Governor signs final two CSBA-sponsored bills, completing enactment of all four measures sent to his desk

Governor signs final two CSBA-sponsored bills, completing enactment of all four measures sent to his desk<_sc3a_dot _xmlns3a_sc="http://www.sitecore.net/sc">

AB 2490 provides greater classroom continuity amid teacher shortages; AB 2496 reduces duplicative reporting and administrative workload

Sacramento, CA (Sept. 28, 2026) - Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 27 signed the final two California School Boards Association (CSBA)-sponsored bills awaiting action on his desk, approving legislation that will give schools greater flexibility to maintain classroom continuity during teacher shortages and reduce duplicative administrative reporting requirements.

With the signing of Assembly Bill 2490 (Valencia) and AB 2496 (Solache), all four CSBA-sponsored measures that reached the Governor in 2026 have now been signed into law. The Governor previously signed AB 2225 (Patel) and AB 2008 (Patel) on Sept. 18.

"Taken together, these four new laws reflect what school board members and administrators have consistently told us they need from Sacramento: practical solutions, greater flexibility, a reduction in unnecessary paperwork and a state government that is better organized to support the work taking place in local schools," said CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy. "We appreciate the bill authors and our education partners for working with us to advance policies that respond to the real-world challenges facing school districts and county offices of education."

AB 2490 provides stability when schools cannot find a permanent teacher

Authored by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim), AB 2490 responds to California's persistent education workforce shortages by allowing qualifying holders of an emergency career substitute teaching permit to remain in a single classroom for up to 70 cumulative days under specified circumstances.

The legislation includes safeguards designed to preserve the priority of placing fully credentialed teachers in classrooms. Depending on the assignment, qualifying substitutes must receive professional development, orientation and ongoing mentorship, while local educational agencies (LEAs) must make reasonable efforts to recruit a teacher for vacant positions before using the extended substitute option. The legislation also establishes parent-notification and reporting requirements.

AB 2490 is co-sponsored by CSBA, the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), California County Superintendents and the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO). The measure builds on lessons from the pandemic era, when California temporarily provided greater flexibility in substitute assignments to help schools maintain staffing and instructional continuity. It also revisits the issue addressed in CSBA-sponsored AB 1224, which the Governor vetoed in 2025. The 2026 legislation incorporates additional training, mentorship and recruitment protections.

"Every student deserves the consistency that comes from having a qualified, permanent teacher in the classroom, and that must remain the goal," said CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade. "But when a permanent teacher simply isn't available, repeatedly replacing one substitute with another disrupts relationships, instruction and classroom stability. AB 2490 gives local schools another carefully structured option to provide students with greater continuity while they continue working to recruit permanent teachers."

AB 2496 targets duplicative reports and gives LEAs greater flexibility

The Governor also signed AB 2496 by Assemblymember José Luis Solache (D-Lynwood), another CSBA-sponsored effort to reduce administrative workload so local educators can devote more time and resources to serving students.

AB 2496 requires the California Department of Education (CDE), by Aug. 31, 2027, to report to the Legislature on duplication between information contained in the School Accountability Report Card and data already publicly available through sources such as the California School Dashboard, DataQuest and other state systems. The legislation specifically directs CDE to examine whether information being requested of districts is already available elsewhere and to identify unnecessary duplication.

The bill also eliminates several duplicative reporting requirements and provides greater flexibility for the midyear Local Control and Accountability Plan process by removing the existing Feb. 28 deadline for presenting the annual update and Local Control Funding Formula budget overview report.

AB 2496 is co-sponsored by CSBA, CASBO and ACSA and continues a multiyear CSBA effort to reduce administrative burdens on LEAs without sacrificing transparency or accountability, as recommended in the association's "Drowning in Documentation" fact sheet.

"Accountability and transparency are essential, but requiring school employees to report the same or substantially similar information repeatedly does nothing to improve student achievement," Billy said. "AB 2496 begins the important work of identifying where California's reporting systems overlap and where we can preserve meaningful public information while freeing educators and administrators to focus more of their time on students."

Four bills, a common focus on stronger state support

The Sept. 27 action follows the Governor's Sept. 18 approval of two other CSBA-sponsored measures:

AB 2008 addresses the growth of state-mandated LEA reporting requirements by establishing a four-year sunset for specified new reporting mandates unless the Legislature determines they should continue. It also directs the state to develop a standardized template that LEAs may use for programmatic and expenditure reporting associated with state grants. The measure is part of CSBA's continuing campaign to reduce overlapping and unnecessarily burdensome reporting requirements.

AB 2225 represents an important advance for CSBA's SOS for Student Achievement: Close the State Accountability Gap campaign. Following negotiations involving CSBA, the Governor's Office, the State Board of Education and the bill author, the final measure requires California's newly established education commissioner to report on the state's progress in aligning its public education governance system with the goal of improving student outcomes and closing achievement gaps. The measure complements the broader governance restructuring enacted through AB 181 earlier this year.

The four enacted measures address different issues but share a common principle: California should give LEAs the tools, flexibility and state-level support they need to serve students effectively while eliminating unnecessary administrative obstacles.