Under existing law, various higher education facilities bond acts authorize the sale of bonds for the purpose of funding the construction of facilities for the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, the Hastings College of the Law, and the California Maritime Academy. This bill would enact the Higher Education Facilities Bond Act of 2010, to become operative only if approved by the voters at the November 2, 2010, statewide general election, and would provide for its submission to the voters at that election. The bond act, if approved by the voters, would provide for the issuance of state general obligation bonds in a total amount of $8,630,000,000, to provide aid to the California Community Colleges, the University of California, the Hastings College of the Law, and the California State University to construct and modernize education facilities.
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Existing law establishes that the sheriff may discharge any prisoner from the county jail at such time on the last day a prisoner may be confined as the sheriff considers to be in the best interests of the prisoner. Existing law allows for the accelerated release of inmates, as specified, upon the authorization of the superior court. This bill would provide that the sheriff shall discharge a prisoner upon the completion of his or her sentence between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., with certain exceptions. The bill would specify that it shall not be construed to allow jails to retain a prisoner any longer than otherwise required or to prevent the early release of prisoners, as specified. Because this bill would require that prisoners be released from jail during a specific time, it would create 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 these statutory provisions.
Existing law states the policy of the state that all youth confined in a facility of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Justice have the right to maintain frequent and continuing contact with parents, guardians, siblings, children, and extended family members through visits, telephone calls, and mail. This bill would expand this right to include contact with the other parent of a child, and the child's caregiver, social worker, teacher, physician, and other service providers involved in the upbringing and caregiving of the child. The bill also would require local juvenile detention facilities to consider the well-being of the children of parents who are in the custody of those facilities, and for visitation policies to provide opportunities for meaningful contact between incarcerated parents and children. The bill would provide that a juvenile who is a parent, who is involved in caring for his or her child, and who is authorized for telephone communication, shall be permitted to place telephone calls to his or her child, and to the child's other parent, caregiver, social worker, teacher, physician, other service providers for the child, and any other individuals who are involved in the upbringing and caregiving of the child, within the restriction policy for telephone use at the local juvenile detention facility. By imposing new and additional duties on local juvenile detention facilities, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. Existing law provides that a ward confined in a facility of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Facilities, is encouraged to communicate with family members, clergy, and others, and to participate in programs that will facilitate his or her education, rehabilitation, and accountability to victims, and that may help the ward become a law-abiding and productive member of society. This bill would, if the ward has a child and except as specified, authorize the ward to communicate, both over the telephone and in writing, with specified persons, including the ward's child, in order to aid in the attachment and involvement of the ward in his or her child's life, to increase the ward's ability to parent the child, and to reduce the detrimental impact on the ward's child as a result of having an incarcerated parent. 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 these statutory provisions.
 Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and private, independent institutions of higher education as the 4 segments of postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes a higher education accountability program under which the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges are required to prepare a list of reports on a regular basis to the Legislature and to state agencies. Under the program, the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) is required to submit an annual higher education report to the Legislature and the Governor that provides information on significant indicators of the performance of public colleges and universities. This bill would repeal the existing higher education accountability program and require the state to establish a new accountability framework to achieve prescribed educational and economic goals. The bill would set forth educational and economic goals and would require the CPEC, by January 30, 2010, to convene a working group to develop a prescribed set of performance outcomes to measure progress toward meeting those educational and economic goals. The bill would require the working group to publish those performance outcomes by January 30, 2011. The bill also would express legislative intent with respect to conditioning receipt of enrollment growth funding upon achievement of those performance outcomes by the 3 segments of public postsecondary education.
Existing law, the Leroy Greene California Assessment of Academic Achievement Act, requires each school district, charter school, and county office of education to administer to each of its pupils in grades 2 to 11, inclusive, certain achievement tests. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2010, exclude pupils in grade 2 from the standards-based achievement test requirement and make conforming changes.
The Donahoe Higher Education Act authorizes the activities of the 4 segments of the higher education system in the state, including the 3 public segments, which are: the University of California, which is administered by the Regents of the University of California; the California State University, which is administered by the Trustees of the California State University; and the California Community Colleges, which is administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Provisions of the Donahoe Higher Education Act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the regents act, by resolution, to make them applicable. Existing law urges textbook publishers to take specified actions aimed at reducing the amounts that postsecondary education students currently pay for textbooks. Existing law requires the Trustees of the California State University and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and requests the Regents of the University of California, to work with the academic senates of each respective segment to encourage faculty to give consideration to the least costly practices in assigning textbooks, to encourage faculty to disclose to students how new editions of textbooks are different from previous editions and the cost to students for textbooks selected, to review procedures for faculty to inform college and university bookstores of textbook selections, and to encourage faculty to work closely with publishers and college and university bookstores in creating bundles and packages that are economically sound and deliver cost savings to students. Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature to encourage private colleges and universities to work with their respective academic senates and to encourage faculty to consider practices in selecting textbooks that will result in the lowest costs to students. This bill would require a faculty member at the California Community Colleges or the California State University who adopts a new edition of a textbook within 3 years after the adoption of a previous edition of the textbook, to prepare a justification for the adoption of the new edition of the textbook. The bill would require a faculty member to submit the justification to specified entities within the institution of higher education. The bill would request the University of California to adopt regulations for the implementation of these requirements. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2016.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income persons receive health care benefits. Existing law requires the department, if, and to the extent that, all necessary federal approvals are obtained for federal financial participation, to implement a federal option to extend Medi-Cal benefits to independent foster care adolescents, as defined in federal law. This bill would specify that, if the department has exercised this option, commencing April 1, 2010, specified independent foster care adolescents would be deemed eligible for the benefits and would be automatically enrolled without requiring a new application and without an interruption in coverage. This bill would require the department to develop and implement a simplified form for the annual redetermination of benefits. An independent foster care adolescent would only be required to fill out and return the form if previously provided information was no longer accurate. This bill would specify that the bill would be implemented only if, and to the extent that, federal financial participation is available and any necessary federal approvals are obtained. This bill would also prescribe a process for terminating the eligibility of an independent foster care adolescent.
Existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, requires the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers for the provision of various services and supports to persons with developmental disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) . Existing law, the California Early Start Intervention Services Act, commonly known as the Early Start program, provides various early intervention services for infants and toddlers who have disabilities or who are at risk of having disabilities to enhance their development and to minimize the potential for developmental delays. This bill would require the State Department of Developmental Services to partner with at least one regional center to implement a 2-year Autism Spectrum Disorders Early Screening, Intervention, and Treatment Pilot Program in at least 3 key geographic areas. The pilot program would establish best practices for early screening, diagnosis, referral, and treatment for children with ASD. The bill would require the department, no later than July 1, 2012, to report to the Legislature and the Governor on the pilot program. The bill would prohibit state general funds from being used to prepare the report and to fund the pilot program in any fiscal year of the pilot program's operation. The department would be required to seek federal funding for the pilot program.
Existing law makes each school district and county office of education responsible for the overall development of all comprehensive school safety plans for its schools operating kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires that a comprehensive school safety plan include specified elements, including, but not limited to, development of procedures for safe ingress and egress of pupils, parents, and school employees to and from school. This bill would authorize the governing board of any school district to establish and maintain a walking schoolbus, defined as a group of pupils walking to or from school with one or more supervising adults, for the purpose of ensuring the safe passage of pupils to and from school.
Existing law establishes the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training within the Department of Justice. Under existing law, the commission is required to develop and implement training programs for peace officers relative to certain areas of criminal law or procedure. This bill would require the commission to create and make available to all law enforcement agencies training content on how to recognize and interact with persons carrying a kirpan, as specified. The bill would require that the training content include instruction on how arrests of Sikhs carrying a kirpan have historically been treated and the alternatives to those arrests and detentions that have successfully been used. This bill would define a kirpan as a blade that resembles a sword and is required to be carried as an integral part of the practice of the Sikh faith.