AB 908 would add LGBTQ inclusion to state education compliance monitoring; committee hears broad support and some opposition

Assemblymember Solace presented AB 908 as a measure to add the FAIR Education Act’s LGBTQ‑inclusion requirements to the California Department of Education’s existing compliance monitoring process. "AB 908 simply adds compliance monitoring to that existing requirement in the education code," the author said. Supporters argued the law has not been fully implemented across all districts and called the change a modest accountability step.

Craig Pulsar of Equality California told the committee the FAIR Act has not been uniformly implemented and cited a 2024 survey showing many districts had not adopted LGBTQ‑inclusive instructional materials. Christopher Covington of the Genders and Sexualities Alliance Network said the bill is “urgent and necessary,” citing survey responses from transgender, queer and Two‑Spirit youth who reported harassment and lack of supportive materials.

Support came from unions and multiple education organizations; opponents testified that the bill would be “harmful” and raised objections tied to gender identity instruction in schools. Committee members heard both sides and questioned whether the bill would impair local control over materials. The author said the bill focuses on adding the FAIR Act to compliance reviews, not prescribing instructional content.

The committee advanced the bill to Senate Appropriations as amended; the author and supporters said they would continue to work on clarifying language and implementation details that address local control concerns while ensuring legally required representation in adopted instructional materials.