy that addresses both the root causes of violence and the need for safe school and community environments.

SEC. 2.

 Article 5.1 (commencing with Section 233.9) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, to read:
Article  5.1. Central Valley Violence Prevention, Student Pupil Wellness, and School Safety Grant Pilot Program
233.9.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a)Safe schools and communities are essential to student success, academic achievement, workforce development, and economic prosperity.

(b)Communities throughout California’s central valley continue to experience challenges related to youth violence, chronic absenteeism, behavioral health needs, substance abuse, gang involvement, and emerging digital threats affecting youth and families.

(c)School safety, violence prevention, and student well-being are interconnected and require coordinated efforts among educators, families, behavioral health professionals, community organizations, emergency management professionals, and law enforcement agencies.

(d)Evidence-based violence prevention, early intervention, mentoring, counseling, and behavioral health services have been shown to improve educational outcomes, reduce violence, and increase community safety.

(e)Community-based organizations and local governments play a critical role in preventing violence before it occurs and connecting youth and families with needed support services.

(f)Some community-based organizations providing violence prevention and behavioral health services have experienced reductions or uncertainty in available funding, creating challenges in maintaining prevention-focused programs.

(g)It is the intent of the Legislature to support a comprehensive public safety strategy that addresses both the root causes of violence and the need for safe school and community environments.

233.9.1.233.9.
 (a) The State Department of Education, department, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, shall establish and administer the Central Valley Violence Prevention, Student Pupil Wellness, and School Safety Grant Pilot Program.
(b) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the program shall award grants to eligible entities located within the Counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare. local educational agencies.

(c)Eligible applicants shall include all of the following:

(1)Local educational agencies.

(2)County offices of education.

(3)Community-based organizations.

(4)Local governments.

(5)Tribal governments.

(6)Partnerships consisting of one or more of the entities identified in this subdivision.

(c) Eligible applicants are encouraged to collaborate with community-based organizations, local governmental agencies, and tribal governments when applying for a grant under the program.
(d) Grant funds may be used for evidence-based violence prevention, student pupil wellness, and public safety initiatives, including, but not limited to, any of the following:
(1) School-based mental health services. services provided by school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers.

(2)School counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers.

(3)

(2) Youth mentoring and positive youth development programs.

(4)

(3) Violence interruption and violence intervention programs.

(5)

(4) Behavioral health outreach and support services.

(6)

(5) Restorative justice and conflict resolution programs.

(7)

(6) Programs designed to improve school attendance and student pupil engagement.

(8)

(7) Suicide prevention and crisis intervention services.

(9)Training for

(8) Behavioral health training for educators, behavioral health professionals, and youth-serving personnel.

(10)Gang prevention and youth diversion programs.

(11)Community violence reduction initiatives.

(12)School safety planning and emergency preparedness activities.

(13)Development of multidisciplinary threat assessment and violence prevention teams.

(14)Programs that strengthen collaboration between schools, community organizations, behavioral health providers, and local law enforcement agencies.

(15)Youth engagement, mentorship, and prevention-focused partnerships involving local law enforcement agencies.

(e) In awarding grants, the department shall prioritize programs that do all of the following:
(1) Serve communities with demonstrated needs related to youth violence, chronic absenteeism, behavioral health challenges, or public safety concerns.
(2) Utilize Use evidence-based or promising practices.
(3) Demonstrate collaboration among schools, community organizations, behavioral health providers, and public safety partners.
(4) Address the needs of underserved or rural communities.
(f) The department shall consult with representatives of the Office of Emergency Services, local educational agencies, county behavioral health departments, community-based organizations, and law enforcement public safety agencies when it the department develops guidelines for the program.
(g) (1) On or before January 1, 2029, the department shall submit a report to the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the grant program and providing recommendations regarding violence prevention, student pupil wellness, school safety, and behavioral health investments in the central valley. investments. Each grant recipient shall submit findings to the department on the effectiveness of its activities funded by the grant which shall be used by the department to prepare the report. To the extent that it is feasible, the report shall also include all of the following:
(A) The number and type of grants awarded.
(B) The populations served by the program.
(C) The outcomes achieved by the program.
(D) Best practices identified via the program.
(E) Recommendations for future investments in violence prevention, public safety, and student pupil wellness programs.
(2) (A) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under paragraph (1) is inoperative on January 1, 2033, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(h) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.

SEC. 3.

The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of unique challenges related to youth safety, chronic absenteeism, and emerging digital threats that face the central valley, including the Counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Tulare, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus.

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