Removing Barriers for Students with Disabilities Is A Priority As Gov. Newsom Signs SB 685

SACRAMENTO, CA — California State Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) announced that Governor Newsom has signed his Senate Bill 685 (SB 685) into law, updating California law governing certified Nonpublic Schools (NPSs) in response to a recent federal court decision, while maintaining protections for students with disabilities.

SB 685 will modernize California’s rules governing certified Nonpublic Schools (NPSs) that provide specialized educational services to students with disabilities. The legislation maintains standards for student safety, educational quality, and accountability, establishing protections to ensure that public funding provided through the NPS system is used only for secular educational services. 

“We should never make families choose between the specialized education their child needs and the school environment that best provides these services. SB 685 gives families more options while holding every school to the same rigorous standards for student safety, accountability, and educational quality. This is about putting students with disabilities first, and making sure California law keeps pace with both the courts and the needs of our families. I thank Gov. Newsom for signing SB 685,” said Senator Dave Cortese. 

The bill follows the Ninth Circuit’s decision in Loffman v. California Department of Education, which found that California’s exclusion of religious schools from NPS certification may violate First Amendment protections. SB 685 preserves state oversight of certified Nonpublic Schools, while bringing California law into alignment with the federal court decision.

Senator Dave Cortese represents Senate District 15, which encompasses San José and much of Santa Clara County in the heart of Silicon Valley. Visit Senator Cortese’s website at https://sd15.senate.ca.gov. View all Press Releases at https://sd15.senate.ca.gov/news/press-releases. 

Select the Google Translation Feature on the website for translations in Spanish, Vietnamese, and 12 other languages. Seleccione la función de traducción de Google en el sitio web para obtener traducciones al español, vietnamita y otros 12 idiomas. Hãy chọn tính năng Dịch của Google trên trang web để dịch sang tiếng Tây Ban Nha, tiếng Việt và 12 ngôn ngữ khác.

Contact:

Mario B. Lopez | Communications Director

Office of Senator Dave Cortese | District 15

Phone: 408-545-8205 | Email: mario.lopez@sen.ca.gov

For Scheduling Interviews

Natasha Waxman | Executive Assistant 

Office of Senator Dave Cortese | District 15

Email: natasha.waxman@sen.ca.gov

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