Existing law defines a truant as any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without a valid excuse 3 full days in one school year, or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the schoolday without a valid excuse on 3 occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof. Existing law specifies that a pupil who is required to be reported as a truant is subject to specified penalties for the first through 4th instances that a truancy report is issued to a pupil. This bill would identify specific reasons that constitute a valid excuse for which a pupil may be absent from school for purposes of being classified as a truant. The bill would revise certain penalties resulting from the issuance of specified truancy reports and would specify that the first time a truancy report is issued, the pupil and, as appropriate, the pupil's parent or legal guardian, may be requested to attend a meeting with a school counselor or other school designee to discuss the root causes of the attendance issue and develop a joint plan to improve the pupil's attendance. The bill would specify that the 2nd time a truancy report is issued, the pupil may be personally given a written warning by a peace officer, as specified, and that the 4th time a truancy report is issued, a pupil who is adjudged a ward of the court may instead be required to pay a fine of not more than $50, as specified. The bill also would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.
Sponsored bills
Existing law requires each school district or county superintendent of schools maintaining any kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to provide for each needy pupil one nutritionally adequate free or reduced-price meal during each schoolday, except as specified. Existing law requires the State Board of Education to grant a one-year waiver from that requirement during a summer school session if specified conditions exist. Existing law requires an application for a waiver to be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the last regular meeting of the state board before the commencement of the summer school session for which the waiver is sought. This bill would change the waiver submission deadline to no later than 60 days before the last regular meeting of the state board before the commencement of the summer school session.
Existing law requires that a specified amount of motor vehicle license fees deposited to the credit of the Motor Vehicle License Fee Account in the Transportation Tax Fund be allocated by the Controller, as specified, to the Local Law Enforcement Services Account in the Local Revenue Fund 2011, for allocation to cities, counties, and cities and counties. This bill would instead require, on and after July 1, 2012, that those revenues be distributed first to each city that was incorporated from an unincorporated territory after August 5, 2004, in an amount determined pursuant to a specified formula, second to each city that was incorporated before August 5, 2004, in an amount determined pursuant to a specified formula, and third to the Local Law Enforcement Services Account in the Local Revenue Fund 2011, for allocation to cities, counties, and cities and counties. By authorizing within the Motor Vehicle License Fee Account in the Transportation Tax Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, to be used for a new purpose, the bill would make an appropriation. Existing law requires the Legislature to determine and appropriate annually an amount for the use of the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Franchise Tax Board for the enforcement of the Vehicle License Fee Law. This bill would not allow that amount to be appropriated from the Motor Vehicle License Fee Account in the Transportation Tax Fund. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
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 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.
This measure would recognize the month of September 2012, and each September thereafter, as Sickle Cell Anemia Awareness Month in California, and would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to restore and continue funding for sickle cell anemia centers and research to make sickle cell anemia and other genetic hemoglobin disorders a public health priority.
This measure would declare December 12, 2012, as California Bullying Prevention Day, and would recognize the need for individuals, schools, communities, businesses, local governments, and the state to take action on behalf of bullying prevention in California.
This measure would urge the United States Postal Service to end its plan to reduce the frequency of mail delivery from 6 days to 5 days a week, and to take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of this 6-day mail delivery service.