Reading Room
What California Schools Should Know About AB 395 and AB 1763
Two California bills related to religious, cultural, and ancestral observances have passed the Legislature: AB 395 and AB 1763.
The governor has until September 30 to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature before September 1 and in the governor's possession on or after September 1.
The bills address different parts of school planning. AB 395 focuses on considering observances when scheduling certain important dates. AB 1763 addresses excused absences for religious observance.
For school districts, both raise a practical question: How can schools account for religious and cultural observances before they create conflicts for students, staff, and families?
This article provides a planning overview, not legal advice. Districts should follow the official California Legislative Information pages for AB 395 and AB 1763 and consult counsel when making policy decisions.
What AB 395 would mean for school calendars
AB 395 addresses how certain public entities consider religious, cultural, and ancestral observances when setting important dates.
For K-12 schools, that includes dates such as the first day of school and high school graduation, when applicable.
If signed, the legislation would make observance awareness a more explicit part of the process for selecting these dates.
For districts, that could mean creating a consistent way to check potential dates before they are finalized: reviewing relevant observances, understanding whether they may affect participation, seeking community input when appropriate, and considering reasonable alternatives.
What AB 1763 would mean for student absences
AB 1763 focuses on student attendance and religious observance.
If signed, the bill would establish observance of a holiday or ceremony of a student's religion as its own category of excused absence.
That is an attendance policy rather than a calendar requirement, but it has implications for planning.
An excused absence addresses the student's attendance record. It does not eliminate the practical consequences of missing an exam, presentation, field trip, performance, or other important school activity. Avoiding the conflict in the first place can save both the student and teacher from having to manage a makeup exam or recreate another missed activity.
Considering observances when important activities are scheduled can reduce that burden before it happens.
What schools can do now
Neither bill should be treated as law unless and until it is enacted. But districts do not need to wait to improve how they plan.
Schools can start by identifying the dates where participation matters most: the first day of school, graduation, final exams, orientation, performances, board meetings, open houses, and major family events.
For those dates, planning teams can ask:
- Could an observance affect student, staff, family, or public participation?
- Does the observance affect the full day or a particular time of day?
- Are there reasonable alternative dates or times?
- Would local input help the district understand the potential impact?
- If the date cannot change, how should the school communicate and plan for affected students or families?
Building these questions into the calendar process can help schools identify potential conflicts while there is still time to address them.
How CommonCal helps
CommonCal was built to make this kind of review easier for school planning teams.
It brings religious, cultural, and civic observances into the planning calendar alongside practical context about when and how participation may be affected.
Rather than requiring administrators to research observances one by one, CommonCal helps teams identify dates that may deserve a closer look before school events are finalized.
Whether or not AB 395 and AB 1763 are signed into law, the planning opportunity is the same: identify potential conflicts earlier, understand their impact, and make more informed scheduling decisions.
