(1) Existing law requires local educational agencies to identify, locate, and assess individuals with exceptional needs and to provide those pupils with a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, with special education and related services as reflected in an individualized education program. Existing law requires a local educational agency to initiate and conduct meetings for the purposes of developing, reviewing, and revising the individualized education program of each individual with exceptional needs in accordance with federal law. Existing law requires a parent, as defined, of an individual with exceptional needs to have the right and opportunity to examine all school records of his or her child and to receive copies of those records within 5 business days after a request is made by the parent, either orally or in writing. Existing law requires a public agency to comply with a request for school records without unnecessary delay before any meeting regarding an individualized education program. This bill would require a public agency, before any meeting regarding an individualized education program, to offer to provide to the parent copies of any available, completed school records related to the pupil's current levels of performance, and any available, completed assessment reports, if these records and reports are related to that meeting. The bill would require the public agency, if the parent requests those copies, to make them available to the parent at least 5 business days before the meeting. The bill would authorize a public agency to charge a parent no more than the actual cost of reproducing these copies, but if the cost effectively prevents the parent from exercising the right to receive the copies, the public agency would be required to reproduce the copies at no cost. The bill would require notice to a parent of an individualized education program meeting to include notice of the right to obtain copies of school records pursuant to these provisions. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also make conforming changes. (2) 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.
Sponsored bills
Existing law requires a corporation, limited liability company, or common interest development, among others, to file a statement of information with the Secretary of State, providing specified information about the entity. Existing law regulates the terms and conditions of employment, including the payment of wages. Existing law generally prohibits an employer from paying any of its employees at rates less than the rates paid to employees of the opposite sex for substantially similar work, as specified. This bill would require, on and after July 1, 2019, and biennially thereafter, that an employer that is required to file a statement of information with the Secretary of State and that has 500 or more employees in California to collect specified information on gender wage differentials. The bill would require the employer to submit the information to the Secretary of State as specified, by July 1, 2020, and biennially thereafter. The bill would require the Secretary of State to publish the information described above on an Internet Web site available to the public upon receiving necessary funding and establishing adequate mechanisms and procedures.
This measure would recognize August 6, 2017, as the 52nd anniversary of the signing of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.
This measure would proclaim the period of October 23, 2017, to October 31, 2017, inclusive, as Red Ribbon Week and would encourage all Californians to help build drug-free communities and to participate in drug prevention activities.
Existing law requires, as a condition of receipt of funds to reimburse a school for free and reduced-price meals sold or served to pupils, a school or school district to comply with specified requirements and prohibitions, including not selling or serving a food item that contains artificial trans fat. Existing law provides that the only competitive snack foods that may be sold to pupils are fruit, vegetable, dairy, protein, or whole grain-rich food items, in an elementary, middle, or high school, as provided, and imposes other nutritional standards on competitive foods, snacks, and beverages that may be sold to pupils in an elementary, middle, or high school. This bill would prohibit, except as provided, a school, school district, or charter school from advertising food or beverages during the schoolday, as provided, and from participating in a corporate incentive program that rewards pupils with free or discounted foods or beverages that do not comply with those nutritional standards when the pupils reach certain academic goals. The bill would provide that it is the intent of the Legislature that the governing board or body of a school district and a charter school annually review their compliance with these provisions.
Existing law, the California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, establishes the California Workforce Development Board as the body responsible for assisting the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California's workforce investment system and the alignment of the education and workforce investment systems to the needs of the 21st century economy and workforce. That act requires the establishment of a local workforce development board in each local workforce development area of the state to, among other things, carry out analyses of the economic conditions in the local region. This bill would enact the Removing Barriers to Employment Act, which would establish the Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative administered by the California Workforce Development Board. The bill would specify that the purpose of the initiative is to create a grant program to provide individuals with barriers to employment the services they need to enter, participate in, and complete broader workforce preparation, training, and education programs aligned with regional labor market needs. The bill would specify that people completing these programs should have the skills and competencies to successfully enter the labor market, retain employment, and earn wages that lead to self-sufficiency and economic security. The bill would require the board to develop criteria for the selection of grant recipients, as specified. The bill also would specify the criteria by which grants are required to be evaluated, the populations that are eligible to be served by grants, and the activities eligible for grant funding. The bill would make the funding of the initiative subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for that purpose and would make implementation of the initiative contingent on the board notifying the Department of Finance that sufficient moneys have been appropriated. The bill would create the Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative Fund, as specified, in the State Treasury for the purpose of carrying out its provisions.
Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) , prohibits an employer from engaging in various defined forms of discriminatory employment practices. Existing law prohibits an employer, whether a public agency or private individual or corporation, from asking an applicant for employment to disclose, or from utilizing as a factor in determining any condition of employment, information concerning an arrest or detention that did not result in a conviction, or information concerning a referral or participation in, any pretrial or posttrial diversion program, except as specified. Existing law also prohibits a state or local agency from asking an applicant for employment to disclose information regarding a criminal conviction, except as specified, until the agency has determined the applicant meets the minimum employment qualifications for the position. This bill would repeal the prohibition on a state or local agency from asking an applicant for employment to disclose information regarding a criminal conviction, as described above. The bill would, instead, provide it is an unlawful employment practice under FEHA for an employer with 5 or more employees to include on any application for employment any question that seeks the disclosure of an applicant's conviction history, to inquire into or consider the conviction history of an applicant until that applicant has received a conditional offer, and, when conducting a conviction history background check, to consider, distribute, or disseminate information related to specified prior arrests, diversions, and convictions. This bill would also require an employer who intends to deny an applicant a position of employment solely or in part because of the applicant's conviction history to make an individualized assessment of whether the applicant's conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and to consider certain topics when making that assessment. The bill would require an employer who makes a preliminary decision to deny employment based on that individualized assessment to provide the applicant written notification of the decision. The bill would require the notification to contain specified information. The bill would grant an applicant 5 business days to respond to that notification before the employer may make a final decision. If the applicant notifies the employer in writing that he or she disputes the accuracy of the conviction history and is obtaining evidence to support that assertion, the bill would grant the applicant an additional 5 business days to respond to the notice. The bill would require an employer to consider information submitted by the applicant before making a final decision. The bill would require an employer who has made a final decision to deny employment to the applicant to notify the applicant in writing of specified topics. The bill would exempt specified positions of employment from the provisions of the bill.
Existing law provides that a person is entitled to register to vote if he or she is a United States citizen, a resident of California, not imprisoned or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election. Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and county probation departments to either establish and maintain on its Internet Web site a hyperlink to the Internet Web site at which the Secretary of State's voting rights guide for incarcerated persons may be found or post a notice that contains that Internet Web site address. This bill would instead require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and county probation departments to both establish and maintain on its Internet Web site a hyperlink to the Internet Web site at which information provided by the Secretary of State regarding voting rights for persons with a criminal history may be found and to post a notice that contains that Internet Web site address. The bill would also require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and county probation departments to provide certain voting rights information to persons under their jurisdiction upon the request of such a person. By imposing new duties on county probation departments, 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.
Existing law authorizes the amendment of a county charter by proposals submitted by the governing body or by a petition signed by 10% of the qualified electors of the county, as specified. Existing law also provides that a candidate for a nonpartisan office at a primary election who receives votes on a majority of all the ballots cast for candidates for that office shall be elected to that office. This bill would, notwithstanding any other law, authorize the amendment of the charter of the County of San Diego by proposals submitted to the county electors by the board of supervisors or by a petition signed by 10% of the qualified electors in the county to require that candidates for specified county offices be elected at the general election. Only the candidates who receive the highest or second highest number of votes cast at the primary election would appear on the ballot as candidates for that office at the ensuing general election. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of San Diego.
The Child Care and Development Services Act, administered by the State Department of Education, provides that children from infancy to 13 years of age are eligible for federal and state subsidized child development services if their families meet at least one requirement in each of certain areas. The act requires the department to contract with local contracting agencies to provide for alternative payment programs, and authorizes alternative payment programs for services provided in licensed centers and family day care homes and for other types of programs that conform to applicable law. The act requires the department to expand existing alternative payment programs and fund new alternative payment programs to the extent that funds are provided by the Legislature. This bill would require an alternative payment program, with certain exceptions, to have no less than 36 months to expend funds allocated to that program in any fiscal year, and would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop a process that provides alternative payment programs no less than 36 months to expend funds allocated to that program in any fiscal year.