BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



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        ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
        AB 1967 (John A. Pérez)
        As Amended  April 26, 2012
        Majority vote 

         EDUCATION           10-1        APPROPRIATIONS      12-5        
         
         ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
        |Ayes:|Brownley, Norby, Ammiano, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Blumenfield,     |
        |     |Buchanan, Butler, Carter, |     |Bradford, Charles         |
        |     |Eng, Grove, Halderman,    |     |Calderon, Campos, Davis,  |
        |     |Williams                  |     |Gatto, Ammiano, Hill,     |
        |     |                          |     |Lara, Mitchell, Solorio   |
        |     |                          |     |                          |
        |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
        |Nays:|Wagner                    |Nays:|Harkey, Donnelly,         |
        |     |                          |     |Nielsen, Norby, Wagner    |
        |     |                          |     |                          |
         ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
        SUMMARY  :  Requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) and 
        the State Board of Education (SBE) to ensure the health and science 
        frameworks, adopted in the course of the next submission cycle 
        include the subject of organ procurement and tissue donation, as 
        appropriate.

         FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, 
        potential General Fund (GF) administrative costs, likely between 
        $175,000 and $250,000, to the State Department of Education's IQC to 
        complete the requirements of this measure.  This assumes a portion 
        or all of the Commission's funding is restored to complete the 
        development of the health curriculum framework, as specified.  
        Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed all GF funding for the Curriculum 
        Development and Supplemental Materials Commission (now the IQC) in 
        2009.  To date, this funding has not been restored.    

         COMMENTS  :  This bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission 
        (IQC) and the State Board of Education (SBE) to ensure the health 
        and science frameworks, adopted in the course of the next submission 
        cycle include the subject of organ procurement and tissue donation, 
        as appropriate.

        Electing to be an Organ Donor:  Currently, there are two ways to 
        register as an organ donor in California.  First, each application 
        for a new or renewal driver's license or identification card 








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        provides a place for the applicant to indicate if he or she wants to 
        be an organ donor.  If the person affirms this desire, the pink 
        donor dot symbol is pre-printed on the driver's license or 
        identification card.  Second, the Donate Life California Web site 
        provides a way to register as an organ donor online.

        According to Donate Life California, there are more than 100,000 
        people on the National Organ Transplant Waiting List, more than 
        21,000 of whom live in California.  Nationwide, approximately 18 
        people die each day awaiting life-saving organ transplants, and a 
        new name is added to the national waiting list every 13 minutes.  
        One organ donor can save up to eight lives and one tissue donor can 
        improve lives of up to 50 others.  Nationwide, minorities represent 
        49% of organ transplant candidates and more than 60% of kidney 
        transplants.  In California, Latinos make up 32% of those waiting 
        for life-saving transplants, Asians/Pacific Islanders 16%, and 
        African Americans another 14%.

        Health Education Standards & Graduation Requirements:  Neither the 
        health education standards nor the frameworks include any 
        information about organ procurement or tissue donation.  The health 
        curriculum framework was scheduled to be revised to align it to the 
        2008 health standards but due to the fiscal situation in the state 
        and resulting budget actions, the development of curriculum 
        frameworks and adoption of instructional materials has been 
        suspended until the 2015-16 school year.  AB 2 X4 (Evans), Chapter 
        2, Statutes of 2009-10 Fourth Extraordinary Session, prohibits the 
        SBE from adopting or following any of the procedures to adopt 
        instructional materials, including following the procedures related 
        to framework development, through the 2012-13 school year.  SB 70 
        (Budget and Fiscal Review Committee), Chapter 7, Statutes of 2011, 
        extended this prohibition to the 2015-16 school year.  The revision 
        and adoption of a health framework may be several years away given 
        the existing fiscal challenges.  

        Despite the delay in the adoption of a health framework, the 
        Assembly should consider whether it is important to include organ 
        and tissue donation in the next revision of the health framework.  
        California does not require the completion of a health course as a 
        condition for graduation from high school.  Districts are authorized 
        to offer health education courses to students and may require 
        students to complete health education coursework as a district 
        graduation requirement.  According to Donate Life California, since 
        2006, more than 80 California high schools have voluntarily hosted 








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        organ donation presentations in their classrooms.

        A number of recent bills have sought to amend the curriculum 
        standards and frameworks, and some have required instruction in a 
        particular subject matter.  Because the education code is 
        permissive, districts can offer health education already, and many 
        if not most already do offer health education in high school.  

        Science Education Standards & Graduation Requirements:  Neither the 
        science education standards nor the frameworks include information 
        about organ procurement or tissue donation.  SB 300 (Hancock), 
        Chapter 624, Statutes of 2011, requires the science curriculum 
        standards to be revised by July 30, 2013, so there may be a revision 
        of the standards in the near future.  The science curriculum 
        framework was scheduled to be updated in 2010 but due to the fiscal 
        situation in the state and resulting budget actions, the development 
        of curriculum framework and adoption of instructional materials has 
        been suspended until the 2015-16 school year (as noted above).  The 
        revision and adoption of a science framework may be several years 
        away given the existing fiscal challenges.

        High school students are required to complete two years of science 
        as a graduation requirement.  It is unclear, however, which science 
        disciplines are most appropriate for a discussion on organ 
        procurement or tissue donation.  For example, it may be appropriate 
        in a biology class, but may not be appropriate in a physics or 
        chemistry course.  The bill specifies that this topic shall be 
        included in science disciplines, as appropriate. 

        Previous legislation:  AB 1118 (John A. Pérez), of 2011, which was 
        held on the Assembly Appropriations suspense file, would have 
        required the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials 
        Commission and the SBE to ensure the health framework, adopted in 
        the course of the next submission cycle, includes the subject of 
        organ procurement and tissue donation in the instruction provided to 
        pupils in grades 9-10.  Further it would have required a school 
        district, commencing with the 2012-13 school year, to provide pupils 
        who are enrolled in health classes in grades 9 and 10 at least 15 
        minutes of instruction in organ procurement and tissue donation, as 
        specified.

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









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