Seven new bills affecting California public schools, ranging from cell phone policies to protecting immigration rights, are coming into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
AB 3126: Phone-Free Schools Act
Bill AB 3126 requires schools to limit and restrict students' access to cell phones during school hours. California school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools must adopt this policy by July 1, 2026. The school system's policies must then be updated every five years after the bill takes effect. “I think that cell phones can be a very useful tool when it comes to learning,” Camila Ramos, a Berkeley High School sophomore, said, “But I also think that there should be restrictions on their use because some people abuse their cell phone use, which causes their learning to decrease and their social interactions to be less engaging.”
AB 717: Educational Equity: Discrimination: Antisemitism Prevention
Bill AB 715 focuses on preventing antisemitism in schools. School districts will now have to take corrective action when antisemitic content is used in school settings. California Governor Gavin Newsom will appoint an Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, who must be approved by the state Senate. This coordinator will oversee the training of California educational agencies on how to address antisemitism, along with investigating and reporting on antisemitism in California schools.
AB 49, SB 98: Schoolsites: Immigration Enforcement – Elementary, Secondary, and Postsecondary Education: Immigration Enforcement: Notification
Bills AB 49 and SB 98 center around protecting the rights of immigrant students and children.
Bill SB 98 prohibits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from entering California school campuses without a warrant. It also calls for schools to notify their students and faculty when ICE is on campus. “SB 98 outlines that schools must send notifications to our community when immigration enforcement is on campus,” Yesenia Rodriguez, an English teacher at Berkeley High School, said, “While in theory, I think that this is something that would be effective at being the frontline to the protection of our kids and students … Realistically, as a teacher, being responsible for this kind of huge … That shouldn’t be on us; we're already doing so much. If it’s on the principles and the people in charge of the campuses, then it makes sense to have a built-in network.”
Bill AB 49 is similar to Bill SB 98, as it prohibits schools from allowing ICE on campus without a warrant. It also prohibits schools from disclosing students' and families' information without their written consent. California school faculty will now have to request a warrant and valid identification from any agency personnel conducting immigration enforcement. “I would say yes to both of these [legislations. But,] I don’t think this is enough,” Rodriguez said, “I think more education is needed. I think more resources for families who are bilingual are needed, especially for families who don't speak English and have to rely on the actual student for translation purposes. It’s a helpful step, but I don’t think it’s enough.”
SB 1053: Single-Use Carryout Bag Ban
Another law being put into place on Jan. 1 is the Single-Use Carryout Bag Ban. Employees are now only allowed to give out recycled paper bags to customers at the point of sale. In 2014, the state completely banned single-use plastic bags from being distributed, so this law acts as reinforcement. CalRecycle has set up a system: when a store sells a bag for a minimum of 10 cents, that store has to take that money made and use it to cover the cost of providing the bags, compliance with the bag ban, and educational materials or an educational campaign. Stores, however, are not allowed to require the purchase of a recyclable bag.
SB 642: Payment of wages
SB 642 revises California’s Equal Pay Act. With the new bill, there will be no revision to the definitions of pay scale, sex, wages, or wage rates. There is also new guidance on what constitutes a cause of action for violations of the California equal pay law. The bill prohibits an employer from paying employees at wage rates less than the rates paid to employees of the opposite sex, or another race, or ethnicity for substantially similar work, except under specified circumstances. This bill would specify that a cause of action occurs when an alleged unlawful compensation decision or practice is adopted, when an individual becomes subject to the decision or practice, or when an individual is affected by the application of the decision or practice. “I’m glad an initiative like this is being put in place,” Salma Fakhouri said. “As someone who is finally old enough to join the workforce, it is important for me to know that everyone else working the same position as me is being paid the same wages,” Fakhouri continued.