Thursday’s Appropriations Committee hearings in both the state Assembly and Senate will decide on the fate of a slew of bills currently hanging in “suspense.”
Commonly known as “Suspense Day,” the biannual hearing held in both houses of the state Legislature has the committees swiftly move through hundreds of bills that have been deemed to potentially cost the state at least $50,000 or more from the state’s general fund or $150,000 from a special fund.
Included in Thursday’s hearing in the Senate is Assembly Bill 2999, authored by Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth. Also known as the Healthy Homework Act, the bill would require school districts across the state to develop homework policies based on guidelines developed by the state Department of Education, which would be posted on its website by Jan. 1, 2026.
School districts would have until the start of the 2028-29 school year to adopt such a policy, according to the current text of the bill. They would then have to update that policy every five years, if needed.
The Senate’s Appropriations Committee fiscal analysis found that there could be potential for millions of dollars in costs, as each school district would likely need to spend between $5,000 and $10,000 in developing policies. Further costs could be added on as districts review policies over time.
Schiavo issued the following statement to The Signal after AB 2999 moved forward from the Senate’s Education Committee, with support from Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, who sits on the committee:
“I am thrilled that the Healthy Homework Act has passed in the Senate Education Committee with unanimous, bipartisan support,” Schiavo said in the statement. “I want to thank my colleague, Sen. Wilk, for his support and for sharing his personal story about the stresses of his son’s homework, a sentiment echoed by so many parents I have spoken with about this bill. Homework stress not only impacts our kids, but the entire family, and as we face a student mental health crisis, these are some of the reasons why the California PTA strongly supports this bill. This legislation is a crucial step toward ensuring we are intentional about homework that supports our students’ education, and we also prioritize our students’ mental and physical well-being.”
Thursday’s hearings will include 19 bills from the four representatives of the Santa Clarita Valley — seven from Schiavo; three from Wilk; six from Sen. Henry Stern, D-Calabasas; and three from Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale.
Any that pass through to their full respective chambers would need to be moved on to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk by Aug. 31 to be signed into law.
