Asm. Marc Berman

Existing law requires the governing body of a local educational agency that serves pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to adopt a policy on pupil suicide prevention that specifically addresses the needs of high-risk groups. This bill would require, in developing a pupil suicide prevention policy in consultation with school and community stakeholders, school-employed mental health professionals, and suicide prevention experts, a local educational agency with a mandatory expulsion policy or zero tolerance policy for the use of, possession of, or being under the influence of, alcohol, an intoxicant, or a controlled substance to consider whether the mandatory expulsion policy or zero tolerance policy is deterring pupils from seeking help for substance abuse. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law prohibits a pupil from being suspended from school or recommended for expulsion, unless the superintendent of the school district or the principal of the school in which the pupil is enrolled determines that the pupil has committed one of certain acts, including having unlawfully possessed, used, sold, or otherwise furnished, or been under the influence of, an alcoholic beverage or an intoxicant of any kind. Existing law requires suspension to be imposed on a pupil only when other means of correction fail to bring about proper conduct, and specifies that other means of correction include, among other things, referrals to the school counselor, psychologist, social worker, child welfare attendance personnel, or other school support service personnel for case management and counseling. This bill would include referrals to mental health professionals in other means of correction for purposes of the latter provision. 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.

This measure would state the intent of the Legislature to take the opportunity preceding July 4, 2017, to recognize and celebrate July 4, 2017, and the 241st anniversary of the birth of our great nation and the signing of the Declaration of Independence that this day represents.

This measure would request the Governor to designate specified departments to accelerate the planning, creation, and completion timelines for a California Nonmotorized Trails Master Plan for urban and rural regions to expand specified opportunities for Californians. The measure would request the Governor to request the President of the United States, Members of Congress, and the Federal Highway Administration to dedicate increased funding to California to accelerate and support the planning and development of the plan and to accelerate the completion of existing nonmotorized recreational trails.

This measure would proclaim June 21, 2017, as Asking Saves Kids Day.

This measure would recognize the month of August 2017 as Opportunity Youth Reengagement Month, and state the intent of the Legislature to encourage the expansion of schools authorized to specifically reengage "opportunity youth" 16 to 24 years of age by developing recommendations for a statewide student reengagement strategy and identifying the cost of the strategy compared to the cost of inaction; authorizing systems for accountability to students, parents, and families through transparency, active engagement, and outreach strategies; and highlighting, promoting, and uplifting evidence-based practices for successful student reengagement efforts that maintain multiple measures for evaluation of student success.

This measure would urge the Congress of the United States to support S. 349, the Access to Counsel Act, which would ensure that those persons held or detained while attempting to enter the United States, whether at a border crossing or a port of entry, would be guaranteed access to legal counsel.

This measure would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to continue to place an emphasis on increasing funding to NASA's budget and encouraging the expansive use of public-private partnerships to propel the industry forward into the next generation of advancement.

This measure would recognize adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) , also known as post-traumatic "street" disorder in communities of color, as having lasting negative outcomes to both physical and mental health with growing implications for our state.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA requires the Office of Planning and Research to prepare and develop, and the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to certify and adopt, guidelines for the implementation of CEQA. CEQA requires the guidelines to include a list of classes of projects that have been determined not to have a significant effect on the environment and that shall be exempt from CEQA (categorical exemption) . Existing guidelines for the implementation of CEQA exempts from the requirements of CEQA infill development meeting certain requirements, including the requirement that the proposed development occurs within city limits. This bill would revise the above-described categorical exemption to include proposed residential and mixed-use housing projects occurring within an unincorporated area of a county. Because a lead agency would be required to determine the applicability of this exemption, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the office to recommend proposed regulatory amendments for the implementation of these provisions and would require the secretary to certify and adopt the changes on or before January 1, 2019. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.