Special education: nonpublic, nonsectarian schools or agencies.

(1) Existing law requires local educational agencies to identify, locate, and assess individuals with exceptional needs and to provide those pupils with a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, with special education and related services as reflected in an individualized education program. Existing law requires, in accordance with specified federal laws, parents to be given a copy of their rights and procedural safeguards, as specified. This bill would require pupils to also be given a copy of their rights and procedural safeguards. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law permits, under certain circumstances, contracts to be entered into for the provision of special education and related services by nonpublic, nonsectarian schools or agencies, as defined. Existing law authorizes a master contract for special education and related services provided by a nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency only if the school or agency has been certified by the Superintendent of Public Instruction as meeting specified standards relating to special education and related services and facilities for individuals with exceptional needs. Existing law requires, before certification, the Superintendent to conduct an onsite review of the facility and program for which the applicant seeks certification, as specified. This bill, commencing with the 2026–27 school year, would require the Superintendent, before certifying a nonpublic, nonsectarian school located outside of California, to take additional actions, including, among other things, to review policies on restraint and seclusion to evaluate consistency with California laws. The bill would require, during an onsite review of a nonpublic, nonsectarian school located outside of California, the Superintendent to interview all pupils with individualized education programs to discuss progress and address any concerns respecting any limitations due to the pupils' disabilities, as specified. The bill would require the Superintendent, by July 1, 2026, to develop a tool for purposes of the interviews, as provided, and would require the tool to be made available to local educational agencies for their own use, which the bill would authorize. Existing law requires a nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency that seeks certification to file an application with the Superintendent on forms provided by the State Department of Education, and to include specified information on the application. This bill would add assurances of compliance with specified laws relating to behavioral interventions to be included in that required information on the application. Existing law requires, commencing with the 2020–21 school year, a local educational agency that enters into a master contract with a nonpublic, nonsectarian school to conduct at least one onsite monitoring visit during each school year to the nonpublic, nonsectarian school at which the local educational agency has a pupil attending and with which it maintains a master contract. Existing law requires the monitoring visit to include, among other things, an observation of the pupil during instruction and a walkthrough of the facility. Existing law requires the local educational agency to report the findings resulting from the monitoring visit to the department within 60 calendar days of the onsite visit. Existing law requires, before June 30, 2020, the department to, with input from special education local plan area administrators, create and publish criteria for reporting this information to the department. This bill would require the monitoring visit to include, for a pupil placed in a nonpublic, nonsectarian school located outside of California, an in-person interview with the pupil, in a manner consistent with the pupil's individualized education program, to evaluate the pupil's health and safety. The bill would require the local educational agency to report the findings resulting from the monitoring visit to the department using a specified form developed and published by the department on its internet website. The bill would require, on or before July 1, 2026, the department to update the form to require, for nonpublic, nonsectarian schools located outside of California, additional findings to be reported to the department. The bill would also require the local educational agency to conduct a quarterly check-in with a pupil attending the nonpublic, nonsectarian school located outside of California through an unmonitored telephone call in a manner consistent with the pupil's individualized education program. Existing law requires the Superintendent to make a determination on an application for certification within 120 days of receipt of the application and to certify, conditionally certify, or deny certification to the applicant. If certification is denied, existing law requires the Superintendent to provide reasons for the denial. This bill, commencing with the 2026–27 school year, would require, for a nonpublic, nonsectarian school located outside of California, the Superintendent to make available, upon request from a local educational agency or special education local plan area, specified information and documentation relating to certification, if available. The bill would require a local educational agency to disclose the information received, if available, to the parent or guardian at the time the individualized education program team considers placement of the pupil in a nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency, as specified. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires a nonpublic, nonsectarian school to ensure private and confidential communication between a pupil of the nonpublic, nonsectarian school and members of the pupil's individualized education program team, at the pupil's discretion. This bill would explicitly require a nonpublic, nonsectarian school to ensure privacy and confidentiality of telecommunication in this circumstance and would require a nonpublic, nonsectarian school to also ensure private and confidential communication between a pupil and the department's Constituent Services Office. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.