BILL NUMBER: AB 1933	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 17, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 5, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Brownley
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Liu)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano, Carter, Gaines, Miller, and
Torlakson)

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2010

   An act to amend Section 48853.5 of the Education Code, relating to
foster children.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1933, as amended, Brownley. Foster children: education.
   Existing law requires a local educational agency, at the initial
detention or placement or any subsequent change in placement of a
foster child, to allow the foster child to continue his or her
education in the school of origin, as defined, for the duration of
the school year.
   This bill would instead require a local educational agency to
allow the foster child to continue at the school of origin at the
foster child's initial detention, placement, or any subsequent change
in placement for the duration of the jurisdiction of the court, and
would require the local educational agency to allow the child to
continue his or her education at that school of origin for the
duration of the school year if the court's jurisdiction is terminated
prior to the end of the academic year. The bill would specify other
requirements for a foster child's placement in school when the foster
child is transitioning between school grade levels, as specified. By
requiring local educational agencies to perform additional duties,
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.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 48853.5 of the Education Code is amended to
read:
   48853.5.  (a) This section applies to a child (hereafter "foster
child") who has been removed from his or her home pursuant to Section
309 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, is the subject of a
petition filed under Section 300 or 602 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, or has been removed from his or her home and is
the subject of a petition filed under Section 300 or 602 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code.
   (b) Each local educational agency shall designate a staff person
as the educational liaison for foster children. In a school district
that operates a foster children services program pursuant to Chapter
11.3 (commencing with Section 42920) of Part 24, the educational
liaison shall be affiliated with the local foster children services
program. The liaison shall do all of the following:
   (1) Ensure and facilitate the proper educational placement,
enrollment in school, and checkout from school of foster children.
   (2) Assist foster children when transferring from one school to
another or from one school district to another in ensuring proper
transfer of credits, records, and grades.
   (c) This section does not grant authority to the educational
liaison that supersedes the authority granted under state and federal
law to a parent or guardian retaining educational rights, a
responsible adult appointed by the court to represent the child
pursuant to Section 361 or 726 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,
a surrogate parent, or a foster parent exercising the authority
granted under Section 56055. The role of the educational liaison is
advisory with respect to placement decisions and determination of
school of origin.
   (d) (1) At the initial detention or placement, or any subsequent
change in placement of a foster child, the local educational agency
serving the foster child shall allow the foster child to continue his
or her education in the school of origin for the duration of the
jurisdiction of the court.
   (2) If the jurisdiction of the court is terminated prior to the
end of an academic year, the child shall be allowed to continue his
or her education in the school of origin through the duration of the
academic school year.
   (3) To ensure that the foster child has the benefit of
matriculating with his or her peers in accordance with the
established feeder patterns of school districts, if the child is
transitioning between school grade levels, the local educational
agency shall allow the child to continue in the school district of
origin in the same attendance area, or, if the child is transitioning
to a middle school or high school, and the school designated for
matriculation is in another school district, to the school designated
for matriculation in that school district. 
   (4) It is the intent of the Legislature that paragraphs (2) and
(3) of subdivision (d) shall not be construed to require a school
district to provide transportation services to allow a child to
attend a school or school district, unless otherwise required under
federal law.  
   (4) 
    (5)  The liaison, in consultation with and the agreement
of the foster child and the person holding the right to make
educational decisions for the foster child may, in accordance with
the foster child's best interests, recommend that the foster child's
right to attend the school of origin be waived and the foster child
be enrolled in any public school that pupils living in the attendance
area in which the foster child resides are eligible to attend.

   (5) 
    (6)  Prior to making any recommendation to move a foster
child from his or her school of origin, the liaison shall provide
the foster child and the person holding the right to make educational
decisions for the foster child with a written explanation stating
the basis for the recommendation and how this recommendation serves
the foster child's best interest. 
   (6) 
    (7)  (A) If the liaison in consultation with the foster
child and the person holding the right to make educational decisions
for the foster child agree that the best interests of the foster
child would best be served by his or her transfer to a school other
than the school of origin, the foster child shall immediately be
enrolled in the new school.
   (B) The new school shall immediately enroll the foster child even
if the foster child has outstanding fees, fines, textbooks, or other
items or moneys due to the school last attended or is unable to
produce records or clothing normally required for enrollment, such as
previous academic records, medical records, proof of residency,
other documentation, or school uniforms.
   (C) The liaison for the new school shall, within two business days
of the foster child's request for enrollment, contact the school
last attended by the foster child to obtain all academic and other
records. All required records shall be provided to the new school
regardless of any outstanding fees, fines, textbooks, or other items
or moneys owed to the school last attended. The school liaison for
the school last attended shall provide all records to the new school
within two business days of receiving the request. 
   (7) 
    (8)  If a dispute arises regarding the request of a
foster child to remain in the school of origin, the foster child has
the right to remain in the school of origin pending resolution of the
dispute. The dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the
existing dispute resolution process available to any pupil served by
the local educational agency. 
   (8) 
    (9)  The local educational agency and the county placing
agency are encouraged to collaborate to ensure maximum utilization
of available federal moneys, explore public-private partnerships, and
access any other funding sources to promote the well-being of foster
children through educational stability. 
   (10) It is the intent of the Legislature that subdivision (d)
shall not supersede or exceed other laws governing special education
services for eligible foster children. 
   (e) For purposes of this section, "school of origin" means the
school that the foster child attended when permanently housed or the
school in which the foster child was last enrolled. If the school the
foster child attended when permanently housed is different from the
school in which the foster child was last enrolled, or if there is
some other school that the foster child attended with which the
foster child is connected and that the foster child attended within
the immediately preceding 15 months, the liaison, in consultation
with and the agreement of the foster child and the person holding the
right to make educational decisions for the foster child, shall
determine, in the best interests of the foster child, the school that
shall be deemed the school of origin.
   (f) This section does not supersede other law governing the
educational placements in juvenile court schools, as described in
Section 48645.1, by the juvenile court under Section 602 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code.
  SEC. 2.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.