Burlingame and Hillsborough high schoolers could earn a new diploma seal for climate education under a bill now on Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk.

SB 1048, by Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), would create a voluntary State Seal of Climate Literacy recognizing students who complete climate-focused coursework and hands-on community projects. The bill passed the Legislature with unanimous, bipartisan support, according to Becker's office. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto it, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Becker represents Senate District 13, which covers most of San Mateo County including Burlingame and Hillsborough. Participation would be voluntary for local school districts.

"SB 1048 gives students the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience to become stewards of our planet while preparing them for the growing opportunities in California's clean energy economy," Becker said in a Monday, Sept. 7 statement.

The local connection is already visible at Burlingame High School. During the 2024-25 school year, Burlingame High student Jayden Wan collaborated with Peninsula Clean Energy and Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action to deliver Climate Literacy Assemblies across San Mateo Union High School District campuses, according to the district. SVYCA is one of SB 1048's co-sponsors.

SMUHSD was named a 2025 California Green Ribbon School District Sustainability Honoree. Burlingame High also earned two Standout Awards in the 2026 Sustainable and Climate Resilient Schools Challenge for its Project Stack and CanYa Wag programs, according to the San Mateo County Office of Education.

The seal would join two existing California diploma endorsements: the State Seal of Civic Engagement and the State Seal of Biliteracy. It combines classroom instruction with experiential learning, requiring students to study climate issues and work on solutions in their communities. The bill allows the state superintendent of public instruction to partner with nonprofit organizations to develop the framework, though specific coursework requirements have not been released.

Colorado became the first state to adopt a similar seal in 2024. As of May 2025, about 420 students across 13 Colorado school districts had earned the endorsement, according to the North American Association for Environmental Education. Colorado's version requires at least 20 credits of approved climate-literacy coursework and an experiential learning project.

The bill is also co-sponsored by Ten Strands, UndauntedK12 and the California State PTA. No SMUHSD or local district officials have commented publicly on SB 1048 or whether they would opt in.