The watchtower for Faith, Family, and Freedom Legislation

California AB461: Truancy.

☆ Watch
  1. Introduced
  2. Passed Assembly
  3. Passed Senate
  4. To Governor
  5. Became Law

Overview

This bill repeals California Penal Code Section 270.1, which criminalized truancy. The repeal removes criminal penalties for parents whose children miss school.

Law Today

California law currently makes parents or guardians of children ages 6–8 guilty of a misdemeanor (punishable by fines up to $2,000 and/or up to one year in county jail) if their child is a chronic truant, the parent has failed to reasonably supervise and encourage attendance, and the parent has been offered support services but the truancy continues.

If Passed

This bill repeals the criminal penalty, so parents can no longer be arrested, jailed, or fined solely because their child is chronically absent from school, even if they have not adequately supervised attendance. Families facing hardship, illness, or differing education philosophies will no longer face criminal prosecution for truancy.

AI-generated from the bill text — verify against the official text.

Should I support this?

  1. Strongly Oppose
  2. Likely Oppose
  3. Neutral
  4. This billLikely Support
  5. Strongly Support

Likely Support

This bill removes a criminal threat that could result in Christian parents being jailed for educational choices or family circumstances beyond their immediate control. It respects parental authority while preserving California's compulsory education law and access to support services, aligning with Christian values of grace, family protection, and freedom from excessive state intrusion into parental discretion.

AI assessment using F3’s editorial criteria — faith, family, and freedom. This is F3’s policy judgment; verify the provisions in the official bill text.

Likely supporters & opponents

Likely support

  • Criminal-justice reform advocates — Criminalizing parents for truancy is ineffective, harms families, and diverts resources from real support.
  • Homeschooling and educational-freedom advocates — Parents should retain the primary authority to make decisions about their children's education without threat of criminal prosecution.
  • Poverty-rights and family-support organizations — Low-income families facing transportation, childcare, or health barriers should not face jail time; they need help, not punishment.

Likely opposition

  • Public school administrators and education associations — Removing criminal consequences will reduce accountability and make it harder to enforce compulsory attendance laws that ensure all children receive an education.
  • School-funding advocates — Chronic truancy reduces state funding tied to attendance; eliminating penalties weakens enforcement of the attendance metric.

AI-inferred typical positions based on the bill’s substance — general stakeholder categories, not confirmed endorsements.

💬 Chat about this bill ↗Official bill text ↗View on LegiScan ↗

Official summary

An act to repeal Section 270.1 of the Penal Code, relating to truancy.

Sponsors

  • Patrick Ahrens (D)
  • Lisa Calderon (D)
  • Alex Lee (D)
  • Sasha Renee Perez (D)

Status timeline

  1. 2025-10-01Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 154, Statutes of 2025.
  2. 2025-10-01Approved by the Governor.
  3. 2025-09-22Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
  4. 2025-09-10Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 60. Noes 14. Page 3234.).A
  5. 2025-09-09In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.A
  6. 2025-09-09Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 29. Noes 9. Page 2705.).S
  7. 2025-09-08Read second time. Ordered to third reading.S
  8. 2025-09-05Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.S
  9. 2025-09-02Read second time. Ordered to third reading.S
  10. 2025-08-29Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.S
  11. 2025-08-29From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).S
  12. 2025-08-18In committee: Referred to suspense file.S
  13. 2025-07-15From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.S
  14. 2025-07-01From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.S
  15. 2025-06-11Referred to Coms. on HUMAN S. and PUB. S.S
  16. 2025-06-03In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.S
  17. 2025-06-02Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 60. Noes 9. Page 1831.)A
  18. 2025-05-27Read second time. Ordered to third reading.A
  19. 2025-05-23From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (May 23).A
  20. 2025-05-21Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 1627.)A
  21. 2025-05-21In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.A
  22. 2025-05-14In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.A
  23. 2025-04-30From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.A
  24. 2025-04-09From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.A
  25. 2025-04-09Coauthors revised.A
  26. 2025-03-25Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.A
  27. 2025-03-24From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. Read second time and amended.A
  28. 2025-03-24Referred to Coms. on HUM. S. and PUB. S.A
  29. 2025-02-07From printer. May be heard in committee March 9.A
  30. 2025-02-06Read first time. To print.A

H = House · S = Senate · A = Assembly