Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and celebrity advocate Paris Hilton celebrated a major milestone today as SB 373, aimed at improving safeguards for nonpublic school students, passed out of the Senate Education Committee with a unanimous vote. This bipartisan measure, sponsored by Hilton’s nonprofit 11:11 Media Impact and joint authored with Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), would help protect California’s most vulnerable special education students in nonpublic schools.
In California, a nonpublic school (NPS) is a private school that serves kids with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) who need more than what their regular public school can offer, like students with certain disabilities. A NPS is approved by the state to provide special support, such as smaller classes or therapy, so those students still get the education they need.
According to the California Department of Education, approximately 8,600 students currently attend a NPS within the state, while nearly 300 are placed out-of-state. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are tasked with implementing a student’s IEP and remain responsible for those students transferred to an out-of-state NPS, and ensuring their educational needs are met.
SB 373 aims to enhance protections for students placed in out-of-state facilities by imposing new accountability requirements on the LEAs that send students to nonpublic schools. The legislation mandates that LEAs inform parents and students of their rights, including direct access to the Equitable Services Ombudsman—a designated contact at the California Department of Education who helps guarantee that students receive proper educational support and resources. The bill also ensures private communication between students and their education teams while at the facility.
“This bill is a powerful step toward protecting youth placed in out-of-state residential facilities when their school districts can’t meet their needs,” said Paris Hilton. “Every young person deserves access to safe, supportive care — especially when they’re far from their families and homes. As someone who survived abuse in these settings, I’m committed to transforming this system and creating a future where transparency, accountability, and compassion are the standard.”
Senator Grove and Paris Hilton are building upon last year's successful collaboration on SB 1043, which increased transparency in short-term residential therapeutic programs by requiring the Department of Social Services to create a public dashboard on the use of restraints and seclusion rooms.
California has previously enacted measures such as AB 808 and AB 153 to address the placement of foster youth in out-of-state facilities. Despite these efforts, nearly 300 students remain in certified out-of-state NPSs. SB 373 seeks to ensure LEAs are monitoring the well-being of California students placed in out of state nonpublic schools through regular, direct check-ins.
Under SB 373, LEAs will be mandated to conduct quarterly unmonitored phone check‑ins and hold annual in‑person private meetings during each onsite visit to rigorously assess student health and safety. The measure would also create uniformity in reporting critical information collected during the LEAs site visits at the nonpublic schools, by mandating a form that all LEAs would use when reporting their site visit information to CDE.
“California has always prided itself on leading the way in protecting our children,” said Senator Shannon Grove. “But too many vulnerable students remain at risk in out‑of‑state placements. I am committed to ensuring that every child in a special education program receives the highest standard of care and oversight. SB 373 will provide the transparency and accountability that our children deserve.”
In addition, SB 373 establishes extra certification requirements for out-of-state nonpublic schools, including strict protocols regarding the use of physical restraints and isolation use, enhanced rights awareness, robust complaint mechanisms, and informed consent processes.
This measure is part of Paris Hilton’s legislative advocacy in California, where she is also addressing the need to protect youth in the entertainment industry under AB 653. This measure is authored by Assemblyman Lackey and principal co-authored by Senator Grove.
The next hearing for Senate Bill 373 will be held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.