BILL ANALYSIS
AB 66
Page 1
Date of Hearing: March 18, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
AB 66 (Anderson) - As Introduced: December 10, 2008
SUBJECT : Pupil work permits.
SUMMARY : Authorizes a principal of a public or private school
to issue work permits or to designate another administrator to
issue work permits for pupils that attend their school.
Specifies the hour limitations that apply to a work permit shall
be based on the school calendar of the school the pupil attends.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Authorizes the principal of a public or private school to
issue work permits to pupils that attend their school.
2)Authorizes the principal of a private or public school to
designate another administrator in the school to issue work
permits to pupils that attend their school.
3)Specifies that if the principal of a public or private school
chooses not to issue work permits, work permits may be issued
to pupils attending that school pursuant to paragraph (1),
(3), or (4) or Education code section 49110.1.
4)Requires a principal who issues a work permit to provide a
self-certification that he or she understands the requirements
in existing law for issuing a work permit; and, requires the
principal to provide copies of the application and the permit
to the superintendent of the school district in which the
school is located.
5)Prohibits an individual with authority to issue a work permit
from issuing a work permit to his or her own child.
6)Authorizes the superintendent of a school district to revoke a
work permit issued by the principal of a private or public
school located within the district if the superintendent
becomes aware of any grounds upon which the pupil may be
deemed ineligible for a work permit under existing law.
7)Specifies the hour limitations that apply to a work permit
issued by any of the individuals described shall be based on
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the school calendar of the school the pupil attends.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes a superintendent of a school district to designate
the principal or another person having charge of a private
school to issue work permits. (Education Code Section
49110.1)
2)Authorizes the superintendent of a school district in which a
minor resides, the chief executive officer of a charter
school, or specified school employees authorized by the
superintendent or chief executive officer in writing, to issue
a work permit to a pupil upon receipt of a written request
from a parent, guardian, foster parent, or other specified
person. (Education Code Section 49110)
3)Allows specified school officials to issue permits to pupils
13 to 17 years old in order to work during non-school hours.
Permits may only be issued on the request of a parent,
guardian or caregiver. Work permits are limited as follows:
a) 13 year-old pupils, who have completed 6th grade and
participate in a district sponsored employment program, may
work for up to two hours in any day, but not more than four
hours a week;
b) 14 and 15 year-old pupils, who have completed 7th grade,
may work for up to three hours in any day while school is
in session; and,
c) 16 and 17 year-old pupils may work for up to four hours
in any day while school is in session, or up to eight hours
on a day immediately prior to a non-school day.
(Education Code Section 49116)
4)Specifies that work permits may also be issued to pupils that
meet specified criteria and are enrolled in specified work
experience courses, or must work under specified personal and
family circumstances. Specifies that work permits may
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currently be issued to pupils to work during school holidays
and summer vacation without restriction. Specifies that work
permit limits do not apply to pupils delivering newspapers.
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill is keyed non-fiscal.
COMMENTS : Existing law allows school district superintendent's
to authorize principals of private schools to issue work
permits. This bill would authorize principals of private or
public schools to issue work permits, and to designate another
administrator to issue work permits at their school.
According to the author, gone are the days when every child
attends their local public school. We now have private,
charter, year round, and home schools throughout the state. The
education system has changed; it is time the state's laws
reflected these changes. There is more to education than what
is taught in the classroom, and who better to give a work permit
to a student than the principal who is familiar with their GPA,
attendance, and any behavioral issues and family circumstances.
The California Association of Private School Organizations
supports the bill and argues, "We believe that school site
administrators are best suited to make determinations regarding
the issuance of student work permits. AB 66 upholds this
position while unburdening district superintendents of the
responsibility to make decisions concerning students enrolled in
schools with which they have a secondary association, at best.
Another important feature of the bill is its recognition that
public and private schools do not maintain identical school,
holiday and vacation calendars. Whereas current law ties the
hours private school students are permitted to work to public
school calendars, AB 66 links hours of work to the actual
calendar maintained in a student's school of attendance."
Previous legislation : The enrolled version of AB 2213 (Houston)
from 2008, is identical to the introduced version of AB 66
(Anderson). AB 2213 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger with
the following message:
The historic delay in passing the 2008-2009 State
Budget has forced me to prioritize the bills sent to
my desk at the end of the year's legislative session.
Given the delay, I am only signing bills that are the
highest priority for California. This bill does not
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meet that standard and I cannot sign it at this time.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Association of Christian Schools International
California Association of Private School Organizations
California Catholic Conference
California Teachers Association (CTA)
Christian Home Educators Association of California
Church State Council of Seventh-day Adventists
Private Home Educators of California
An Individual
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087