Existing law prohibits the suspension, or recommendation for expulsion, of a pupil from school unless the school district superintendent or the school principal determines that the pupil has committed any of various specified acts. Existing law requires the school district superintendent or the school principal to immediately suspend and recommend the expulsion of a pupil who is determined to have, at school or at a school activity off school grounds, possessed, sold, or otherwise furnished a firearm, brandished a knife at another person, unlawfully sold a controlled substance, committed or attempted to commit a sexual assault or battery, as defined, or possessed an explosive. Existing law states that a school should consider implementing a supervised suspension program or an alternative to the school's off-campus suspension program that involves a progressive discipline approach using specified activities if the number of pupils suspended from school during the prior school year exceeded 30% of the school's enrollment. This bill would instead encourage a school district, commencing with the 2014–15 school year, to implement, for a minimum of 3 years, at a school where the number of pupils receiving off-campus suspensions in the prior school year exceeded 25% of its total enrollment, or exceeded 25% of a numerically significant pupil subgroup of that enrollment, as defined, either (A) an evidence-based system of schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports that employs school-level information about the behavioral and academic history of pupils to define and implement systems of support and interventions at the school, classroom, and individual levels that is aimed at improving the social, emotional, and academic success for all pupils, or (B) other schoolwide strategies that are evidence based and designed to address school climate in order to create learning environments where teachers can teach and pupils can learn and to reduce suspensions from classrooms and the school. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to invite a school that meets or exceeds this threshold percentage of suspensions to attend a regional forum organized by the Superintendent to provide assistance and training regarding the strategies described above, among other things. Commencing with the 2015–16 school year, the bill would decrease the percentage of enrollment or numerically significant pupil subgroup of enrollment that triggers an invitation to attend a regional forum each school year until that percentage is 15% for the 2018–19 school year, in accordance with a prescribed schedule. The bill would require the Superintendent annually from the 2014–15 to the 2018–19 school year, inclusive, to notify each local educational agency that contains at least one school that exceeds the specified thresholds and provide technical assistance as requested; to invite the schools that meet or exceed the specified thresholds applicable to suspensions to send a school leadership team to a regional forum, with a goal of serving no fewer than 100 schools per school year; prioritize invitations to schools with the highest rates of off-campus suspensions; and to provide the State Board of Education with the names of the schools invited to attend a regional forum and the annual rate of reduction or increase in each school's off-campus suspensions. These requirements would be contingent upon the availability of funds, as specified. The bill would authorize the State Department of Education to provide school districts with information regarding schoolwide evidence-based strategies that could be implemented.
Sponsored bills
Existing law requires the county elections official to conduct a preelection residence confirmation procedure by mailing a specified nonforwardable postcard to each registered voter of the county by the 90th day immediately prior to the direct primary election. In lieu of mailing a residency confirmation postcard, existing law permits the county elections official to conduct the residency confirmation procedure by alternative methods, including by contracting with the United States Postal Service or its licensees to obtain use of postal service change-of-address data. Existing law requires the county elections official, based on the change-of-address information received in conducting the residency confirmation, or the change-of-address information provided directly by the voter, to correct or cancel, among other things, the voter's registration. This bill would permit a county elections official, in lieu of mailing a residency confirmation postcard, to contract with a consumer credit reporting agency or its licensees to obtain change-of-address data. If the county elections official contracts with a consumer credit reporting agency or its licensees, this bill would require the county elections official, based on the change-of-address information received, to send a specified forwardable notice to the registered voter to enable the voter to verify or correct the address information. If the voter responds to the forwardable notice, or otherwise verifies in writing his or her new residence address, this bill would require the county elections official, as appropriate, to correct or cancel the voter's registration. Existing law authorizes a county elections official, if a voter has not voted in any election within the preceding 4 years, and the residence, address, name, or party affiliation of the voter has not been updated during that time, to send an alternate residency confirmation postcard that describes the alternate residency procedure. If a county uses the alternate residency confirmation procedure, the county is required to notify all voters of the procedure in the sample ballot pamphlet or in a separate mailing. A voter in that county is also given the opportunity to vote at a statewide primary or general election between the date of the notice and the beginning of the alternate residency procedure. Existing law further authorizes a county elections official to cancel the voter registration of a voter who does not offer to vote or vote at any election between the date of the confirmation mailing and 2 federal general elections after the date of that mailing. This bill would delete the provision that authorizes a county elections official to cancel the voter registration of a voter who does not offer to vote or vote within a specified time period, and would delete the requirement that a voter be given an opportunity to vote at a statewide primary or general election between the date of notice and the beginning of the alternate residency procedure.
Existing law requires specified information to be provided to patients regarding their health care. Existing federal law requires a written report of the results of each mammography examination and requires a summary of that report to be sent to the patient within a specified time period. This bill, from April 1, 2013, until January 1, 2019, would require, under specified circumstances, a health facility at which a mammography examination is performed to include in the summary of the written report that is sent to the patient a prescribed notice on breast density.
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to request an emergency apportionment through the Superintendent of Public Instruction if the governing board of the school district determines during a fiscal year that its revenues are less than the amount necessary to meet its current year expenditure obligations. Under existing law, if a school district accepts an emergency apportionment, the Superintendent is required, among other things, to appoint a trustee who has recognized expertise in management and finance, and may employ, on a short-term basis, any staff necessary to assist the trustee. Existing law also requires the trustee and any necessary staff to serve until the emergency apportionment is repaid, the school district has adequate fiscal systems and controls in place, and the Superintendent determines that the school district's future compliance with an approved fiscal plan is probable. Existing law authorizes the trustee, during the period of his or her service, to stay or rescind any action of the governing board of the school district that, in the judgment of the trustee, may affect the financial condition of the school district. This bill would instead require the trustee and necessary staff to serve until the school district has adequate fiscal systems and controls in place, the Superintendent determines that the school district's future compliance with an approved fiscal plan is probable, and the Superintendent decides to terminate the trustee's appointment, but in no event, for less than 3 years. The bill would authorize the county superintendent of schools who has jurisdiction over the school district, after the trustee's period of service and until the loan is repaid, to stay or rescind an action of the governing board of the school district that, in his or her judgment, may affect the financial condition of the school district. The bill would require the county superintendent of schools to notify the Superintendent, as specified, within 5 business days of staying or rescinding an action of the governing board of the school district. If the Superintendent receives this notice from the county superintendent of schools, the bill would require the Superintendent to report to the Legislature, on or before December 30 of every year, whether the school district is complying with the fiscal plan approved for the school district. Existing law authorizes the Superintendent, within 5 years after an appointed trustee is removed, to reassume, either directly or through an administrator, all of the legal rights, duties, and powers of the governing board of the school district if the school district violates any provision of specified recovery plans approved by the Superintendent. This bill would instead authorize the Superintendent, within 5 years after an appointed trustee is removed or the emergency apportionment is repaid, whichever occurs later, to reassume, either directly or through an administrator, all of the legal rights, duties, and powers of the governing board of the school district if the school district violates any provision of specified recovery plans approved by the Superintendent. The bill also would authorize the governing board of a qualifying school district, after one complete fiscal year has elapsed following the qualifying school district's acceptance of an emergency apportionment, to conduct an annual advisory evaluation, as specified, of the administrator appointed by the Superintendent. The bill would require the evaluation criteria to be agreed upon by the governing board of the qualifying school district and the administrator. The bill would require the advisory evaluation of the administrator to be submitted to the Governor, the Legislature, the Superintendent, and the County Office Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team. The bill would make numerous nonsubstantive changes. The bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 41326 of the Education Code, proposed by AB 2662, to be operative only if AB 2662 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective January 1, 2013, and this bill is chaptered last.
Existing law prohibits the suspension, or recommendation for expulsion, of a pupil from school unless the superintendent of the school district or the principal of the school determines that the pupil has committed any of various specified acts. Existing law also authorizes the assignment of a pupil suspended from a school to a supervised suspension classroom under certain conditions. Under existing law, the acts for which a pupil may be suspended or recommended for expulsion include, but are not limited to, disrupting school activities or otherwise willfully defying the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties. These acts also include, for a pupil enrolled in any of grades 4 to 12, inclusive, intentionally engaging in harassment, threats, or intimidation, directed against school district personnel or pupils, that is sufficiently severe or pervasive to have the actual and reasonably expected effect of materially disrupting classwork, creating substantial disorder, and invading the rights of either school personnel or pupils by creating an intimidating or hostile educational environment. This bill would provide that, if the superintendent of the school district or the principal of the school in which a pupil is enrolled determines that a pupil has disrupted school activities or otherwise willfully defied the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties, the pupil may be subject to other means of correction, community service during nonschool hours, or in-school suspension in a supervised suspension classroom, but not to an extended suspension, recommendation for expulsion, or expulsion. The bill would move the language relating to a pupil enrolled in any of grades 4 to 12, inclusive, intentionally engaging in harassment, threats, or intimidation, directed against school district personnel or pupils, to another code section in place of the language relating to a pupil disrupting school activities or otherwise willfully defying valid authority. The bill would also make conforming and nonsubstantive changes. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 48900 of the Education Code proposed by AB 1729 that would become operative if this bill and AB 1729 are enacted, and this bill is enacted last. This bill would also incorporate changes to that section proposed by AB 1732, which has been chaptered.
This measure would memorialize the President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation that would add comprehensive, preventative dental care coverage to Medicare benefits.
This measure would recognize September 2012 as Recovery Month in California, in order to raise awareness of the importance of substance use disorders treatment and to help people living with substance use disorders and their families to receive treatment.
This measure would recognize the 45th anniversary of Kwanzaa and proclaim December 26 through January 1 each year as Kwanzaa Week.
This measure would recognize the 25th anniversary of the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial on November 23, 2013, and encourage all Californians to take part in ceremonies, organized by the California State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America along with assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs and other veterans service organizations. This measure would call upon the state archives to display memorabilia in a special display on the Vietnam War, as provided, the California State Military Museum to prepare and display exhibits on the Vietnam War, as provided, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to add names to the memorial, as provided.
This measure encourages the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California to consider and adopt the American Council on Education credit recommendations to give veterans due credit for their military experience.