BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






                          SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                               Gloria Romero, Chair
                            2009-2010 Regular Session
                                         

          BILL NO:       SB 944
          AUTHOR:        Runner  
          AMENDED:       March 16, 2010
          FISCAL COMM:   No             HEARING DATE:  March 24, 2010
          URGENCY:       No             CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill

           SUBJECT  :  Ronald Reagan Day

           SUMMARY  

          This bill designates February 6 of each year as Ronald Reagan  
          Day and calls for the day to be observed by the public  
          schools as a day of special significance.  The bill also  
          requires the Governor to annually proclaim February 6 as  
          Ronald Reagan Day.  

           BACKGROUND  

          Existing law designates a number of days as days having  
          special significance, when public schools are encouraged, but  
          not required, to conduct commemorative exercises integrated  
          into regular school programs.  Current law establishes the  
          following days as having special significance (Education Code  
           37222):  

               a)        April 6 of each year as California Poppy Day.
               b)        April 21 of each year as John Muir Day. 
               c)        The second Wednesday in May as the Day of the  
                    Teacher.
               d)        May 22 of each year as Harvey Milk Day.

          Existing law also requires the Governor to proclaim various  
          days to remember individuals.  These days include September  
          28 as Cabrillo Day; January 15 as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  
          Day; March 31, as Cesar Chavez Day; and April 21 as John Muir  
          Day. (Government Code  6708, et seq.) 

           ANALYSIS  

           This bill  :
           
           1)   Makes various findings and declarations concerning the  



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               life of Ronald Reagan.  

          2)   Designates February 6 of each year as Ronald Reagan Day,  
               to be a
          day having special significance when all public schools and  
               educational institutions are encouraged to conduct  
               exercises remembering the life of Ronald Reagan,  
               recognizing his accomplishments as well as the  
               contributions he made to the state.

          3)   Requires the Governor to annually proclaim February 6 as  
               Ronald Reagan Day.

           STAFF COMMENTS  

           1)   Need for the bill  :  Ronald Reagan served as the Governor  
               of California from 1967 to 1975 and as President of the  
               United States from 1981 to 1989.  By designating his  
               birthday as a special day of significance, the authors  
               hope this bill will encourage public schools and  
               educational institutions to conduct suitable  
               commemorative exercises to recognize Ronald Reagan's  
               accomplishments and familiarize pupils with his  
               contributions to California.  

           2)   Related and prior legislation  :  
           
                         SB 572 (Leno, Chapter 626, Statutes of 2009)  
               designated May 22 of
                    each year as a special day of significance for  
                    remembering the life and contributions of Harvey  
                    Milk.  SB 572 was heard and approved by this  
                    committee on a 7-2 vote on May 6, 2009.  

                        SB 1256 (Hancock) designates January 23 of  
               each year as a special 
                    day of significance for the purpose of observing  
                    the life and contributions of Ed Roberts and  
                    familiarizing pupils with the contributions of  
                    other Californians with disabilities.  

           1)   Recognition criteria  .  This bill, along with SB 1256,  
               raises a question about the need for a broader policy  
               discussion about the criteria and process for  
               determining special days of significance in the public  
               schools.  Notwithstanding the extraordinary  
               accomplishments of Ronald Reagan, should other  



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               noteworthy Californians, such as the other 50 inductees  
               of the California Hall of Fame, be similarly recognized?  
                To avoid the potential proliferation of special  
               recognition days, should the Legislature establish  
               specific criteria for who or what is recognized?  Should  
               the process for approving special days of significance  
               in the public schools be delegated to the State Board of  
               Education who might review proposals for consistency  
               with the state's academic content standards and  
               curriculum frameworks?  

           SUPPORT
           
          None received.

           OPPOSITION
           
          None received.