BILL NUMBER: AB 680	CHAPTERED  09/29/06

	CHAPTER  706
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 28, 2006
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 23, 2006
	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 16, 2006
	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 29, 2005
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 21, 2005
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 26, 2005

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Chan
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Leno, Salinas, Torrico, and Yee)
   (Coauthors: Senators Bowen, Ducheny, and Escutia)

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2005

   An act to amend Section 48985 of the Education Code, relating to
pupils.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 680, Chan  English language learners.
   Existing law provides that, when 15% or more of the pupils
enrolled in a public school speak a single primary language other
than English, all notices, reports, statements, or records sent to
the parent or guardian of any such pupil by the school or school
district shall, in addition to English, be written in the primary
language, and may be responded to either in English or the primary
language.
   This bill would require the State Department of Education to
monitor adherence to that requirement as part of its regular
monitoring and review of public schools and school districts, to make
certain related determinations, and to notify school districts of
certain related information by August 1 of each year. The bill would
require the department to make that notification using electronic
methods. The bill would require the department to use existing
resources to comply with those provisions.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 48985 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   48985.  (a) If 15 percent or more of the pupils enrolled in a
public school that provides instruction in kindergarten or any of
grades 1 to 12, inclusive, speak a single primary language other than
English, as determined from the census data submitted to the
department pursuant to Section 52164 in the preceding year, all
notices, reports, statements, or records sent to the parent or
guardian of any such pupil by the school or school district shall, in
addition to being written in English, be written in the primary
language, and may be responded to either in English or the primary
language.
   (b) Pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 64001, the department
shall monitor adherence to the requirements of subdivision (a) as
part of its regular monitoring and review of public schools and
school districts, commonly known as the Categorical Program
Monitoring process, and shall determine the types of documents and
languages a school district translates to a primary language other
than English, the availability of these documents to parents or
guardians who speak a primary language other than English, and the
gaps in translations of these documents.
   (c) Based on census data submitted to the department pursuant to
Section 52164 in the preceding fiscal year, the department shall
notify a school district, by August 1 of each year, of the schools
within the school district, and the primary language other than
English, for which the translation of documents is required pursuant
to subdivision (a).  The department shall make that notification
using electronic methods.
   (d) The department shall use existing resources to comply with
subdivisions (b) and (c).
  SEC. 2.  In enacting this act, it is the Legislature's intent not
to create a state-mandated local program.