AB 998

Under current law, each school year, the Council on Early Literacy Curricula must recommend early literacy curricula and instructional materials for use in the following school year to the Department of Public Instruction. Within 30 days of receiving CELC’s recommendations, DPI must submit proposed recommendations for early literacy curricula and instructional materials for use in the following school year to the Joint Committee on Finance for approval using the 14-day passive review process. DPI must adopt the proposed recommendations, as approved by JCF. Current law requires DPI to award a grant to a school board, charter school, or private school participating in a parental choice program that, after January 1, 2024, adopts a literacy curriculum included in the approved recommendations.

Under this bill, CELC must recommend early literacy curricula and instructional materials to DPI at least once every three school years, and the recommendations are not limited to use in the following school year. The bill also shortens the deadline for DPI to submit its recommendations to JCF from no later than 30 days after receiving CELC’s recommendations to no later than 14 days after receiving the recommendations. Finally, the bill requires DPI to submit CELC’s recommendations and any of its own recommendations, with an indication as to which entity made each recommendation, to the appropriate legislative standing committees at the same time it submits the recommendations to JCF.