BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 700
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Date of Hearing: May 1, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Joan Buchanan, Chair
AB 700 (Gomez) - As Introduced: February 21, 2013
SUBJECT : Pupil Instruction: Social Science: Voter Education
SUMMARY : Requires the social studies courses specified in
statute to include a voter education component and requires the
California Department of Education (CDE) to develop a model
curriculum framework for this process. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12 in the
social sciences be amended to include a voter education
component in grade 8 and in any of the grades 9-12, inclusive,
that provides instruction on how to register and cast votes in
local, state, and federal elections and how to use the voter
information pamphlet and other materials to become an informed
voter.
2)Requires that, beginning in the 2014-15 school year, the
one-semester course in American government and civics
identified as a high school graduation requirement, include a
voter education component that provides instruction on how to
register and cast votes in local, state, and federal elections
and how to use the voter information pamphlet and other
materials to become an informed voter.
3)Requires the CDE to develop and adopt a model curriculum
framework for a voter education component in social studies
classes to be implemented commencing with the 2014-15 school
year.
4)Makes technical non-substantive amendments to these sections.
5)Requires reimbursement though the Commission on State Mandates
if the commission determines that this act contains costs
mandated by the state.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Specifies that the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12
shall offer courses in specified areas of study, including
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social sciences.
2)Requires that a pupil shall complete courses in specified
course areas including social science which shall include the
subjects of United States history and geography; world
history, culture, and geography; a one-semester course in
American government and civics; and a one-semester course in
economics in order to receive a high school diploma.
3)Permits the State Board of Education (SBE) to consider the
adoption of revised framework and evaluation criteria for
instructional materials in history-social science but prevents
the CDE from engaging in this work until after it has
completed work related to the development of curriculum
frameworks for the common core academic standards.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : This bill amends Education Code section 51225.3 which
currently exists in two forms. AB 1330 (Furutani), Chapter 621,
Statutes of 2011, expanded the high school graduation
requirements, beginning with the 2012-13 school year (class of
2013). The provisions of AB 1330 will be repealed as of the
beginning of the 2017-18 school year (July 1, 2017), unless
these provisions are extended by legislative action. This
amendment has resulted in two code sections in print
simultaneously, though only one is operative.
Voter Education
Historically, voter turnout among those under age 30 is lower
than among other age groups. In an article published February
21, 2013, Project Vote, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit
organization that promotes voting in historically
underrepresented communities, concluded that establishing
partnerships, actively involving students and teachers,
including a civic education component, and enacting innovative
voter registration programs are strategies that can increase
voter turnout and engagement among young people under the age of
30. Similarly, the League of Women Voters found that 91 percent
of the young people who registered to vote in 2008 actually
turned out to cast a ballot; unfortunately, less than half of
all 18-year-olds were registered to vote. The League of Women
Voters reported "it is lack of information, not lack of
interest, that keeps [young people] on the sidelines at election
time."
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Currently, California has a program available to students titled
My Vote in which the Secretary of State and the Superintendent
of Public Instruction (SPI) encourage students to become active
and informed voters once they are old enough to cast a ballot.
In this program, high school and middle school students,
teachers, and principals participate in a mock election, which
takes place in late October, about a week before each regularly
scheduled statewide general election.
Students gain firsthand knowledge of how citizens make their
voice heard in our democracy, and experience the power of their
votes when thousands of California's high school and middle
school students have their say on the candidates and issues on
Student Mock Election Day.
Curriculum and Instruction
This bill requires local governing boards to modify their
adopted course of study for the existing course in American
Government that encompasses the prescribed voter education
component. This bill also requires the CDE to develop a model
curriculum framework that could serve as a resource for the
local educational agencies as they implement these new course
requirements. It is not clear whether this framework may be
added to the history/ social science framework or whether this
would require the CDE to develop a standalone framework that
includes only the voter education content.
A number of bills have been introduced this year proposing to
require the instruction of a specific topic. The committee may
wish to consider the extent to which content should be developed
through statutory incorporation versus through the Instructional
Quality Commission (IQC) and local school boards when adopting a
local course of study. Specifically, the committee recommends,
removing the requirements that the local courses of study and
course requirements for graduation be modified to include a
voter education component. The committee also recommends
deleting the requirement that the CDE develop and adopt a model
curriculum framework for the voter education component.
Finally, the committee recommends amending this bill to require
the IQC, when the history-social science frameworks are next
revised, to encourage a voter education component to be included
in the American Government and Civics course that would include
instruction on how to register and cast votes in local, state,
and federal elections, and how to use the voter information
pamphlet and other materials for the purpose of becoming an
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informed voter.
Related legislation . AB 123 (Bonta), passed out of this
committee on March 20, 2013, requires instruction on the
contributions of Filipino Americans to the farm labor movement
in California.
AB 137 (Buchanan), passed out of this committee on April 17,
2013, requires the IQC to receive input from specified experts
on civic learning the next time the history-social science
frameworks are developed and encourages civic learning content
to be integrated throughout the history-social science
framework.
AB 166 (Hern�ndez), passed out of this committee on March 20,
2013, requires instruction in economics provided in grades 7
through 12 to include instruction related to personal finances.
AB 391 (Wieckowski), passed out of this committee on April 17,
2013, specifies the next time the history-social science
frameworks are developed that they encourage financial literacy
and requires the SPI to update the exiting consumer economics
course to include instruction in personal financial literacy.
AB 424 (Donnelly) failed to pass out of this committee,
encourages the addition of the Magna Carta, the Articles of
Confederation, and the California Constitution to be added to
the historical documents that are required to be incorporated
into history-social science curriculum framework and encouraged
instruction in the social sciences to include the development of
democracy and the history of the development of the United
States Constitution. The author has requested a re-hearing by
this committee to consider an amended version of this bill.
SB 113 (Jackson), currently being held in the Senate
Appropriations Committee's suspense file, amends existing law
which currently authorizes a person who is at least 17 years of
age and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements to
submit his or her affidavit of registration, to lower the
minimum age for purposes of submitting an affidavit of
registration to 15 years of age.
SB 552 (Calderon), pending in the Senate Education Committee,
provides that instruction in the area of social sciences may
include instruction on violence awareness.
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Previous legislation : SB 993 (De Le�n), Chapter 211, Statutes of
2012, authorizes instruction in social science for grades 7-12
to include information about the Bracero program. This measure
was passed by the Assembly Education Committee by a vote of 7-2.
AB 199 (Ma & Cook), Chapter 607, Statutes of 2011, encourages
social studies instruction to include instruction on the role
and contributions of Filipino Americans in the United States
army in World War II. This measure was passed by the Assembly
Education Committee by a vote of 7-0.
SB 48 (Leno), Chapter 81, Statutes of 2011, requires instruction
in social science to include the role and contributions of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans. This measure
was passed by the Assembly Education Committee by a vote of 7-4.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME)
California Federation of Teachers
California State Council of the Service Employees International
Union (SEIU)
School for Integrated Academies and Technologies (SIATech)
Opposition
California Council for the Social Studies
Analysis Prepared by : Jill Rice / ED. / (916) 319-2087