BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 66
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          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
          AB 66 (Anderson)
          As Introduced  December 10, 2008
          Majority vote 

           EDUCATION           9-1                                         
           
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          |Ayes:|Brownley, Nestande,       |     |                          |
          |     |Arambula, Buchanan,       |     |                          |
          |     |Carter, Eng, Garrick,     |     |                          |
          |     |Miller, Torlakson         |     |                          |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |Nays:|Ammiano                   |     |                          |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 

           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), (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.









                                                                  AB 66
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          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  
            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)

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  This bill is keyed non-fiscal.

           COMMENTS  :  Existing law allows school district superintendents  
          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 his or her  
          GPA, attendance, and any behavioral issues and family  








                                                                  AB 66
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          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."  

          According to the California Association of Work Experience  
          Educators who oppose the bill, "By allowing school principals to  
          issue work permits without appropriate oversight, this measure  
          could expose students to unsafe working conditions and expose  
          school district[s] to unwarranted liability."

          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."  
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :  Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087      
                                     


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