BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 700|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 700
Author: Gomez (D)
Amended: 5/24/13 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 9-0, 6/19/13
AYES: Liu, Wyland, Block, Correa, Hancock, Hueso, Huff,
Monning, Torres
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 5/30/13 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Pupil instruction: voter education
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Instructional Quality
Commission (IQC), when revising the history-social science
framework, to ensure that voter education information is
included in the American government and civics curriculum at the
high school level, as specified.
ANALYSIS : Academic content standards define the knowledge,
concepts, and skills that pupils should acquire at each grade
level. Curricular frameworks are the blueprint for implementing
the standards, and include criteria by which instructional
materials are evaluated.
The processes for reviewing frameworks and adopting
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instructional materials have been suspended since July 28, 2009.
The State Board of Education (SBE) is specifically prohibited
from reviewing frameworks and adopting instructional materials
until the 2015-16 school year, except as provided below.
Notwithstanding the suspension, existing law:
1. Requires the SBE to adopt revised frameworks that are aligned
to the common core standards in:
A. Mathematics by November 30, 2013.
B. English language arts by May 30, 2014.
2. Authorizes the SBE to adopt a revised framework for history
social science, but only after the Department of Education
(CDE) has completed work related to the frameworks for the
common core standards.
Civics is generally included in the history-social science
standards and framework, with several references to the United
States and California Constitutions and democracy.
Existing law requires the SBE and the CDE to request that the
IQC review and revise, as necessary, the course requirements in
the history-social science framework to ensure that minimum
standards for courses in American government and civics include
sufficient attention to teaching students how to interact, in a
practical manner, with state and local governmental agencies and
representatives to solve problems and to petition for changes in
laws and procedures. When the history-social science framework
is revised, the IQC must ensure that the following historical
documents are incorporated into the framework, as appropriate:
1. The Declaration of Independence.
2. The United States Constitution, including the Bill of Rights.
3. The Federalist Papers.
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4. The Emancipation Proclamation.
5. The Gettysburg Address.
6. George Washington's Farewell Address.
This bill requires the IQC, when revising the history-social
science framework, to ensure that voter education information is
included in the American government and civics curriculum at the
high school level. Specifically, this bill:
1. Requires the IQC, when revising the history-social science
framework, to ensure that voter education information is
included in the American government and civics curriculum at
the high school level including:
A. Information on the importance of registering to vote
in local, state, and federal elections.
B. Where and how to access the voter information
pamphlet and other materials to become an informed
voter.
2. Provides that this bill is not to be construed as requiring
the IQC to meet specifically to implement this bill, and that
any revisions to the history-social science framework are to
be implemented within the existing framework revision
process.
Comments
According to the author, "Currently California education code
requires all high school graduates to efficiently pass a course
in United States government. While the content of the material
addresses voting and the importance of voting, the content fails
to go into detail about the voting process, including how to
research propositions, how to find further candidate information
and voting rights."
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FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/1/13)
California School Boards Association
California School Employees Association
Latino Democrats of Santa Cruz County
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
School for Integrated Academics and Technologies
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 5/30/13
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bloom,
Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown,
Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Ch�vez, Chesbro, Conway,
Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox,
Frazier, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray,
Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hern�ndez, Jones,
Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal, Maienschein,
Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mitchell, Morrell, Mullin,
Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel
P�rez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone,
Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams,
Yamada, John A. P�rez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bigelow, Beth Gaines, Holden, Patterson,
Vacancy
PQ:d 7/1/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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