BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1271
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1271 (Bonta)
As Amended August 19, 2014
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: | |January 29, |SENATE: |35-0 |(August 21, 2014) |
| | |2014 | | | |
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(vote not relevant)
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|COMMITTEE VOTE: |5-0 |(August 26, 2014) |RECOMMENDATION: |concur |
|(Ed.) | | | | |
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Original Committee Reference: HIGHER ED.
SUMMARY : Encourages the school safety plan to include protocols
to address the mental health care of pupils who have witnessed a
violent act. Specifically, this bill :
1)Encourages the guidelines in a school safety plan for the roles
and responsibilities of mental health professionals, community
intervention professional, school counselors, school resource
offices, and police officers on school campuses to include
protocols to address the mental health care of pupils who have
witnessed a violent act at any time, including, but not limited
to, any of the following:
a) While on school grounds;
b) While going to or coming from school;
c) During a lunch period whether on or off campus; and,
d) During, or while going to or coming from, a
school-sponsored activity.
2)Finds and declares that a paramount goal of the state is to
ensure that all children receive a high quality education that
enables them to become responsible citizens who will contribute
to their communities and state. Further finds and declares that
a safe and supportive learning environment is a necessary
foundation for increasing academic achievement, enhancing healthy
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development, and improving educational outcomes for all children.
The Senate amendments delete the Assembly version of this bill, and
instead insert the language described in the summary above.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Specifies that the schoolsite council or a school safety planning
committee is responsible for developing the comprehensive school
safety plan. (Education Code (EC) Section 32281)
2)Specifies that the comprehensive school safety plan shall include
an assessment of the current status of school crime committed on
school campuses and at school-related functions and
identification of appropriate strategies and programs that will
provide or maintain a high level of school safety and address the
school's procedures for complying with existing laws related to
school safety, including child abuse reporting procedures;
disaster procedures; an earthquake emergency procedure system;
policies regarding pupils who commit specified acts that would
lead to suspension or expulsion; procedures to notify teachers of
dangerous pupils; a discrimination and harassment policy; the
provisions of any schoolwide dress code; procedures for safe
ingress and egress of pupils, parents, and school employees to
and from school; a safe and orderly environment conducive to
learning; rules and procedures on school discipline; and hate
crime reporting procedures. (EC Section 32282)
3)Expresses the encouragement of the Legislature that all school
safety plans, when they are reviewed and updated and to the
extent that resources are available, to include 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. The
guidelines may 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. (EC Section
32282.1)
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee,
minor cost pressure to state legislative encouragement for schools
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to "prioritize mental health and intervention services, restorative
and transformative justice programs, and positive behavior
interventions and support" in their guidelines governing the roles
and responsibilities of specified adults on campus, and to include
protocols to address the mental health care of pupils who have
witness violent acts, as specified.
COMMENTS : Existing law requires each school to develop a school
safety plan that includes processes, procedures, and policies to
ensure student and staff safety at a school site. The components
of the plan range from daily processes, such as procedures for safe
ingress and egress of pupils, parents and school employees; to
disaster and emergency procedures such as those during and after
earthquakes; to behavioral policies such as discrimination and
harassment policies. The school safety plan is developed by a
school site council or a school safety planning committee.
AB 549 (Jones-Sawyer), Chapter 422, Statutes of 2013, encourages
the school safety plan, as it is reviewed and updated, to include
guidelines on the roles and responsibilities of mental health and
community intervention professionals, school counselors, school
resource officers and police officers on the school campus. The
guidelines may include strategies to create positive school
climates and culture and prioritize mental health and intervention
services, restorative and transformative justice programs, and
positive behavior interventions and support.
This bill expands on this provision to also encourage the
guidelines to include protocols to address the mental health care
of pupils who have witnessed a violent act, whether at school;
while going to or coming from school; during lunch, whether on or
off campus; or during, or while going to or coming from a
school-sponsored activity. According to the author, this bill was
introduced in response to recent school shootings across the
country, and while it is difficult to prevent and control violent
acts, it is possible to prepare schools and students in the event
there is a crisis. The author states, "Shootings such as the Sandy
Hook massacre have devastating effects on both the communities in
which they occur and the nation. Students, parents and other
community members require counseling, support groups, increased
safety protocols, and other procedures to help individuals first
grieve properly and then begin to heal."
Analysis Prepared by : Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087FN:
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