<h2>At a glance</h2> <p>California has enacted Assembly Bill 49, known as the California Safe Haven Schools Act, which restricts how immigration enforcement agencies can interact with public schools. Signed by the Governor and chaptered as Chapter 122 of the 2025 Statutes on September 20, 2025, the measure amends Section 234.7 of the Education Code [<a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB49">Legislative Status</a>].</p> <p>The law prohibits school officials and employees from allowing immigration enforcement officers to enter nonpublic areas of a schoolsite without a valid judicial warrant, subpoena, or court order. It also bars local educational agencies from disclosing student or family information to these agencies without written parental consent or similar legal process. Because the bill included an urgency clause, it took effect immediately upon being chaptered in September 2025 [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>].</p> <h2>What the bill does</h2> <p>AB 49 introduces operational changes for school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, collectively referred to as local educational agencies (LEAs). The legislation focuses on access control and information privacy.</p> <p><strong>Access Restrictions:</strong> School personnel are prohibited from allowing officers or employees of agencies conducting immigration enforcement to enter any nonpublic area of a schoolsite for any purpose unless they are presented with a valid judicial warrant, judicial subpoena, or court order. The law defines a schoolsite broadly to include individual school campuses, areas where school-sponsored activities are held, and school buses or other transportation provided by the LEA. Staff members are required to request valid identification from any such officer seeking entry, to the extent practicable [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>].</p> <p><strong>Information Disclosure:</strong> LEAs and their personnel are barred from disclosing or providing education records or any information about a pupil or their family and household to immigration enforcement officers. This prohibition applies to written, verbal, or any other form of communication. Exceptions are made only if there is written consent from the pupil’s parents or guardians, or if the agency presents a valid judicial warrant, subpoena, or court order directing the disclosure [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>].</p> <p><strong>Policy Updates:</strong> The Attorney General is required to update existing model policies limiting assistance with immigration enforcement by December 1, 2025. These updates must align with the new prohibitions on access and information sharing. LEAs must then update their own policies to match these models by March 1, 2026, and make them available to the State Department of Education upon request [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>].</p> <p><strong>Reporting and Care:</strong> The bill maintains existing requirements for superintendents and principals to report any requests for access or information by law enforcement for immigration purposes to their governing boards. It also encourages schools to use emergency contact information to arrange care for students if a parent or guardian is detained, rather than immediately contacting Child Protective Services [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>].</p> <h2>Legislative findings</h2> <p>The legislative findings in the bill cite research indicating that immigration enforcement negatively impacts student engagement and performance. Specifically, the text notes that pupils from families with likely unauthorized immigrants have a significantly higher probability of dropping out as enforcement increases, and there is a direct correlation between deportations and chronic absenteeism [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>].</p> <p>The findings also reference the United States Supreme Court decision in <em>Plyler v. Doe</em>, which held that denying free public education to undocumented children violates the Equal Protection Clause. The Legislature stated its intent to safeguard the right to education for all residents regardless of status and reaffirm California’s commitment to providing a safe environment for learning [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>]. For more context on how civic measures shape state policy, readers can explore the <a href="/california/">California voter initiatives and community proposals</a> library.</p> <h2>Fiscal impact</h2> <p>The bill imposes a state-mandated local program by requiring LEAs to update policies and potentially incur costs for training and implementation. The legislation provides that if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement shall be made pursuant to statutory provisions [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>]. Specific dollar amounts for reimbursement are not detailed in the text.</p> <h2>Who may be affected</h2> <p><strong>Local Educational Agencies:</strong> School districts, county offices of education, and charter schools must implement new access controls, train staff on verifying judicial warrants, and update their internal policies by March 2026. They are also responsible for reporting enforcement requests to their governing boards [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>].</p> <p><strong>Students and Families:</strong> The bill aims to protect students, particularly those with undocumented family members, from fear and disruption. By limiting enforcement actions on campus, the law seeks to reduce absenteeism and ensure that schools remain accessible to all children [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>].</p> <p><strong>Immigration Enforcement Agencies:</strong> Federal or other agencies conducting immigration enforcement are restricted from entering nonpublic school areas without specific judicial process. They must present valid warrants or subpoenas to gain access and cannot obtain student information without legal authorization [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>].</p> <h2>What the vote record shows</h2> <p>AB 49 received strong support in both chambers of the Legislature. In the Assembly, the bill passed on third reading on May 27, 2025, with 62 ayes and 9 noes [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/rollcall/AB49/id/1579275">Assembly Roll Call</a>]. Later, on September 2, 2025, the Assembly concurred in Senate amendments with 61 ayes and 7 noes [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/rollcall/AB49/id/1600834">Assembly Concurrence Vote</a>].</p> <p>In the Senate, the bill passed on third reading on September 2, 2025, with 33 ayes and 0 noes [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/rollcall/AB49/id/1600833">Senate Roll Call</a>]. The unanimous Senate vote and strong Assembly support indicate broad legislative backing for the measure’s provisions.</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>As AB 49 was chaptered on September 20, 2025, it is now law. The urgency clause means its provisions are already in effect. Local educational agencies must now begin the process of updating their policies to align with the new restrictions. The Attorney General will publish updated model policies by December 1, 2025, and LEAs must adopt equivalent policies by March 1, 2026 [<a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a>].</p> <p>School administrators should prepare for training staff on how to identify valid judicial warrants and handle requests from immigration enforcement officers. For ongoing updates on California legislation and civic engagement, visit the <a href="/blog/california/">Power the People California civic reporting library</a>.</p> <h2>Sources</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB49">Official Bill Status Page</a></li> <li><a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB49/id/3270460">Chaptered Bill Text</a></li> <li><a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/bill/AB49/2025">LegiScan Record</a></li> <li><a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/rollcall/AB49/id/1579275">Assembly Third Reading Vote</a></li> <li><a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/rollcall/AB49/id/1600834">Assembly Concurrence Vote</a></li> <li><a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/rollcall/AB49/id/1600833">Senate Third Reading Vote</a></li> </ul>

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