BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 700
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 700 (Gomez)
As Amended May 24, 2013
Majority vote
EDUCATION 7-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Ayes:|Buchanan, Olsen, Campos, |Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey, Bigelow, |
| |Chávez, Nazarian, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Ammiano, Williams | |Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez, |
| | | |Hall, Ammiano, Linder, |
| | | |Pan, Quirk, Wagner, Weber |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY : Requires, when the history-social science framework is
next revised, the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to
include voter education information in the high school American
Government and civics courses, including information on the
importance of registering to vote in local, state, and federal
elections, and where how to access the voter information
pamphlet and other materials to become an informed voter, to be
included. This bill also makes clear that nothing in this
measure shall be construed to require the IQC to meet or make
any revisions to the history-social science framework
specifically for this purpose.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, to the extent the requirements of this bill are
already included in the scheduled history-social science
curriculum framework review process, there will be minor,
absorbable General Fund costs to the California Department of
Education (CDE) to implement this measure.
COMMENTS : 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
AB 700
Page 2
30. Similarly, the League of Women Voters found that 91% 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."
Content Standards and Curriculum Frameworks . California
curriculum is based on content standards. The curriculum
frameworks are guidelines for implementing the standards that
are developed by the IQC (also referenced in statute as the
"commission") and approved by the State Board of Education
(SBE). The IQC is an 18-member commission consisting of one
member of the Assembly, one member of the Senate, and 16 public
members. At least seven of the public members must have taught,
written, or lectured on the subject areas required for
graduation. The history-social science standards were developed
in 1998 and the History-Social Science Framework was last
revised in 2005. A review and update of this framework was
underway and nearly complete when the state suspended the
process on July 28, 2009, due to fiscal constraints. The SBE is
specifically prohibited from reviewing frameworks and adopting
instructional materials until the 2015-16 school year. SB 1540
(Hancock), Chapter 288, Statutes of 2012, authorizes the SBE to
consider the adoption of a revised curriculum framework and
evaluation criteria for instructional materials in
history-social science, but prohibits the CDE from conducting
any work until after CDE has completed work related to the
development of curriculum frameworks for the common core content
standards.
Analysis Prepared by : Jill Rice / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0000840