BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                            



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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, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway,  
            Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox,  
            Frazier, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray,  
            Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández, Jones,  
            Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal, Maienschein,  
            Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mitchell, Morrell, Mullin,  
            Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, 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:  Bigelow, Beth Gaines, Holden, Patterson,  
            Vacancy


          PQ:d  7/1/13   Senate Floor Analyses 

                           SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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