After School Education and Safety Program: funding: authorized purposes.

The After School Education and Safety Program Act of 2002, an initiative statute approved by the voters as Proposition 49 at the November 5, 2002, statewide general election, establishes the After School Education and Safety Program under which participating public schools receive grants to operate before and after school programs serving pupils in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 9, inclusive. The act provides that each school establishing a program pursuant to the act is eligible to receive a renewable 3-year grant for before or after school programs, as provided, and a grant for operating a program beyond 180 regular schooldays or during summer, weekend, intersession, or vacation periods, as provided. The act specifies maximum grant amounts and daily per-pupil funding rates for determining a school's total annual grant amount. The act requires an amount not to exceed $550,000,000 to be continuously appropriated to the State Department of Education from the General Fund in each fiscal year for purposes of the program. This bill would authorize any funds remaining after awarding the above-described grants to be distributed to programs established pursuant to the act in areas that have been affected by natural disasters. Because the bill would make money that is continuously appropriated available for this new purpose, the bill would make an appropriation. The act authorizes the Legislature to amend the provisions of the act relating to funding priorities by a 23 vote of each house to further the purposes of the act. This bill would set forth a legislative finding and declaration that this bill furthers the purposes of that act.