BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 549|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 549
Author: Jones-Sawyer (D)
Amended: 8/15/13 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-0, 7/3/13
AYES: Liu, Block, Correa, Hancock, Hueso, Monning, Torres
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wyland, Huff
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 77-0, 5/29/13 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : School Safety plans: role of intervention
professionals
SOURCE : Childrens Defense Fund
Policy Link
Youth Justice Coalition
DIGEST : This bill encourages schools to include in school
safety plans, when plans are reviewed and updated, guidelines
for the roles and responsibilities of mental health
professionals, community intervention professionals, school
counselors, school resource officers, and police officers on
school campus, if the school district uses these people.
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/15/13 move the provisions of this
bill from an existing section of the Education Code relative to
school safety plans to a new stand-alone section to avoid
chaptering out provisions of SB 49 (Lieu).
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ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Requires each school district and county office of education
to be responsible for the overall development of all
comprehensive school safety plans for its schools.
2. Requires the schoolsite council of a small school district to
write and develop the school safety plan, and requires the
schoolsite council to consult with a representative from a
law enforcement agency in the writing and development of the
school safety plan.
3. States legislative intent that all public schools develop a
comprehensive school safety plan that addresses the safety
concerns identified through a systematic planning process.
States intent that schools develop school safety plans in
cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, community
leaders, parents, pupils, teachers, administrators, and other
people who may be interested in the prevention of campus
crime and violence.
4. Authorizes school districts and county offices of education,
in consultation with law enforcement, to elect to not have
its schoolsite council develop and write portions of the
school safety plan that include tactical responses to
criminal incidents. Portions of the safety plan containing
tactical responses may be developed by school administrators
in consultation with law enforcement and with a
representative of the employee bargaining unit. Governing
boards are authorized to approve the tactical response
portion of the safety plan in a closed session.
5. Requires the comprehensive school safety plan to include (1)
an assessment of the current status of school crime committed
on school campuses and at school-related functions and (2)
identification of appropriate strategies and programs that
will provide or maintain a high level of school safety and
detail procedures for complying with existing laws; disaster
procedures; policies regarding suspension or expulsion; a
discrimination and harassment policy; and, a safe and orderly
environment conducive to learning.
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6. Encourages, as school safety plans are reviewed and updated,
plans to include policies and procedures aimed at the
prevention of bullying.
7. Requires the comprehensive school safety plan to be evaluated
at least once a year.
8. Requires the schoolsite council or school safety planning
committee to hold a public meeting to allow public comment,
and requires the notification of specified people and
entities prior to this meeting. Requires each school to
submit its school safety plan to the school district or
county office of education for approval and requires a school
district or county office of education to notify the
California Department of Education by October 15 of every
year of any school that is not in compliance.
9. Requires each school to include a description of key elements
of the school safety plan in the annual school accountability
report card.
10.Requires, if the Superintendent of Public Instruction
determines that there has been a willful failure to make any
report required in school safety plan statutes to do both of
the following:
A. Notify the school district or county office of
education in which the willful failure has occurred.
B. Make an assessment of up to $2,000 against that
school or county office of education, which may be done
by deducting funding from the district's or county
office's future apportionment.
This bill:
1. Encourages all school safety plans to include, as plans are
reviewed and updated and to the extent that resources are
available, clear guidelines for the roles and
responsibilities of mental health professionals, community
intervention professionals, school counselors, school
resource officers, and police officers on school campus, if
the school district uses these people.
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2. Authorizes the guidelines to include primary strategies to
create and maintain a positive school climate, promote school
safety, and increase pupil achievement, and prioritize mental
health and intervention services, restorative and
transformative justice programs, and positive behavior
interventions and support.
Comments
According to the author, "Across the state, school districts,
such as Los Angeles Unified School District, have responded to
the very rational fears of parents by deploying more law
enforcement officers on school campuses. They are an important
part of overall community safety; they are not the only means of
keeping schools safe and can actually have a counterproductive
effect. To make learning environments safer, researchers
recommend that schools take actions to create connectedness and
trust between children and adults. By distinguishing the role
of mental health professionals, school resource officers and
police officers on campus from those of other personnel, it will
better protect the campus environment, improve school climate
and ensure that mental health professionals and law enforcement
are available to intervene in situations where they are most
needed."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local:
No
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, this bill
imposes General Fund (Proposition 98) cost pressure, likely
between $150,000 and $250,000, to school districts to establish
guidelines.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/19/13)
Children's Defense Fund (co-source)
Policy Link (co-source)
Youth Justice Coalition (co-source)
Advancement Project
All of us or None
American Civil Liberties Union of California
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
Black Organizing Project
California Conference for Equality and Justice
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California Families to Abolish Solitary
California Federation of Teachers
Californians for Justice
Californians United for a Responsible Budget
Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice
Centro C.H.A. Inc.
Community Asset Development Re-Defining Education
Community Coalition
Confinement California Psychiatric Association
Critical Resistance
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
GSA Network
Helper Foundation
Justice for Families
Legal Services for Children
Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
Los Angeles Community Action Network
Mental Health Advocacy Services
Mexican American Legal Defense Fund
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Juvenile Justice Network
Public Counsel
San Jose State University
Southern California Counseling Center
The California Conference for Equality and Justice
The W. Haywood Burns Institute
Violence Prevention Coalition
Youth Alive
Youth Justice Coalition
Youth Law Center
Youth Leadership Institute
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/19/13)
Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association
San Diego Schools Police Officers Association
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 77-0, 5/29/13
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom,
Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown,
Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway,
Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox,
Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon,
Gorell, Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández,
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Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Logue, Lowenthal, Maienschein,
Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mitchell, Morrell, Mullin,
Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea,
V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva,
Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber,
Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Holden, Linder, Vacancy
PQ:d 8/20/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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