BILL NUMBER: AB 2437	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hagman

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2014

   An act to add Section 60644.5 to the Education Code, relating to
pupil assessment, and making an appropriation therefor.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2437, as introduced, Hagman. Pupil assessment: school network
infrastructure.
   Existing law establishes various programs to measure and assess
the academic performance of pupils.
   This bill would require the State Department of Education to
establish a competitive grant program to provide grants for the
construction of network infrastructure for schools with kindergarten
and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to enable the schools to administer
adequately digital assessments of pupils that are required pursuant
to state or federal law. The bill would require the department to
award grants based on the needs of the local education agencies and
would require, as a condition of the grant, that the local education
agency provide matching funds of 50% of the project costs. The bill
would, for the 2014-15 fiscal year, appropriate $500,000,000 from the
General Fund to the department for the grant program.
   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 60644.5 is added to the Education Code, to
read:
   60644.5.  (a) The department shall establish a competitive grant
program to provide grants for the construction of network
infrastructure for schools with kindergarten and grades 1 to 12,
inclusive, to enable the schools to administer adequately digital
assessments of pupils that are required by state or federal law.
   (b) In administering the program, the department shall evaluate an
application and award the grants based on the need of the local
education agencies.
   (c) The department shall, as a condition of a grant, require the
local education agency to provide matching funds in an amount of 50
percent of the project costs.
   (d) For the 2014-15 fiscal year, the sum of five hundred million
dollars ($500,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund
to the department for the purposes of this section.