BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 352
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 352 (Strickland)
          As Amended  June 7, 2010
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |78-0 |(May 11, 2009)  |SENATE: |32-0 |(June 28,      |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2010)          |
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           Original Committee Reference:    ED.  

           SUMMARY  :  Declares the intent of the Legislature that the  
          California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) comply with the  
          California Public Records Act (CPRA). 

          The Senate amendments  specify that when CIF complies with the  
          CPRA, CIF shall be afforded the same public records disclosure  
          exemptions as are afforded to school districts, in order to  
          protect the confidentiality of pupil and school personnel  
          records and information.

           EXISTING LAW  declares:

          1)The CIF as a voluntary organization that consists of school  
            and school-related personnel with responsibility for  
            administering interscholastic athletic activities in secondary  
            schools; and, sunsets this declaration on January 1, 2012. 

          2)The intent of the Legislature that the CIF, in consultation  
            with the California Department of Education (CDE), implement  
            the following policies:

             a)   Give the governing boards of school districts specific  
               authority to select their athletic league representatives;

             b)   Require that all league, section, and state meetings  
               affiliated with the CIF be subject to the notice and  
               hearing requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act;

             c)   Establish a neutral final appeals body to hear  
               complaints related to interscholastic athletic policies;  
               and,

             d)   Provide information to parents and pupils regarding the  








                                                                  AB 352
                                                                  Page  2

               state and federal complaint procedures for discrimination  
               complaints arising out of interscholastic athletic  
               activities.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   This bill is keyed non-fiscal.

           COMMENTS  :  This bill declares legislative intent for CIF to  
          comply with the California Public Records Act.  Currently, CIF  
          complies with the Brown Act which requires all meetings to be  
          publicly noticed and open to the public.  

           Background on CIF  .  Since 1914, the CDE has allowed CIF, a  
          voluntary association of schools, to regulate interscholastic  
          athletics statewide.  The Federation consists of ten regional  
          sections, each of which is divided into several "leagues," for  
          purposes of scheduling athletic contests, assigning referees,  
          etc.  Similar organizations exist in other states.  Almost all  
          public, private and parochial schools are CIF members.

          According to the author, because CIF is a public entity whose  
          authority to govern interscholastic sports in California was  
          delegated by the Legislature, it is important their records be  
          subject to the CPRA.  The CPRA is designed to give the public  
          access to information in possession of public agencies for the  
          purposes of transparency and accountability to the public.  AB  
          352 will declare the intent of the Legislature for the CIF to  
          comply with the CPRA to promote transparency and accountability.  
           There is a need for the CIF to comply with the CPRA so that the  
          public has access to records or precedence often dealing with  
          the eligibility of student athletes to participate in sports and  
          CIF sanctions on students, teams, or schools that violate CIF  
          policies.
           

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


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