Asm. Kevin McCarty

The California Constitution authorizes a United States citizen at least 18 years of age and a resident of the State to vote. This measure, in addition, would authorize a person who is at least 16 years of age and a resident of the state to vote in a school or community college district governing board election in which that person would be qualified to vote based on residence.

Existing law establishes and funds various research centers and programs in conjunction with the University of California. This bill would enact the California Firearm Violence Research Act. The bill would declare the intent of the Legislature that the Regents of the University of California establish the California Firearm Violence Research Center to research firearm-related violence. The bill would declare legislative intent regarding the principles by which the university would administer the center and award research funds, as prescribed. The bill would require the university to report, on or before December 31, 2017, and every 5 years thereafter, specified information regarding the activities of the center and information pertaining to research grants. The bill would require the center and the grant recipients to provide copies of their research publications to the Legislature and specified agencies. The bill would specify that its provisions would apply to the university only to the extent that the regents, by resolution, make any of the provisions of the bill applicable to the university.

This measure would recognize May 24, 2016, as Slavic Heritage Day.

Existing law prohibits an employer who employs 25 or more employees working at the same location from discharging or discriminating against an employee who is a parent, as defined, having custody of a child in a licensed child day care facility or in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, for taking off up to 40 hours each year to find, enroll, or reenroll their child in a school, to participate in school activities, or address emergency situations at school, subject to specified conditions. Existing law requires an employee to use vacation or other paid time off when taking time off under these provisions and authorizes the use of unpaid time off, to the extent made available by the employer. This bill would require an employer to annually provide an employee at least 8 hours of paid time off for the purposes of a planned absence under these provisions, except as specified, and would instead authorize an employee to use vacation or paid time off, or use unpaid time off, if available, when taking time off under these provisions. The bill would provide a remedy to an employee whose request for time off under these provisions is denied by the employer. The bill would require the Labor Commissioner to create a poster listing the protections available to employees and would require an employer to post it at the workplace, as specified.

The Wildman-Keeley-Solis Exemplary Teacher Training Act of 1997 establishes the California School Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program for the purpose of recruiting paraprofessionals to participate in a program designed to encourage them to enroll in teacher training programs and to provide instructional service as teachers in the public schools. The act requires, among other things, that the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, in consultation with certain other educational entities, select, pursuant to specified criteria, 24 or more school districts or county offices of education representing rural, urban, and suburban areas that apply to participate in the program. The act requires a school district or county office of education to require a person participating in the program to commit to fulfilling certain specified obligations relating to obtaining a teaching credential and employment as a teacher in the school district or county office of education. The act requires a school district or county office of education to require a program participant to obtain a certificate of clearance from the commission and provide verification of a specified level of academic achievement prior to participating in the program. The act expresses the intent of the Legislature that, in each fiscal year, funding for the California School Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program be allocated to the commission for grants to school districts and county offices of education, limits grants to $3,500 per program participant per year, and makes funding for the grants contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act. This bill would substantially revise those provisions to instead establish the California Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program for the purpose of recruiting classified school employees to participate in a program designed to encourage them to enroll in teacher training programs and to provide instructional service as teachers in the public schools. Subject to an appropriation for these purposes in the annual Budget Act, the bill would require the commission to issue a request for proposals to all school districts and county offices of education in the state in order to solicit applications for funding. The bill would require the criteria adopted by the commission for the selection of school districts or county offices of education to participate in the program to include, among other things, the extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment attempts to meet the demand of teacher shortages in shortage areas in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The bill would require an applicant that is selected to participate to provide information about the program to all eligible classified school employees in the school district or county office of education and to provide assistance to each classified school employee it recruits under the program regarding admission to a teacher training program. The bill would also require an applicant to require participants to satisfy specified requirements before participating in the program, including passing a background check, and to certify that it has received a commitment from each participant that he or she will accomplish certain things, including completing all of the requirements for, and obtain, a multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential. The bill would require the commission to contract with an independent evaluator with a proven record of experience in assessing teacher training programs to conduct an evaluation to determine the success of the program and would require the evaluation to be conducted once every 5 years, with the first evaluation being completed on or before July 1, 2021. The bill would also require the commission, on or before January 1 of each year, to report to the Legislature regarding the status of the program, as specified. The bill would state the Legislature's intent that, each fiscal year, funding for the program be allocated to the commission for grants for up to 1,000 new participants per year and would prohibit a grant to an applicant from exceeding $4,000 per participant per year. The bill would make funding for grants to applicants contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act.

This measure would proclaim that Monday, January 18, 2016, be observed as the official memorial of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birth and his work in the Civil Rights Movement.

This measure would recognize May 2016 as Celiac Disease Awareness Month.

This measure would recognize the Lunar New Year Celebration on February 8, 2016.

This measure would commend the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on the celebration of its 150th anniversary and for the myriad contributions it has made to the health and well-being of animals nationwide and would extend best wishes for continued success in the future.