Pupils: bullying and harassment prevention information.

The Safe Place to Learn Act requires the State Department of Education to assess whether local educational agencies have taken certain actions related to educational equity, including adopting a policy that prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on specified characteristics, such as disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of the specified characteristics. At the beginning of the first semester or quarter of the regular school term, existing law requires the governing board of a school district to notify the parent or guardian of a minor pupil regarding the right or responsibility of the parent or guardian under specified provisions. Existing law requires that notice to include, among other things, a copy of the school district's written sexual harassment policy, as it relates to pupils. This bill would, commencing with the 2020–21 academic year, require each local educational agency, as defined, to ensure that specified information on bullying and harassment prevention is readily accessible in a prominent location on the local educational agency's existing internet website in a manner that is easily accessible to parents or guardians and pupils. The bill would require local educational agencies to include specified State Department of Education policies and the policies adopted by a local educational agency relating to hate violence, bullying, harassment, discrimination, and suicide prevention and resources relating to these topics. The bill would, contingent upon the enactment of AB 1767 of the 2019–20 Regular Session, also require each local educational agency to ensure that the local educational agency's policy on pupil suicide prevention in kindergarten and grades 1 to 6, inclusive, is readily accessible on the local educational agency's existing internet website, as specified above. By requiring school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to ensure specified information on bullying and harassment prevention is readily accessible in a prominent location on the local educational agency's existing internet website, the 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 the statutory provisions noted above.