20250AJR_001999INT INTRODUCED 2025-07-02 REVISED 2025-07-17 2025 AJR INT Introduced by Assembly Members Muratsuchi and Fong LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Muratsuchi LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Fong Relative to the United States Department of Education. the United States Department of Education United States Department of Education: proposed closure. This measure would urge California’s Members of Congress to reject any proposal to dismantle the United States Department of Education or strip it of its core functions and would call on the President of the United States to preserve, protect, and strengthen the United States Department of Education and its mission to serve all students. NO

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Education plays a vital role in advancing educational equity and excellence for students across the nation; and

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Education provides critical oversight and funding for programs that support public schools, special education, student financial aid, and civil rights enforcement, and that support underserved and disadvantaged communities; and

WHEREAS, California is home to more than 6,000,000 public school students and over institutions of higher education, many of which depend on federal resources, guidance, and enforcement to operate effectively and equitably; and

WHEREAS, Title I grants, Pell Grants, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding, and other federal initiatives administered by the United States Department of Education support students from low-income families, students with disabilities, English learners, and others who have been historically underserved; and

WHEREAS, Eliminating the United States Department of Education would disrupt critical funding streams, undermine accountability, and jeopardize the educational rights of millions of students; and

WHEREAS, On March 20, 2025, President Trump signed

Executive Order No. 14242, directing the United States Secretary of Education to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the United States Department of Education, as part of a broader effort to dismantle federal oversight of public education; and

WHEREAS, The proposed closure would create chaos and confusion across the country’s education systems, threaten the quality and accessibility of education, and reverse decades of progress in civil rights and educational equity; and

WHEREAS, Education is a cornerstone of democracy and economic opportunity, and federal leadership is essential to ensuring that every student, regardless of income, race, ZIP Code, or ability, has access to a quality education;

now, therefore,

be it Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature urges California’s Members of Congress to reject any proposal to dismantle the United States Department of Education or strip it of its core functions; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature calls on the President of the United States to preserve, protect, and strengthen the United States Department of Education and its mission to serve all students; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.

REVISIONS: Heading—Line 1.