Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and School Principals:

Assembly Bill 2377: Pupil Instruction—Religious Fasting Accommodation in Physical Education

Students within our schools participate in religious fasting. Assembly Bill 2377 (Chapter 960, Statutes of 2024) has added California Education Code (EC) Section 51240.5, which deals with granting an accommodation to pupils in connection with physical activity components of a physical education (PE) course during a period of religious fasting.

EC Section 51240.5(a) provides that a pupil in kindergarten or any of grades one to twelve shall be granted an accommodation in connection with any physical activity components of a PE course during a period of religious fasting upon the submission to the school principal of written notification from the pupil’s parent or guardian (or from the pupil, if the pupil is age eighteen or older) that the pupil is participating in religious fasting.

EC Section 51240.5(b) provides that, for purposes of calculating compliance with the instructional time requirements of EC Sections 51210(a)(7), 51222(a), and 51223(a), a pupil shall be credited with instructional time for any time for which the pupil was granted an accommodation in connection with physical activity components pursuant to this new section, upon completion of alternative assignments or activities by the pupil.

Information regarding AB 2377, including the full text of the legislation, can be found on the California Legislative Information web page at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2377.

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact Emily Oliva, Education Programs Consultant, by phone at 916-319-0198 or by email at PLSMO@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction

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