SB685
SOQ; communication and language accessibility for limited English proficient parents, report.
Status:
Passed
Latest Action:
March 14, 2026
House: Conference report agreed to by House (64-Y 33-N 0-A)
Chief Patron:
Stella Pekarsky (D)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Passed House of Origin. Standards of Quality; school board policies; communication and language accessibility for limited English proficient parents; requirements; report.
Requires each school board to develop, implement, and post in a publicly accessible location on its website a language access plan consisting of policies and procedures designed to ensure meaningful communication with and informational accessibility for limited English proficient (LEP) parents, as that term is defined in the bill. The ... (More) bill directs each school board to annually submit to the Department of Education (the Department) a report on its activities relating to satisfying the requirements set forth in the bill. Finally, the bill (i) directs the Department to annually post and maintain in a publicly accessible location on its website each such annual report submitted by a school board; (ii) permits the Department to adopt such policies and procedures as it deems necessary for monitoring and enforcing each school board's compliance with the provisions of the section; (iii) directs the Department to develop and make available to each school board by September 1, 2026, guidance on the development and implementation of language access plans in accordance with the provisions of the bill; and (iv) directs the Department to designate one or more staff members to provide direct technical assistance and compliance support to school boards in implementing the provisions of the bill by the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year. The provisions of the bill requiring each school board to develop, implement, and annually submit to the Department a report on such language access plan; directing the Department to annually post on its website each report submitted by a school board; and permitting the Department to adopt policies and procedures for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the provisions of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/14/2026 - Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104840D
- 01/14/2026 - Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
- 01/22/2026 - Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
- 01/22/2026 - Senate: Senate subcommittee offered
- 01/29/2026 - Senate: Senate committee offered
- 01/29/2026 - Senate: Reported from Education and Health with amendments and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N 1-A)
- 01/29/2026 - Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
- 02/03/2026 - Senate: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB685)
- 02/10/2026 - Senate: Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Rules suspended
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- 02/12/2026 - Senate: Read second time
- 02/12/2026 - Senate: Education and Health Amendments agreed to
- 02/12/2026 - Senate: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Voice Vote)
- 02/13/2026 - Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 02/13/2026 - Senate: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB685)
- 02/19/2026 - House: Placed on Calendar
- 02/19/2026 - House: Read first time
- 02/19/2026 - House: Referred to Committee on Education
- 02/19/2026 - House: Placed on Education Agenda
- 02/24/2026 - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 3-N)
- 02/24/2026 - House: Placed on Education Agenda
- 02/25/2026 - House: Reported from Education with substitute (15-Y 7-N)
- 02/25/2026 - House: Committee substitute printed 26108227D-H1
- 02/25/2026 - Senate: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB685)
- 02/27/2026 - House: Read second time
- 03/02/2026 - House: Read third time
- 03/02/2026 - House: committee substitute agreed to
- 03/02/2026 - House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute
- 03/02/2026 - House: Passed House with substitute (66-Y 33-N 0-A) Close Floor Vote
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A)
- 03/06/2026 - House: House insisted on substitute
- 03/06/2026 - House: House requested conference committee
- 03/10/2026 - Senate: Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 03/10/2026 - Senate: Conferees appointed by Senate
- 03/10/2026 - Senate: Senate Conferees: Pekarsky, Favola, Craig
- 03/11/2026 - House: Conferees appointed by House
- 03/11/2026 - House: House Conferees: Reaser, Cohen, Tata
- 03/13/2026 - Senate: Conference report agreed to by Senate (25-Y 14-N 0-A) Close Floor Vote
- 03/14/2026 - Conference Report released
- 03/14/2026 - House: Conference report agreed to by House (64-Y 33-N 0-A) Close Floor Vote
