Special education: pupil transfers: residency requirements: records.

Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez, along with a bipartisan group of coauthors, proposes new requirements for California schools managing special education transfers, particularly for military families. The legislation establishes a 30-day timeline for local educational agencies to implement existing individualized education programs (IEPs) or develop new ones when students with exceptional needs transfer between districts.

The bill modifies how schools handle educational records for transferring students, requiring them to accept unofficial records from parents temporarily while awaiting official documentation. This aligns California's practices with the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. For military families specifically, the legislation applies existing residency requirements to all students whose parents are on active duty, including those receiving special education services or accommodations under federal disability laws.

Local educational agencies must coordinate with parents and previous schools to maintain continuity of services when military-connected students who receive special education support transfer into their districts. The bill requires schools to implement electronic enrollment systems for these students and allows various forms of temporary housing documentation, including on-base facilities or leased properties, as proof of residency during military transitions.