Existing law, the Leroy Greene California Assessment of Academic Achievement Act (Greene 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, commencing July 1, 2012, would exclude pupils in grade 2 from the standards-based achievement test requirement and make conforming changes. The bill would require the State Department of Education by November 1, 2012, to identify and make available to school districts information regarding existing assessments in language arts and mathematics for pupils in grade 2 for diagnostic use by classroom teachers. The bill would require these provisions to be implemented from the savings realized from the elimination of the grade 2 standards-based achievement testing. The bill would define, for purposes of the Greene Act, formative assessment, high-quality assessment, and interim assessment.
Existing law authorizes a state body to conduct teleconference meetings. This bill would authorize a state body, to the extent practicable, to conduct teleconference meetings. This bill would require, upon the request of a member of a state body, a state body to hold an open or closed meeting by teleconference, unless the chair of that state body determines that it would be more costly to hold the meeting by teleconference than it would be to hold it in person. This bill would prohibit a member of a state body from requesting a meeting by teleconference solely because it would be more convenient than holding a meeting in person. This bill would require a state body that operates an Internet Web site to provide a supplemental live audio or video broadcast on the Internet Web site of its board meetings that are open to the public, and would specify that a technical failure to provide a live broadcast would not prohibit the body from meeting and taking actions.
(1) Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to allow pupils whom the district has determined would benefit from advanced scholastic or vocational work to attend community college as special part-time students, subject to parental permission. Existing law makes the authority of a school principal to recommend a pupil for community college summer session contingent upon a determination that the pupil meets various criteria and prohibits the principal from recommending more than 5% of the total number of pupils from any particular grade level who completed that grade immediately prior to the time of recommendation for summer session attendance, except as specified. This bill would authorize the governing board of a school district to authorize a pupil, upon the recommendation from a community college dean of a career technical education department or other appropriate community college career technical education administrator, and with parental consent, to attend a community college during any session or term as a special part-time or full-time student and to undertake one or more courses of career technical education offered at the community college. The bill also would authorize the governing board of a community college district to enter into a formal partnership with a school district or school districts located within its immediate service area to allow secondary school pupils to attend a community college if those pupils have exhausted all opportunities to enroll in an equivalent course at the high school of attendance, adult education program, continuation school, regional occupational center or program, or any other programs offered by the governing board of the school district, and if those pupils may benefit from advanced scholastic, career-technical, or vocational courses, courses in basic skills remediation, preparation for the high school exit examination, or English as a 2nd language, and courses designed to prevent pupils from dropping out of high school. The bill would require the partnership agreement to outline the terms of the partnership, as specified. The bill would require a community college district and a school district, as a condition of and before adopting a partnership agreement, to take testimony from the public and approve or disapprove the proposed partnership agreement at a regularly scheduled open public hearing of their respective governing boards. The bill would require, for each partnership entered into under the bill, the affected community college district and school district to file an annual report, containing specified data, with the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. (2) Existing law requires the governing board of a community college district to assign a low enrollment priority to a pupil attending community college pursuant to a recommendation from his or her principal or school district or a petition from his or her parents, in order to ensure that these pupils, admitted as special students, do not displace regularly admitted students. This bill would authorize the governing board of a community college district to assign an enrollment priority to students attending community college pursuant to a partnership agreement established under the bill. The bill would prohibit a community college district from receiving an allowance or apportionment for an instructional activity for which a school district has been, or will be, paid.
Under existing law, the governing board of a school district may require each prospective bidder for specified contracts to submit a standardized questionnaire and financial statement, including information relating to financial ability and experience in performing public works, which is required to be verified under oath. Existing law further requires a school district requiring the above information to adopt and apply a uniform system of rating bidders on the basis of the completed questionnaires and financial statements, as specified. This bill, until January 1, 2018, would require the questionnaire and uniform system of rating bidders described above to cover, at a minimum, the issues covered by the standardized questionnaire and model guidelines for rating bidders developed by the Department of Industrial Relations, as specified. This bill would provide that the questionnaire and uniform system of rating bidders described above shall not preclude the governing board of the district from prequalifying or disqualifying a subcontractor. This bill would provide that these provisions shall not apply to school districts with an average daily attendance of less than 2,500. This bill, until January 1, 2018, would also require the governing board of the district, except for school districts with an average daily attendance of less than 2,500, for certain public projects, if the governing board of the district chooses not to follow the uniform system of rating bidders described above, to use other procedures, which require a standardized questionnaire and financial statement to be verified under oath, for bidding applicable to public entities, as prescribed. The bill would also require the Director of Industrial Relations, on or before January 1, 2017, to submit a report to the Legislature evaluating whether labor violations have decreased, as specified, and to recommend improvements to the system for prequalifying contractors and subcontractors on school district projects. By expanding the scope of an existing crime and by imposing new duties on local officials, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law prescribes procedures for the issuance of registered warrants and provides that a registered warrant is acceptable and may be used as security for the performance of any public or private trust or obligation. This bill would require a state agency to accept, from any person or entity, a registered warrant issued by the Controller that is endorsed by that payee, at full face value, for the payment of any obligations owed by that payee to that state agency. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law makes unlawful certain acts identified as unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices undertaken by any person in a transaction intended to result or which results in the sale or lease of goods to any consumer. This bill would add to that list of acts an act representing a product as made in California, by using a specified Made in California label, unless the product complies with standards adopted by the Governor's Office of Economic Development, to the extent those standards are adopted. The bill would establish the Made in California Program within the office, as provided, and would create the Made in California Fund as a special fund in the State Treasury, which upon an appropriation of those funds by the Legislature, would be available for that purpose. The bill would require the office to report to the Legislature on January 1, 2013, and annually thereafter, regarding expenditures and progress of the program. This bill would make technical changes to conform to existing law.
Read. Amended. Adopted. (Page 2578.).
Existing law regulates various aspects of the provision of food and beverages in vending machines, including requiring a vendor that operates or maintains a vending machine on designated state property to offer food and beverages in the vending machine that meet accepted nutritional guidelines, as defined, in accordance with certain percentages. Existing law governing contracting between state agencies and private contractors sets forth requirements for the procurement of supplies, materials, equipment, and services by state agencies and sets forth the various responsibilities of the Department of General Services and other state agencies in overseeing and implementing state contracting procedures and policies. This bill would require, beginning January 1, 2014, at least 50% of food and beverages offered by a vendor in a vending machine on state property, as defined, to meet accepted nutritional guidelines. The bill also would revise the definition of accepted nutritional guidelines for this purpose. This bill would additionally require, beginning January 1, 2014, or upon expiration of an existing contract, whichever occurs later, any food sold in a state-owned or state-leased building to meet the standard criteria for food and nutrition guidelines for concessions as determined under the federal Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations. This bill would also require the Department of General Services, when approving contracts for the purchase of food sold in any state-owned or state-leased building, to give preference to, and not include disincentives for, food which meets certain criteria, as specified, and would require the Department of General Services to provide state agencies with the federal Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations. The bill would make related legislative findings regarding its purpose.
Existing law, enacted as part of the Marine Life Management Act of 1998, generally establishes a comprehensive plan for the management of marine life resources. Existing law requires the Department of Fish and Game to develop, and submit to the Fish and Game Commission for its approval, a fishery management master plan, and provides for the preparation and approval of fishery management plans, which form the primary basis for managing California's sport and commercial marine fisheries. This bill would state that it is the policy objective of the state to ensure the conservation, sustainable use, and, where applicable, restoration of California's forage species populations, including their habitats and associated water quality, for the benefit of all citizens of the state, and achieve ecosystem-based management of marine forage species that recognizes, prioritizes, accounts for, and incorporates the ecological services rendered by forage species, including the dependence of predator species on those forage species. The bill would define "forage species" and "ecosystem-based management" for those purposes. The bill would require new fishery management plans and amendments to existing fishery management plans for forage species completed after January 1, 2012, to be consistent with that policy, to the extent that scientific data is readily available for that purpose.
Existing law, the Leroy Greene California Assessment of Academic Achievement Act (hereafter the Greene Act) , requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to design and implement a statewide pupil assessment program and requires school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education to administer to each of its pupils in grades 2 to 11, inclusive, certain achievement tests, including a standards-based achievement test pursuant to the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program. Existing law authorizes a school district, at its option, to administer to pupils with limited English proficiency who are enrolled in any of grades 2 to 11, inclusive, a second achievement test in their primary language. This bill would authorize the State Department of Education to make these primary language assessments available to school districts and charter schools to assess their nonlimited-English-proficient and redesignated fluent-English-proficient pupils who are enrolled in a dual language immersion program and would require a school district or charter school that chooses to administer a primary language assessment pursuant to this authority to do so at its own expense and to enter into an agreement for that purpose with the state testing contractor, subject to the approval of the department. The bill would state legislative findings and declarations regarding primary language assessments.
Existing law creates the High-Speed Rail Authority in state government with specified powers and duties relative to development and implementation of a high-speed train system. The authority is composed of 9 members, including 5 members appointed by the Governor. Existing law creates the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, which consists of various state agencies, including the Department of Transportation. This bill would place the High-Speed Rail Authority within the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. The bill would provide for the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing to serve on the authority as a nonvoting, ex officio member. The bill would require the secretary to propose an annual budget for the authority upon consultation with the authority. The bill would require the members of the authority appointed by the Governor to be appointed with the advice and consent of the Senate. The bill would provide for the members that are appointed to have specified background or experience, as specified. Existing law provides that the terms of authority members expire every 4 years on December 31. This bill would vacate the membership of the authority and provide for the appointment or reappointment of members as of January 1, 2012, for staggered terms, as specified. This bill would thereafter provide that the terms expire every 4 years on December 31. Existing law provides for the authority to appoint an executive director to serve at the pleasure of the authority and who is exempt from civil service. This bill would provide that the executive director is subject to appointment with the advice and consent of the Senate. The bill would provide that an employment agreement for the executive director shall be agreed to but not executed until Senate confirmation. This bill would enact various conflict-of-interest provisions applicable to members of the authority and its staff, as specified, and would prohibit a person from serving on the authority in certain circumstances. This bill would enact other related provisions.
Existing law provides for various community development programs in the state. Executive Order S-05-10 created the Office of Economic Development in the Governor's office, for the purpose of coordinating economic development activities in the state. This bill would establish the California Promise Neighborhoods Initiative in the Office of Economic Development. It would require the office to establish 40 promise neighborhoods throughout the state, according to specified criteria, to maximize collective efforts within a community to improve the health, safety, education, and economic development of each neighborhood. It would require the office to use existing state resources and federal funds to implement these provisions, and authorize the office to accept financial support from other public or private sources for these purposes. It would require cities, counties, and school districts electing to participate in the initiative to provide the office with specified information. This bill would direct the Office of Economic Development to work with the California Health and Human Services Agency and counties to establish participation goals for specified programs, and it would also direct the office to explore methods for increasing participation rates. The bill would give cities, counties, schools, and school districts located in a promise neighborhood priority consideration for certain programs, grants, and funding.
