BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 514
                                                                  Page  1

          D ate of Hearing:   May 15, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                      AB 514 (Bonta) - As Amended:  May 6, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              Education  
          Vote:7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill establishes the Safe Schools for Safe Learning Act of  
          2013, which requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction  
          (SPI), as part of an existing requirement, to post a list of  
          statewide resources for youth who have been affected by gangs,  
          gun violence, and psychological trauma caused by violence at  
          home and at school.   

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          One-time, GF administrative costs, likely less than $50,000, to  
          the State Department of Education (SDE) to meet the requirements  
          of this measure.  

           COMMENTS  

           1)Background  .  AB 394 (Levine), Chapter 566, Statutes of 2007,  
            established the Safe Place to Learn Act (SPLA) and required  
            SDE to monitor local education agency (LEAs) adherence to  
            antidiscrimination and antiharassment policies. Specifically,  
            statute requires SDE, as part of its Categorical Program  
            Monitoring process, to assess whether LEAs have met specifies  
            requirements that are meant to enforce these policies,  
            including publicizing the policies and establishing a  
            complaint process, as specified.     

            The SPLA also required SDE to display information on curricula  
            and other resources that specifically address bias-related  
            discrimination and harassment, as specified under current law  
            (including, but not limited to, actual or perceived gender  
            identity and sexual orientation).  The department has a  








                                                                  AB 514
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            diverse list of these resources displayed on its Internet  
            website.  This bill proposes to add to this requirement by  
            requiring the department to include information about violence  
            and psychological trauma.  

           2)Purpose  .  According to the author, this bill is a result of  
            his ought-to-be-a-law contest in which he asked youth in his  
            district - "What would make you feel safer at school?"   
            Specifically, the author states: "20% of California children  
            with family incomes below $25,000 feel unsafe in their  
            neighborhoods, compared to just 1.6% of California children  
            with family incomes above $125,000 (Kidsdata.org). Though many  
            youth feel that violence is inevitable, all data show that our  
            schools remain the safest place for children (NAACP Legal  
            Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.).

            This bill requires the SPI, as part of an existing  
            requirement, to post a list of statewide resources for youth  
            who have been affected by gangs, gun violence, and  
            psychological trauma caused by violence at home and at school.  
              

           3)Previous related legislation  .  AB 9 (Ammiano), Chapter 723,  
            Statutes of 2011, amended the SPLA to add anti-intimidation  
            and anti-bullying provisions, as specified.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081