California's Senate Bill 1048 — which would, if enacted, establish a climate literacy seal "to recognize high school graduates “who have demonstrated mastery in climate literacy disciplines, green skills or technical green skills, and any and all other best practices for climate literacy" — passed the Senate unanimously, on a 39-0 vote, on August 27, 2026.
Climate literacy is defined in the bill as "an understanding of the essential principles of the earth's climate system, assessing scientifically credible climate information, learning to communicate about the climate in a meaningful manner, and making informed and responsible decisions regarding actions that may affect the climate."
The state education commissioner (a new appointed post) will recommend criteria for awarding the seal to the state board of education by the end of 2027; the board will adopt those criteria, or a revised version, by the end of January 2019. It will then be up to local educational agencies to decide whether to offer the seal.
Senate Bill 1048 is substantially similar to Colorado's Senate Bill 14 of 2024, which was signed into law on May 23, 2024, as NCSE previously reported. Since then, the legislatures of Hawaii and Minnesota have also considered similar climate literacy measures, although none passed, and Maine's department of education introduced a seal of climate literacy.
The bill originated in the Senate, where it passed, with minor amendments, on May 19, 2026. It then passed the Assembly, with further minor amendments, on August 24, 2026. In the most recent vote, the Senate concurred with the Assembly version. The bill will now proceed to the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom (D), who will have to act on it by September 30, 2026.
