Stockton Educator’s Idea Signed Into Law by Governor Through Ransom’s ‘There Oughta Be a Law’ Contest

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom's AB 1713 into law to help students with disabilities receive support in college without having to prove an already documented disability again. The legislation grew from an idea submitted by Stockton special education paraeducator Madellyn Hill, the inaugural winner of Ransom's "There Oughta Be a Law" contest.

Beginning September 1, 2027, AB 1713 (Ransom) will require California's public colleges and universities to recognize existing disability documentation as verification that a disability exists. Institutions may still request information needed to determine the appropriate accommodations for each student, but they may no longer require a new evaluation solely to prove an already documented disability.

"This is what good government looks like. We listen to the people we represent and work with them to solve problems. Madellyn identified a barrier students were facing, and together we turned her solution into legislation, got it across the finish line and signed into law by the Governor. That's why I created 'There Oughta Be a Law,' so we stay connected to our community and bring their voices into the legislation we introduce."

-Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom

"Now that AB 1713 has been signed into law, students across California will have a clearer path through a process I once struggled to understand. My hope is that students and families feel supported, informed, and empowered to keep moving forward in their education. I lived it, I learned how to navigate it, and now I hope this law helps make that journey easier for someone else," said Madellyn Hill, a Stockton special education paraeducator and the inaugural winner of Ransom's "There Oughta Be a Law" contest.