JB
D California House · District 16

Rep. Joan Buchanan

Compare
Total votes
13,201
all sessions
Attendance
96%
468 missed
Near the chamber average
With party
98%
of cast votes
Near the chamber average
Bipartisan score
1%
crosses aisle rarely
Near the chamber average
Sponsored
664
bills & resolutions
Near the chamber average
Committees
0
assignments
664 bills and resolutions

Sponsored bills

Total
664
Primary
112
Co-sponsor
552
This page
664
matching current filters
Co-sponsor AB 1866
Vetoed · California House · Co-sponsor
Pupil attendance: California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System.

(1) Existing law establishes the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, as provided. Existing law requires the State Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst's Office, and contingent upon the receipt of federal funds, to prepare the system to include data on pupil attendance, as specified. Existing law requires the system to support local educational agencies in their efforts to identify and support pupils at risk of dropping out and that it be capable of issuing periodic reports to local educational agencies that include district, school, class, and individual pupil reports on the rates of absence and chronic absentees. This bill would, subject to available state, federal, or private funding, require the State Department of Education to enhance the system, as provided. The bill would require the periodic reports to local educational agencies to include reports on the rates of absence, rates of chronic absenteeism and the number of chronic absentees, rates of truancy and the number of truants, rates of habitual truancy and the number of habitual truants, and rates of chronic truancy and the number of chronic truants. The bill would delete class information from the periodic reports. The bill would establish a definition for "rates of absence." (2) Existing law, once the system is prepared to accept data on a quarterly rate of pupil attendance, authorizes a local educational agency to submit data to the State Department of Education on a quarterly rate of pupil attendance, and other indicators as identified by the department. This bill would, once the system is enhanced to accept data on pupil attendance, authorize a local educational agency to submit the specified data to the system at any time throughout the year that meets its needs, but would require a local educational agency to, at a minimum, submit and certify the specified data, and other indicators identified by the department, to the system at the end of the school year or on dates to be determined by the department. The bill would authorize a local educational agency to receive reports with the specified data disaggregated as provided. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) This bill would also make conforming and nonsubstantive changes. (4) 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 these statutory provisions.

Vetoed Sep 30, 2014 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor AB 1517
Signed into law · California House · Co-sponsor
DNA evidence.

Existing law establishes the "Sexual Assault Victims' DNA Bill of Rights," which, among other things, encourages a law enforcement agency assigned to investigate specified sexual assault offenses to perform DNA testing of rape kit evidence or other crime scene evidence in a timely manner to assure the longest possible statute of limitations. Existing law also requires a law enforcement agency to inform victims of certain sexual assault offenses, if the identity of the perpetrator is in issue, if the law enforcement agency elects not to analyze DNA evidence within certain time limits. This bill instead would, with respect to specific sex offenses, encourage a law enforcement agency in whose jurisdiction the sexual assault offense occurred to submit sexual assault forensic evidence received by the agency on or after January 1, 2016, to the crime lab within 20 days after it is booked into evidence, and ensure that a rapid turnaround DNA program, as defined, is in place to submit forensic evidence collected from the victim of a sexual assault to the crime lab within 5 days after the evidence is obtained from the victim. The bill would also encourage the crime lab, with respect to sexual assault forensic evidence received by the lab on or after January 1, 2016, to process that evidence, create DNA profiles when able, and upload qualifying DNA profiles into the Combined DNA Index System as soon as practically possible, but no later than 120 days after initially receiving the evidence, or to transmit the sexual assault forensic evidence to another crime lab as soon as practically possible, but no later than 30 days after initially receiving the evidence, as specified. The bill would also revise the provisions requiring a law enforcement agency to inform victims of certain sexual assault offenses, to make the requirement applicable without regard to whether the identity of the perpetrator is in issue, if the law enforcement agency does not analyze DNA evidence, and to require those entities to notify the victims within 6 months of the time limits established under existing law. By imposing a higher level of service on local law enforcement agencies, 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, 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 these statutory provisions.

Signed into law Sep 30, 2014 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SB 1172
Signed into law · California Senate · Co-sponsor
Pupil health: vision appraisals.

Existing law requires, upon first enrollment in a California school district of a child at an elementary school, and at least every 3rd year thereafter until the child has completed the 8th grade, the child's vision to be appraised by the school nurse or other authorized person, as specified. Existing law requires this appraisal to include tests for visual acuity and color vision. Existing law requires gross external observation of the child's eyes, visual performance, and perception to be done by the school nurse and the classroom teacher. This bill would instead require a pupil's vision to be appraised by the school nurse or other authorized person during kindergarten or upon first enrollment or entry in a California school district of a pupil at an elementary school, and in grades 2, 5, and 8, except as provided. The bill would revise the functions to be performed by the school nurse and the classroom teacher in observing a pupil's eyes, appearance, and other factors that may indicate vision difficulties. The bill would require the State Department of Education to adopt guidelines to implement those provisions, including training requirements and a method of testing for near vision. Because the bill would impose additional duties on public schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would incorporate changes to Section 49455 of the Education Code proposed by both this bill and AB 1840 which would become operative only if both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2015, and this bill is enacted last. 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 these statutory provisions.

Signed into law Sep 30, 2014 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor AB 2141
Signed into law · California House · Co-sponsor
Pupil attendance: truancy: referrals for prosecution.

Existing law defines a truant as any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without a valid excuse 3 full days in one school year, or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the schoolday without a valid excuse on 3 occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof. Existing law provides that a pupil who is required to be reported as a truant is subject to specified penalties for the first to 4th instances that a truancy report is issued to a pupil, and, under certain circumstances, he or she may be judged a ward of the juvenile court. Existing law provides that a parent, guardian, or other person having control of or charge of any pupil who is a truant or chronic truant is guilty of, among other things, an infraction and subject to specified penalties for the first to 3rd or subsequent convictions. Existing law provides that any minor pupil who is a habitual truant, is irregular in attendance at school, or is habitually insubordinate or disorderly during attendance at school may be referred to a school attendance review board or to the probation department for services if the probation department has elected to receive these referrals. Existing law, under specified circumstances, authorizes a school attendance review board to notify the district attorney or the probation officer, or both, if the district attorney or the probation officer has elected to participate in a truancy mediation program, as specified. Existing law, under specified circumstances, also authorizes a school attendance review board or probation officer to direct the county superintendent of schools to request a petition on behalf of the pupil in the juvenile court of the county. This bill would require a state or local agency conducting a truancy-related mediation or prosecuting a pupil or a pupil's parent or legal guardian pursuant to these provisions, among others, to provide the school district, school attendance review board, county superintendent of schools, probation department, or any other agency that referred the truancy-related mediation, criminal complaint, or petition with the outcome of each referral, as specified. By imposing additional duties on local officials, 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 these statutory provisions.

Signed into law Sep 30, 2014 1 co-sponsor
Primary AB 1643
Signed into law · California House · Lead sponsor
Pupil attendance: school attendance review boards.

(1) Existing law authorizes the establishment of county and local school attendance review boards that may promote the use of alternatives to the juvenile court system if available public and private services are insufficient or inappropriate to correct school attendance or school behavior problems, and specifies the membership of each school attendance review board. Existing law provides that any minor pupil who is a habitual truant, is irregular in attendance at school, or is habitually insubordinate or disorderly during attendance at school may be referred to a school attendance review board. This bill would authorize a county school attendance review board to accept referrals or requests for hearing services from one or more school districts within its jurisdiction. The bill would authorize a county school attendance review board to be operated through a consortium or partnership of a county with one or more school districts or between 2 or more counties. The bill would add representatives from at least one county district attorney's office and one county public defender's office to both county and local school attendance review boards, as specified. (2) Existing law requires the county superintendent of schools, if a county school attendance review board exists, to convene a meeting of the county school attendance review board at the beginning of each school year, as provided. This bill would specify that, for purposes of conducting hearings, the county school attendance review board is authorized to meet as needed, and would further authorize the chairperson of the county school attendance review board to determine the members needed at those hearings, as specified. (3) Existing law authorizes a county school attendance review board to provide consultant services to, and coordinate the activities of, local school attendance review boards, as provided. This bill would instead authorize a county school attendance review board to provide guidance to local school attendance review boards. (4) This bill would also make conforming and nonsubstantive changes.

Signed into law Sep 30, 2014 0 co-sponsors
Co-sponsor AB 1014
Signed into law · California House · Co-sponsor
Gun violence restraining orders.

(1) Existing law regulates the sale, transfer, possession, and ownership of firearms, including prohibiting specified persons from owning or possessing firearms. Existing law, among other things, generally prohibits a person subject to a domestic violence protective order from owning or possessing a firearm while that order is in effect. This bill would authorize a court to issue a temporary emergency gun violence restraining order if a law enforcement officer asserts and a judicial officer finds that there is reasonable cause to believe that the subject of the petition poses an immediate and present danger of causing personal injury to himself, herself, or another by having in his or her custody or control, owning, purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm and that the order is necessary to prevent personal injury to himself, herself, or another, as specified. The bill would require a law enforcement officer to serve the order on the restrained person, if the restrained person can reasonably be located, file a copy of the order with the court, and have the order entered into the computer database system for protective and restraining orders maintained by the Department of Justice. The bill would require the presiding judge of the superior court of each county to designate at least one judge, commissioner, or referee who is required to be reasonably available to issue temporary emergency gun violence restraining orders when the court is not in session. This bill would additionally authorize a court to issue an ex parte gun violence restraining order prohibiting the subject of the petition from having in his or her custody or control, owning, purchasing, possessing, or receiving, or attempting to purchase or receive, a firearm or ammunition when it is shown that there is a substantial likelihood that the subject of the petition poses a significant danger of harm to himself, herself, or another in the near future by having in his or her custody or control, owning, purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm and that the order is necessary to prevent personal injury to himself, herself, or another, as specified. The bill would require the ex parte order to expire no later than 21 days after the date on the order and would require the court to hold a hearing within 21 days of issuing the ex parte gun violence restraining order to determine if a gun violence restraining order that is in effect for one year should be issued. The bill would require a law enforcement officer or a person at least 18 years of age who is not a party to the action to personally serve the restrained person the ex parte order, if the restrained person can reasonably be located. The bill would authorize a court to issue a gun violence restraining order prohibiting the subject of the petition from having in his or her custody or control, owning, purchasing, possessing, or receiving, or attempting to purchase or receive, a firearm or ammunition for a period of one year when there is clear and convincing evidence that the subject of the petition, or a person subject to an ex parte gun violence restraining order, as applicable, poses a significant danger of personal injury to himself, herself, or another by having in his or her custody or control, owning, purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm and that the order is necessary to prevent personal injury to himself, herself, or another, as specified. The bill would authorize the renewal of the order for additional one-year periods and would permit the restrained person to request one hearing to terminate the order during the effective period of the initial order or each renewal period. The bill would require a court, upon issuance of a gun violence restraining order, to order the restrained person to surrender to the local law enforcement agency all firearms and ammunition in his or her custody or control, or which he or she possesses or owns. The bill would require the local law enforcement agency to retain custody of the firearm or firearms and ammunition for the duration of a gun violence restraining order. The bill would require the court to notify the Department of Justice when any gun violence restraining order has been issued, renewed, dissolved, or terminated. The bill would also require the court, when sending that notice, to specify whether the person subject to the gun violence restraining order was present in court to be informed of the contents of the order or if the person failed to appear. The bill would require proof of service of the order to be entered into the California Restraining and Protective Order System, as specified. The bill would make it a misdemeanor to file a petition for an ex parte gun violence restraining order or a gun violence restraining order issued after notice and a hearing, knowing the information in the petition to be false or with the intent to harass. The bill would also provide that a person who owns or possesses a firearm or ammunition with the knowledge that he or she is prohibited from doing so by a gun violence restraining order is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be prohibited from having in his or her custody or control, owning, purchasing, possessing, or receiving, or attempting to purchase or receive, a firearm or ammunition for a 5-year period, commencing upon the expiration of the existing gun violence restraining order. By creating new crimes and by requiring new duties of local law enforcement, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law states the grounds upon which a search warrant may be issued, including when the property or things to be seized include a firearm or any other deadly weapon that is owned by, or in the possession of, or in the custody or control of, specified persons. This bill would allow a search warrant to be issued when the property or things to be seized are firearms or ammunition or both that are owned by, in the possession of, or in the custody or control of, a person who is the subject of a gun violence restraining order if a prohibited firearm or ammunition or both is possessed, owned, in the custody of, or controlled by a person against whom a gun violence restraining order has been issued, the person has been lawfully served with that order, and the person has failed to relinquish the firearm as required by law. The bill would also require the law enforcement officer executing a search warrant issued upon that ground to take custody of any firearm or ammunition that is in the restrained person's custody or control or possession or that is owned by the restrained person, which is discovered pursuant to a consensual or other lawful search and would provide rules for executing the search warrant when the location to be searched is jointly occupied by the restrained person and one or more other persons. (3) Existing law requires specified law enforcement officers to take temporary custody of any firearm or deadly weapon in plain sight or discovered pursuant to a lawful search when present at the scene of a domestic violence incident involving a threat to human life or physical assault. This bill would apply the requirements described above to law enforcement officers serving a gun violence restraining order. The bill would also apply those requirements when the law enforcement officer is a sworn member of the Department of Justice who is a peace officer. (4) Existing law requires the Department of Justice to request public and private mental hospitals, sanitariums, and institutions to submit to the department information necessary to identify persons who are prohibited from having a firearm because the person has been admitted to a facility, is receiving inpatient treatment, and is a danger to himself, herself, or others. Existing law requires the department to only use the information for certain specified purposes. This bill would additionally authorize the department to use the above-described information to determine the eligibility of a person who is the subject of a petition for the issuance of a gun violence restraining order to acquire, carry, or possess firearms, destructive devices, or explosives. (5) Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. (6) This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 18250 of the Penal Code, proposed by SB 1154, to be operative only if SB 1154 and this bill are chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2015, and this bill is chaptered last. (7) 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. (8) The provisions of this bill would be effective January 1, 2016.

Signed into law Sep 30, 2014 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor AB 1672
Vetoed · California House · Co-sponsor
Pupil attendance: truancy.

Existing law authorizes the establishment of county and local school attendance review boards, and authorizes a school district to refer a pupil to a school attendance review board or the probation department for, among other things, truancy. Existing law, under specified circumstances, authorizes a school attendance review board or probation officer to direct the county superintendent of schools to request a petition on behalf of the pupil in the juvenile court of the county. Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to adopt rules and regulations to require appropriate officers and employees of the school district to gather and transmit to the county superintendent of schools the number and types of referrals to school attendance review boards and of requests for petitions to the juvenile court. This bill would instead require the governing board of each school district that has established a local school attendance review board to adopt rules and regulations to require appropriate officers and employees of the school district to gather that information for the prior school year, and would expand the information required to be gathered to include, among other things, the number of pupils referred to a school attendance review board who improved their attendance and the number of pupils and parents or guardians referred to community services, as specified. The bill would require the information to be disaggregated by specified subgroups, including gender, ethnicity, and foster youth status. The bill would require the governing board of each school district to make available on its Internet Web site, if one is available, the contents of those school attendance review board reports no later than September 15 of every year. The bill would require the State Department of Education to maintain current Internet Web site links to the Internet Web sites of school attendance review board reports, and would require the governing board of each school district that posts school attendance review board reports to provide to the department current uniform resource locators for those Internet Web sites. The bill would make these provisions operative beginning June 1, 2015.

Vetoed Sep 30, 2014 1 co-sponsor
Primary AB 1584
Signed into law · California House · Lead sponsor
Pupil records: privacy: 3rd-party contracts: digital storage services and digital educational software.

Existing law prohibits a school district from permitting access to pupil records to any person without parental consent or without a judicial order, except to specified persons under certain circumstances, including to a contractor or consultant with a legitimate educational interest who has a formal written agreement or contract with the school district regarding the provision of outsourced institutional services or functions by the contractor or consultant. This bill would authorize a local educational agency, as defined, pursuant to a policy adopted by its governing board or governing body, as appropriate, to enter into a contract with a 3rd party, as defined, to provide services for the digital storage, management, and retrieval of pupil records, as defined, or to provide digital educational software, or both. The bill would require the contract to include specified provisions, including a statement that the pupil records continue to be the property of and under the control of the local educational agency, a description of the actions the 3rd party will take to ensure the security and confidentiality of pupil records, and a description of how the local educational agency and the 3rd party will jointly ensure compliance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The bill would require that a contract that fails to comply with the requirements of this bill be rendered void if certain conditions are satisfied. The bill would provide that, if these provisions are in conflict with the terms of a contract in effect before January 1, 2015, the provisions shall not apply to the local educational agency or the 3rd party subject to that agreement until the expiration, amendment, or renewal of the agreement.

Signed into law Sep 29, 2014 0 co-sponsors
Co-sponsor AB 2217
Signed into law · California House · Co-sponsor
Pupil and personnel health: automated external defibrillators.

Existing law authorizes a school district or school to provide a comprehensive program in first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, or both, to pupils and employees, and requires the program to be developed using specified guidelines. This bill would authorize a public school to solicit and receive nonstate funds to acquire and maintain an automated external defibrillator (AED) . The bill would provide that the employees of the school district are not liable for civil damages resulting from certain uses, attempted uses, or nonuses of an AED, except as provided. The bill would provide that a public school or school district that complies with certain requirements related to an AED is not liable for any civil damages resulting from any act or omission in the rendering of the emergency care or treatment, except as provided.

Signed into law Sep 29, 2014 1 co-sponsor
Primary AB 1444
Vetoed · California House · Lead sponsor
Elementary education: kindergarten.

Under existing law, a person between the ages of 6 and 18 years who is not exempted by law is subject to compulsory full-time education. Existing law excludes a child under 6 years of age from the public schools, subject to specified exceptions. Existing law requires a school district maintaining a kindergarten to admit a child who will have his or her 5th birthday on or before certain specified dates during that school year. Existing law also requires that a child who will have his or her 6th birthday on or before specified dates be admitted to the first grade of an elementary school. This bill, beginning with the 2016–17 school year, would require a child to have completed one year of kindergarten before he or she may be admitted to the first grade, thereby imposing 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 these statutory provisions.

Vetoed Sep 28, 2014 0 co-sponsors
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