December 15, 2025

E99 New Laws Impacting Students Heading into 2026

40 minutes

In this episode, host Sloan Simmons joins Student Practice Group Co-Chair Ruth Mendyk and student practitioner Rebal Halabi-Boutros for the year’s annual student legislation round-up. Ruth and Rebal discuss the most significant bills passed by the close of this year’s legislative session and their impacts going into 2026.

Show Notes & References

1:34 – New laws related to immigration enforcement (Assembly Bill (AB) 49) (See Client News Brief 41 – October 2025)

3:54 – Judicial vs. administrative warrants (See Attorney General Guidance)

4:43 – Immigration enforcement and the impact on average daily attendance (ADA) (AB 1348)

5:40 – Comprehensive school safety plans (Senate Bill (SB) 98) (See Client News Brief 41 – October 2025)

7:08 – Family Preparedness Act (AB 495) (See Client News Brief 46 – November 2025)

10:56 – Identification cards (AB 727) (See Client New Brief 54 – November 2025)

12:21 – Homeless students and health screenings (AB 677) (See Client News Brief 54 – November 2025)

13:22 – Smartphone use and the emergency exception (AB 962) (See Client News Brief 53 – November 2025)

17:50 – Antisemitism and discrimination (AB 715 and SB 48) (See Client News Brief 43 – October 2025)

20:54 – Prichett et al. v. Newsom et al., U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, Case No. 5:25-cv-09443-NW

23:00 – Governor Newsom’s statement on AB 715 and SB 48 (October 7, 2025)

23:16 – Graduation ceremonies and student adornment of cap and gown (AB 1369) (See Client News Brief 44 – October 2025)

28:11 – Cyberbullying (AB 772) (See Client News Brief 53 – November 2025)

33:43 – Readmission following expulsion (AB 1230) (See Client News Brief 58 – December 2025)

35:47 – Truancy (AB 461) (See Client News Brief 58 – December 2025)

38:24 – Diwali added to list of state holidays (AB 268) (See Client News Brief 58 – December 2025)

Update: On December 17, 2025, a U.S. District Court judge in San Jose heard oral arguments on the motion for preliminary injunction to block AB 715 filed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and a group of California teachers and students. On December 31, 2025, the court issued a ruling denying the motion for preliminary injunction. The court also scheduled a status conference for January 27, 2026, to determine next steps for how the lawsuit should proceed.

For more information on the topics discussed in this podcast, please visit our website at: www.lozanosmith.com/podcast

Disclaimer: As the information contained herein is necessarily general, its application to a particular set of facts and circumstances may vary. For this reason, this podcast episode does not constitute legal advice. We recommend that you consult with your counsel prior to acting on the information contained herein.

...more