School athletics: coaches: youth athletics behavioral and mental health training

The law adds mental health preparation to coaching requirements for high-school interscholastic sports and other school-run athletic programs. It also retains required sudden-cardiac-arrest training for coaches in non-interscholastic school athletic programs.

What the law does ​

• Requires coaches in California Interscholastic Federation-member high schools to complete mental-health training before their sport season and every two years thereafter, beginning in 2027–28.
• Requires school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools offering non-interscholastic athletic programs to ensure coaches complete initial and biennial sudden-cardiac-arrest and youth behavioral and mental-health training.
• Adds age-appropriate mental-health training to the California High School Coaching Education and Training Program beginning July 1, 2027.

Who it affects ​

• Coaches in interscholastic athletic programs at California Interscholastic Federation-member high schools, including private schools.
• Coaches and school entities operating non-interscholastic athletic programs.
• Student athletes participating in covered school athletic programs.

Context ​

The law takes effect only if AB 1626 of the 2025–26 Regular Session is enacted and effective by January 1, 2027.