Existing law requires each school district that has one or more pupils who are English learners, and, to the extent required by federal law, each county office of education and each charter school, to assess the English language development of each pupil in order to determine the pupil's level of proficiency, as specified, and requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to review existing assessments that assess the English language development of pupils whose primary language is a language other than English. This bill, commencing with the 2019–20 school year, would prohibit a middle school or high school pupil, as defined, who is classified as an English learner, except as specified, from being denied participation in a school's standard instructional program, as defined, by being denied enrollment in specified courses, including, among others, courses required for graduation and college admission. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, 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.
Sponsored bills
This measure would declare August 7, 2018, as Purple Heart Day in California.
This measure proclaims the month of October 2018 as Republic of Vietnam Month, in commemoration of the 62nd anniversary of the adoption of the first Constitution of the Republic of Vietnam, in honor of the lives lost for freedom and democracy during the Vietnam War, and in recognition of the positive contributions of Vietnamese Americans to the State of California.
This measure would urge the President, the Vice President, and Congress to call on the Vietnamese government to immediately release all people imprisoned for exercising their right to speech or for joining political or religious groups disapproved by the government. The measure would also express the Legislature's solidarity with the people of Vietnam who have brought issues of human rights violations, environmental abuses, and censorship of the media to light.
Existing law designates particular days each year as having special significance and encourages all public schools and educational institutions to observe those days and to conduct suitable commemorative exercises on those days. Existing law also requires the Governor to proclaim certain days each year for specified reasons. This bill would require the Governor to annually proclaim a specified date as the Lunar New Year, would designate and set this date apart each year as a day having special significance, and would encourage all public schools and educational institutions to, on Lunar New Year, conduct exercises recognizing the traditions and cultural significance of the Lunar New Year, among other things.
This measure would urge all citizens to congratulate the California Manufacturers & Technology Association on 100 years of exemplary representation of manufacturing and technology companies throughout the state and to embrace California's rich manufacturing history and future excellence.
Existing law provides that in specified civil actions brought by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, senior citizens or disabled persons, as defined, the trier of fact must consider certain factors in determining the fine or penalty to be imposed. If the trier of fact makes an affirmative finding of any of these factors, existing law permits the imposition of a fine or penalty up to 3 times greater than authorized by statute, or, if the statute does not authorize a specific amount, up to 3 times greater than the amount the trier of fact would have imposed in the absence of that affirmative finding. This bill would add similar provisions applicable to civil actions brought by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, a minor or nonminor dependent, as defined, who is a victim of commercial sexual exploitation, as defined, against the person who committed the act and who is over 18 years of age, permitting imposition of a fine or penalty, payable to the victim, of up to 3 times greater than authorized by statute if specified findings are made by the trier of fact. The bill would also authorize a court, if no civil penalty is authorized by statute, to award a civil penalty not exceeding $50,000, and not less than $10,000, for each act of commercial sexual exploitation committed by the defendant upon making a specified affirmative finding, as specified.
Existing law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , administered in California as CalFresh, under which each county distributes nutrition assistance benefits provided by the federal government to eligible households. Existing state law authorizes a county to deliver CalFresh benefits through the use of an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) acceptance system. Existing law, until January 1, 2022, encourages the Regents of the University of California, requires the Trustees of the California State University, and authorizes the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, to designate as a "hunger-free campus" each of the institutions' respective campuses that meet specified criteria, including having a campus employee designated to help ensure that students have the information they need to enroll in CalFresh. This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, the State Department of Public Health, the State Department of Education, and the Department of Food and Agriculture, to develop a plan to end hunger. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services to serve as the lead agency for the development of the plan. The bill would require the plan to be distributed to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2020, and would establish criteria for the plan, including that the plan establish a budget of $11,500,000, contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or other measure, for the Department of Food and Agriculture to support local food hub efforts. The bill would also require the plan to request the Regents of the University of California, and direct the Trustees of the California State University and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, to develop systems that allow EBT cards to be used on their respective campuses, and present a report to the Assembly Select Committee on Campus Climate on the progress that has been made, by July 1, 2019.
Existing law provides for the establishment and operation of veterans' homes at various sites, and provides for an administrator of each home, as specified. Existing law establishes the duties of the Department of Veterans Affairs with regard to the establishment and regulation of veterans' homes. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a survey to assess the ability of veterans' homes to assist veterans with complex mental and behavioral health needs, and develop a plan to accommodate that population, as prescribed. The bill would require the department to submit the plan and any recommendations for future legislation necessary to achieve its objectives to specified committees of the Legislature by January 1, 2020, and to begin adopting the recommendations by appropriate means, by July 1, 2020.