Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to adopt a policy on parent involvement and to establish a parent involvement program for each school in the district that receives specified federal funds. The program is required to contain, among other things, regular periodic programs throughout the school year that provide for training, instruction, and information for parents on ways to support and enhance the learning of their children. Existing law authorizes a school district, to the extent permitted by federal law, to contract with nonprofit organizations and agencies experienced in administering parent involvement programs to design or implement, or both, the parent involvement program of a school. This bill would encourage school districts to review and, if appropriate, contract with nonprofit community-based organizations that have a proven track record and can demonstrate their success in educating parents and building direct collaboration with school districts, administrators, and educators. A nonprofit community-based organization that contracts with a school district would be required to demonstrate and provide a culturally and linguistically competent parent involvement program using best practices that address the diversity of the school district. A low-performing school district would be encouraged to submit an annual report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction that demonstrates its efforts to promote parent engagement and the outcomes that result from contracting with the nonprofit community-based organization.
Sponsored bills
Existing law, subject to exceptions, provides that any person who reasonably believes that he or she has observed the commission of a murder, rape, or lewd and lascivious act committed by use of force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person, where the victim of any of these crimes is under 14 years of age, shall notify a peace officer. Violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,500 or incarceration not exceeding 6 months in a county jail, or both the fine and incarceration. This bill would expand those provisions to apply when the victim of the offense observed is under 18 years of age, and would specify that this obligation to report crimes to a peace officer applies to sodomy, oral copulation, and sexual penetration, as specified, where those crimes are accomplished by use of force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person, and rape in concert. The bill would provide additional exceptions to the reporting requirement for domestic partners, for children under 12 years of age, and for victims of the offenses that are subject to reporting. The bill would provide that a violation of these reporting obligations may also be punished as an infraction by a fine of $250. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
This measure would designate the week of May 2 to May 8, 2010, as Public Service Recognition Week, and encourage all Californians to recognize the crucial role of public employees in this state.
The Golden State Scholarshare Trust Act establishes the Golden State Scholarshare Trust, under the administration of the Scholarshare Investment Board, to provide financial aid for postsecondary education costs of participating students. The act requires the board to segregate moneys received by the trust into 2 funds, one of which is the administrative fund. Existing law requires the funds in the administrative fund to be available for expenditure, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for specified purposes. This bill would expand the purpose for which funds in the administrative fund can be expended, to include reimbursement of the Franchise Tax Board's actual cost of implementing and maintaining a specified designation on the form of the return. The Personal Income Tax Law imposes taxes on taxable income which are administered by the Franchise Tax Board. Existing law authorizes taxpayers to contribute amounts in excess of their tax liability for the support of specified funds. This bill would, until December 31, 2014, authorize a taxpayer to designate on his or her tax return that a contribution in excess of tax liability, as specified, be deposited by the Franchise Tax Board into a qualified tuition program account, as specified. This bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to revise the form of the return to include the necessary information that will allow a taxpayer to make this designation, as provided. This bill would require the Scholarshare Investment Board to reimburse the Franchise Tax Board for the actual cost of implementing and maintaining this designation on the form of the return, as provided.
The After School Education and Safety Program Act of 2002, enacted by initiative statute, establishes the After School Education and Safety Program to serve pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 9, inclusive, at participating public elementary, middle, junior high, and charter schools. The act provides a formula for determining an amount to be continuously appropriated from the General Fund to the State Department of Education to provide grants to schools participating in the program. The existing act authorizes the Legislature to amend certain of its provisions to further its purposes by majority vote of each house. This bill would require a program plan to describe the manner in which the program will support English language development and acquisition for English learners if English learners comprise 25% or more of the pupils enrolled in a program. The plan would be required to include strategies that increase knowledge and usage of the English language and methods for training and professional development of staff that are designed to support English language development and acquisition for English learners. The After School Education and Safety Program Act of 2002 requires the State Department of Education to provide technical assistance to new programs and programs that are not meeting goals and request assistance. This bill would require technical assistance provided by the department to include training and professional development for support in English language development and acquisition for English learners. This bill would set forth a legislative finding and declaration that the proposed amendments further the purposes of the existing act.
Existing law prescribes the course of study a pupil is required to complete while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to adopt rules specifying additional coursework requirements. Existing law requires each school district maintaining any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer to all otherwise qualified pupils in those grades a course of study that provides an opportunity for those pupils to attain entry-level employment skills in business or industry upon graduation from high school. This bill would prohibit a school district from adopting a graduation requirement that commences with the 2010–11 school year and requires the completion of additional coursework to meet or exceed the requirements and prerequisites for admission to a 4-year California public university unless the district also requires the completion of a sequence of at least 3 career and technical education courses. However, this provision would not apply to a school district that, by June 30, 2009, has adopted graduation requirements that require the completion of all minimum coursework necessary to meet the requirements and prerequisites for admission to a 4-year California public university. The bill also would make conforming and clarifying changes.
This measure would urge the University of California to provide training to its supervisory employees regarding the prevention of workplace bullying, abuse, and harassment by January 1, 2011, and again every 2 years thereafter.
Existing law authorizes the Governor to appoint and fix the salaries of assistants and other personnel as the Governor deems necessary for his or her office. This bill would require the Governor to create, within the Office of the Governor, the position of Director of California Biotechnology Retention and Recruitment, as specified. The bill would make the director responsible for serving as an informational resource for biotechnology, life science, and medical companies, as specified.
This measure would designate that January 18, 2010, be observed as the official memorial of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birth, commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement in changing public policy in California and in the United States of America.
(1) The California Constitution prohibits the ad valorem tax rate on real property from exceeding 1% of the full cash value of the property, subject to certain exceptions. This measure would create an additional exception to the 1% limit for a rate imposed by a city, county, city and county, or special district to service bonded indebtedness, incurred to fund specified public improvements, facilities or buildings, and housing, and related costs, that is approved by 55% of the voters of the city, county, city and county, or special district, as applicable. This additional exception would apply only if the proposition approved by the voters results in bonded indebtedness that includes specified accountability requirements. (2) The California Constitution conditions the imposition of a special tax by a city, county, or special district upon the approval of 23 of the voters of the city, county, or special district voting on that tax, except that certain school entities may levy an ad valorem property tax for specified purposes with the approval of 55% of the voters within the jurisdiction of these entities. This measure would change the 23 voter-approval requirement for special taxes to, instead, authorize a city, county, city and county, or special district to impose a special tax with the approval of 55% of its voters voting on the tax. This measure would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions. (3) The California Constitution prohibits a county, city, town, township, board of education, or school district from incurring any indebtedness exceeding in one year the income and revenue provided in that year, without the assent of 23 of the voters and subject to other conditions. This measure would lower to 55% the voter approval threshold for a city, county, or city and county to incur bonded indebtedness, exceeding in one year the income and revenue provided in that year, that is in the form of general obligation bonds to fund specified public improvements.