AB-2460 Pupil health: mental health: model referral protocols
Oct 4, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0077 · Published 2026-10-04 · Version 2 · Final
AB 2460 sets July 2027 state and July 2028 local review deadlines for pupil behavioral-health referral guidance addressing immigration-enforcement emergencies.
What happened
California chaptered AB 2460 on September 18, 2026, establishing a staged review of pupil behavioral-health referral protocols. The Department of Education must consult appropriate stakeholders and review, and update as necessary, its model protocols by July 1, 2027. The protocols must include guidance for equity-centered mental health support during a local emergency related to immigration enforcement or deportation of pupils or their family members. Local educational agencies must review, and update as necessary, their referral policies adopted under Education Code section 49428.2 by July 1, 2028. Those local policies concern agencies serving pupils in grades 7 through 12; the law's general concern for pupil mental health should not obscure that policy framework.
A local update can use the department's revised model or be developed in consultation with school and community stakeholders and school-linked behavioral health professionals. It must address, at a minimum, procedures for referral to behavioral health professionals and support services. An existing local policy can satisfy the requirement if it already contains the specified guidance, so the measure calls for a documented review rather than replacement of every policy. The state model deadline precedes the local deadline by a year, allowing schools and service partners to align referral pathways after the model review. These are future implementation dates from the October 4 perspective; the nonurgency enactment itself follows the ordinary January 1, 2027 effective-date rule.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Final
- Applicability
- General intelligence
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks
- Jurisdiction
- California
Why it matters
Schools and behavioral-health partners need workable referral procedures during immigration-related emergencies and should align local policy review with the state's earlier model-protocol deadline.
Recommended action
Assign an owner to follow the July 2027 state model review and assess the local policy against the required emergency-support guidance. Engage school-linked and community providers, document whether an existing policy qualifies, and complete any necessary local update by July 1, 2028.
Sources
- AB-2460 Pupil health: mental health: model referral protocols, bill historyOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-09-03 · Source review 2026-09-20
- AB-2460 Pupil health: mental health: model referral protocols, current bill text (08/30/26 - Enrolled)Official · California Legislature · 2026-08-30 · Source review 2026-09-10
- AB2460 chaptered text, retained official rendered documentOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-09-18 · Source review 2026-10-15
- Official Assembly 2023-24 Constitution, Article IV section 8Official · California Legislature · Source review 2026-10-14
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