Pupil safety: teen dating abuse prevention.

Existing law, the Interagency School Safety Demonstration Act of 1985, among other things, requires school districts and county offices of education to be responsible for the overall development of comprehensive school safety plans for its schools operating kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and requires the schoolsite council of certain school districts to write and develop a comprehensive school safety plan. The act also requires the Department of Justice and the State Department of Education to contract with one or more professional trainers to provide training in the prevention of bullying. This bill would define teen dating abuse and a dating partner for purposes of the act and would make specified findings and declarations and state legislative intent regarding teen dating abuse. The bill would require a comprehensive school safety plan to include the development of procedures and policies to prevent and respond to teen dating abuse in middle and high schools serving pupils in any of grades 6 to 12, inclusive, which would be required to include specified actions. The bill would require a schoolsite council of a middle school or high school serving any of grades 6 to 12, inclusive, or a school safety planning committee, to consult with local, state, or national organizations with expertise in teen dating abuse prevention and response in developing the teen dating abuse procedures and policies of their comprehensive school safety plan. The bill would require the governing board of each school district to notify the parent or guardian of a minor pupil at the beginning of the first semester or quarter of the regular school term of the teen dating abuse procedures and policies, and how to make a complaint or help their child make a complaint of teen dating abuse. The bill would additionally require the Department of Justice and the State Department of Education to contract with one or more professional trainers to provide training in the prevention of teen dating abuse. The bill would also update references to dating violence and teen relationship violence to refer to teen dating abuse. The bill would make its provisions operative on July 1, 2013. By imposing new duties on schools and school districts regarding the development and notification of teen dating abuse procedures and policies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.