Voter education: high school pupils.

(1) Existing law requires the last 2 full weeks in April and in September to be known as "high school voter education weeks," during which time persons authorized by the county elections official are allowed to register to vote pupils and school personnel on high school campuses. This bill would instead make January and September "high school voter education months." (2) Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission to ensure voter education information is included in the American government and civics curriculum at the high school level, as specified. This bill would require the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to develop educational programming to provide designated voter education information to pupils in grade 12 in high schools maintained by a school district, county office of education, or charter school. The bill would require county elections officials to customize the educational programming to include information specific to that county's election system. The bill would require a school district, county office of education, or charter school to implement the educational programming during a presentation or assembly at the high school campus. The bill would require a school district, county office of education, or charter school to offer pupils the opportunity to register or preregister to vote during the presentation or assembly at the high school campus. The bill would specify methods through which the registration or preregistration could be accomplished. To the extent the bill would create new duties for county elections officials, school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (3) 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.