BILL ANALYSIS ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 944| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ UNFINISHED BUSINESS Bill No: SB 944 Author: Runner (R), et al Amended: 6/23/10 Vote: 21 SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-0, 3/24/10 AYES: Romero, Huff, Alquist, Liu, Maldonado, Price, Simitian NO VOTE RECORDED: Hancock, Wyland ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 66-0, 6/28/10 - See last page for vote SUBJECT : Ronald Reagan Day SOURCE : Author DIGEST : 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. Assembly Amendments recast the law relating to days having special significance by giving each day their own code section. ANALYSIS : 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. CONTINUED SB 944 Page 2 Existing law establishes the following days as having special significance: 1. April 6 of each year as California Poppy Day. 2. April 21 of each year as John Muir Day. 3. The second Wednesday in May as the Day of the Teacher. 4. 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. This bill: 1. Makes various findings and declarations concerning the 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. 4. Recasts the law relating to days having special significance by giving each day their own code section. Background 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. Related and Prior Legislation CONTINUED SB 944 Page 3 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 passed the Senate on 9/8/09 with a vote of 23-14. SB 1256 (Hancock), 2009-10 Session, designates January 23 of each year as a special day of significance by observing the life and contributions of Ed Roberts and familiarizing pupils with the contributions of other Californians with disabilities (On Senate Third Reading). FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No ASSEMBLY FLOOR : AYES: Adams, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Bradford, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore, Feuer, Fletcher, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto, Gilmore, Hagman, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Salas, Silva, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines NO VOTE RECORDED: Ammiano, Brownley, Davis, Eng, Evans, Fong, Hall, Monning, Norby, Saldana, Skinner, Yamada, John A. Perez, Vacancy PQ:nl 6/29/10 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED **** END **** CONTINUED