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AB 1851CALIFORNIASession 20252026

California AB 1851 requires State Department of Education to establish lead agencies for student mental health and social-emotional support

Original title: Pupil health: social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health supports.

August 13, 2026

Pupil HealthMental HealthEducationSocial-Emotional LearningSchool DistrictsPupilhealthsocial-emotional,behavioral,andmentalhealthsupports

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The Frame

What this does

This bill creates a statewide framework for K-12 mental health and behavioral support, contingent on future state funding, which would standardize how schools access resources for student well-being.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

K-12 pupils

Students will be the recipients of the integrated social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health support programs implemented by their school districts.

local educational agencies

These agencies will be eligible to serve as lead entities or will receive technical assistance and resources to implement new health and restorative practices.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 13, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

AB 1851 requires the State Department of Education to contract with experienced by July 1, 2027, to lead the implementation of universal social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health support programs for K-12 students. By January 1, 2028, these lead entities must provide statewide guidance and technical assistance to help school districts adopt these integrated health and .

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

This bill creates a statewide framework for K-12 mental health and behavioral support, contingent on future state funding, which would standardize how schools access resources for student well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill guarantee new funding for my child's school?
No. The bill explicitly states that the implementation of these provisions is contingent upon a future appropriation of funds by the legislature.
What will the 'lead entities' actually do?
They will be selected through a competitive process to provide guidance, resources, and technical assistance to local school districts to help them implement and behavioral health programs.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift toward centralized support

The bill moves from a decentralized notification requirement to a centralized model where the State Department of Education coordinates lead agencies to provide technical assistance.

State Department of Education

Connected Entities

organizationState Department of Education“Responsible for contracting with lead agencies to implement the new support prog”Map →
organizationlocal educational agencies“Entities selected to serve as leads in providing support and resources to school”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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