Rep. Lorena Gonzalez

This measure would urge the United States Congress and the President of the United States to permit states to extend burial and memorial benefits in state veterans cemeteries to Republic of Korea veterans and Republic of Vietnam veterans who served in the Vietnam War and who subsequently became United States citizens. The measure would urge the United States Congress and the President of the United States to extend the same benefits in national cemeteries.

Existing law prescribes various conditions and limitations on enrollment in educational institutions, including, in some cases, on the provisions in enrollment agreements. This bill would authorize a minor to disaffirm a provision in an educational institution's enrollment agreement that purports to waive a legal right, remedy, forum, proceeding, or procedure, regardless of whether a parent or legal guardian has signed the enrollment agreement on the minor's behalf, to the extent that the provision is construed to require the minor to waive a legal right, remedy, forum, proceeding, or procedure arising out of a criminal sexual assault or criminal sexual battery, as defined, on that minor. The bill would apply only to enrollment agreements for public or private schools maintaining a kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12.

This measure would, on June 23, 2021, commemorate the 49th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX, and would urge Californians to continue to work together to achieve the goals set by Title IX, as specified.

This measure would designate the month of June 2021 as Healthy Homes Awareness Month.

(1) Existing law requires a certificated employee of a school district or a county superintendent of schools with an average daily attendance of 250 pupils or more, who completes 2 consecutive school years and is reelected for the next succeeding school year to a position requiring certification, to become and be classified as a permanent employee of the school district or county superintendent of schools. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district having an average daily attendance of less than 250 pupils to classify as a permanent employee of the district any employee who, after having been employed by the school district for 3 complete consecutive school years in a position or positions requiring certification qualifications, is reelected for the next succeeding school year to a position requiring certification qualifications. If that classification is not made, existing law prohibits the employee from attaining permanent status and authorizes the employee to be reelected from year to year thereafter without becoming a permanent employee until a change in classification is made. This bill would require a certificated employee of a school district or a county superintendent of schools, regardless of the average daily attendance of the school district or county superintendent of schools, who completes 2 consecutive school years and is so reelected to become and be classified as a permanent employee. (2) Existing law requires a probationary employee who, in any one school year, has served for at least 75% of the number of days the regular schools of the school district in which the employee is employed are maintained to be deemed to have served a complete school year. Existing law also requires a probationary employee of an evening school who, in any one school year, has served for at least 75% of the number of days the evening schools of the school district in which the employee is employed are in session to be deemed to have served a complete school year. This bill would require a probationary employee employed in an assignment that is less than full time and who, in any one school year, has served for at least 75% of the number of days required of the assignment in which the employee is employed to be deemed to have served a complete school year. The bill also would require a probationary employee of an adult education program to be deemed to have served a complete school year if the employee serves for at least 75% of the hours constituting a full-time equivalent position for adult education programs in the school district. The bill would specify that, to the extent the provisions of the bill conflict with any provision of a collective bargaining agreement entered into before January 1, 2022, by a public school employer and an exclusive bargaining representative, the provisions of the bill would not apply to the school district until the expiration or renewal of that collective bargaining agreement. (3) Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to employ certificated employees in programs and projects to perform services conducted under contract with public or private agencies, or categorically funded projects that are not required by federal or state law. Existing law prohibits service pursuant to that authorization from being included in computing the service required as a prerequisite to attainment of, or eligibility to, classification as a permanent employee unless the person served at least 75% of the number of days the regular schools of the school district are maintained, and the person is subsequently employed as a probationary employee in a position requiring certification qualifications. This bill would specify that these provisions do not apply to a teacher of classes for adults. (4) Existing law authorizes the establishment of regional occupational centers or programs to provide career technical education and technical training to pupils. Existing law requires instruction in those centers or programs to only be given by a qualified teacher holding a certificate, as provided, but prohibits service by a person as an instructor in classes conducted at regional occupational centers or programs from being included in computing the service required as a prerequisite to attainment of, or eligibility to, classification as a permanent employee of a school district. This bill would repeal that prohibition on the service by a person as an instructor in classes conducted at regional occupational centers or programs from being included in computing the service required as a prerequisite to attainment of, or eligibility to, classification as a permanent employee of a school district. (5) Existing law authorizes the dismissal of first- and 2nd-year probationary employees of a school district during the school year for unsatisfactory performance or for cause, pursuant to specified procedures. Existing law specifies that those provisions do not apply to probationary employees in a school district having an average daily attendance of less than 250 pupils. Existing law prohibits the governing board of a school district with an average daily attendance of less than 250 pupils from dismissing probationary employees during the school year, except for cause, pursuant to separate procedures. However, existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district having an average daily attendance of less than 250 pupils to elect to dismiss probationary employees pursuant to the procedures applicable to probationary employees of a school district having an average daily attendance of 250 or more pupils. This bill would delete the procedures specific to probationary employees of a school district with an average daily attendance of less than 250 pupils, thereby subjecting all probationary employees, regardless of the average daily attendance of the school district, to the same dismissal procedures. The bill would also delete obsolete references, update references, and make conforming and nonsubstantive changes.

Existing law requires every public agency, as defined, that conducts an establishment serving the public or open to the public and that maintains restroom facilities for the public, to make every water closet available without cost or charge, as provided. Existing law also requires publicly and privately owned facilities where the public congregates to be equipped with sufficient temporary or permanent restrooms to meet the needs of the public at peak hours. This bill would require each local government, as defined, to complete an inventory of public restrooms owned and maintained by the local government, either directly or by contract, that are available to the general population in its jurisdiction. The bill would require local governments to report their findings to the State Department of Public Health, which would be required to compile the information in a report to the Legislature, as provided. The bill would require each local government to make its inventory available to agencies and service providers that work directly with homeless populations within the local government's jurisdiction and, with certain exceptions, to make the inventory available on its internet website, as specified. The bill would be repealed by its own provisions on January 1, 2024. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. By imposing additional duties on local governments, this 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 requires the State Department of Social Services, after setting aside state administrative funds, to allocate federal funds for refugee social services programs to eligible counties and, in certain circumstances, to nonprofit organizations. Existing law requires a county administering refugee social services to designate an agency that is responsible for developing and implementing a plan for the refugee social services. Existing law requires the plan to provide services to refugees that lead to their successful self-sufficiency and social integration. This bill would establish the Enhanced Services Program for Asylees to provide resettlement services for persons granted political asylum to live in the state by the United States Attorney General. The bill would authorize an agency that has been designated by a county to implement social services for refugees, as described above, to provide social services for persons granted asylum. The bill would require the program to provide culturally specific and responsive case management services, as specified, for persons newly granted asylum for up to 90 days. The bill would require the program to aim to have similar reintegration success rates for persons granted asylum as for refugees receiving social services. The bill would require an agency providing services under the program to notify the department each time a person applies for services and would require the department to provide funding to the agency for services for that person at the time the person is admitted to the program. Under the bill, the program would be implemented only to the extent that funds are appropriated for the program in the Budget Act of 2021.