Laws and Policy

We implement policy advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels. Our work includes policy development, lobbying, coalition building, and community organizing.

Browse Laws & Policy

Focus Area
StatusLocation

California AB 1230: Expulsion Rehabilitation Plan Reform (2025)

Bill will ensure that students facing expulsion receive the support they need to return to their home schools.
California Assembly Bill 1230, titled Expulsion Rehabilitation Plan Reform, strengthens procedures and requirements to ensure that expelled students — some of California's most vulnerable — receive the support they need to successfully return to school.
Enacted
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California AB 1376: Ending Endless Probation

Bill will ensure that youth do not unnecessarily languish on probation
California Assembly Bill 1376, titled Ending Endless Probation, will protect youth who have been sentenced to probation in the community by creating statutory guidelines ensuring that youth do not unnecessarily languish on probation.
Enacted
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Hawai’i HB900: Relating to Child Welfare Services (2025)

Bill will create a working group — which will include lived experts in the state foster system — to design a pilot for legal representation of foster youth
The National Center for Youth Law has worked closely with current and former foster youth in Hawai’i, as well as local advocates and service providers, to develop and advance HB900, a bill that advances the right to legal counsel for youth in the Hawai'i foster system.
Active
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California SB 531: Student Mental Health Education (2025)

Bill will expand mental health education access to all California students
SB 531 will help empower young Californians and destigmatize mental health challenges by requiring all California students in grades 1-12 be provided with an age-appropriate mental health education.
Active
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Children’s Safe Welcome Act (2024)

The Children's Safe Welcome Act prioritizes family unity, minimizes the time children spend in immigration custody, and increases the protections for children throughout the process. NCYL provided expert guidance in developing this landmark legislation.
Active
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End School-Based Ticketing (2024)

HB 3413 (Ford)
A recent investigation by ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune found thousands of Illinois students were receiving tickets at school for minor behavior such as littering, in violation of state law. NCYL advocates for the passage of the End School-Based Ticketing Act to end the unjust practice of referring students to be ticketed for an incident that can be pursued through the school district’s discipline policy. 
Active
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Justice for Survivors (2024)

AB 2354 (Bonta)
AB 2354 is a crucial bill in California aimed at ensuring that all survivors of intimate partner violence, human trafficking, and other forms of violence can petition the court for vacatur relief,
Active
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Supporting Students in the Foster System and Students Experiencing Homelessness (2024)

AB 2137 (Quirk-Silva)
Assembly Bill (AB) 2137 that would increase direct support for students, streamline services through better collaboration, and reduce gaps in financial aid application completion.
Active
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Reducing Unequal Access to Mental Health Services (2023)

AB 665 (Carrillo)
All children in California deserve access to mental health services to live full and thriving lives, and care for their emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.
Active
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Browse Resources

Focus AreaAudience
Location
Kit de Herramientas de Promoción Federal para Padres y Cuidadores

Kit de Herramientas de Promoción Federal para Padres y Cuidadores

Este kit de herramientas imparcial tiene como objetivo ayudar a los padres y cuidadores a dar sus primeros pasos, junto con sus hijos, para participar en la defensa de los temas que les importan a ellos y a sus familias a nivel federal en los Estados Unidos.
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Newcomer Immigrant Youth in the Bay Area: Uplifting Voices, Identifying Solutions

Newcomer Immigrant Youth in the Bay Area: Uplifting Voices, Identifying Solutions

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Legal FAQ: Supporting Inclusive Education in California after Mahmoud v. Taylor

Legal FAQ: Supporting Inclusive Education in California after Mahmoud v. Taylor

This resource is intended to support California public school leaders in continuing to provide inclusive education in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, issued in June 2025. Please note, this resource was created for educational purposes only and is not legal advice.
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The Unraveling of ORR: A Quick and Calculated Undoing of a System Intended to Protect Children

The Unraveling of ORR: A Quick and Calculated Undoing of a System Intended to Protect Children

Unaccompanied children in federal custody who would ordinarily have been released to their parents or other sponsors are trapped in custody because of the government’s new policies and sponsor vetting processes.
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In Harm’s Way: The Persistence of Unjust Discipline Experienced by California’s Students

In Harm’s Way: The Persistence of Unjust Discipline Experienced by California’s Students

The purpose of this report is to demonstrate that California’s educators continue to kick students out of school at disparate and high rates, mostly for minor misconduct, and that students in the foster system and those experiencing homelessness are being removed from school at far higher rates than others.
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Federal Advocacy Toolkit for Parents and Caregivers

Federal Advocacy Toolkit for Parents and Caregivers

This non-partisan toolkit is intended to help parents and caregivers to take their first steps, alongside their child(ren), to engage in federal advocacy in the United States, on issues that matter to them and their families. 
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Youth Justice in the United States: Rollbacks & the Fight for Reform

Youth Justice in the United States: Rollbacks & the Fight for Reform

Over the past two decades, the U.S. cut youth incarceration by 75%, replacing punishment with community-based programs, restorative justice, and trauma-informed care that improved both public safety and young lives. But this hard-won progress is now at risk.
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