BILL NUMBER: SB 237	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 1, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Calderon
   (Coauthor: Assembly Member Brown)

                        FEBRUARY 12, 2013

   An act to amend Sections 51430 and 51442 of the Education Code,
relating to retroactive high school diplomas.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 237, as amended, Calderon. High school diplomas: retroactive
high school  diplomas;   diplomas: 
veterans.
   Existing law authorizes a high school district, unified school
district, or county office of education to retroactively grant a high
school diploma to veterans of World War II, the Korean War, or the
Vietnam War, under specified conditions. Existing law also defines
"veteran" for the purpose of retroactive high school diplomas.
   This bill would make those provisions applicable to all veterans,
and would revise the definition of veteran for purposes of those
provisions to include, among other things, service in humanitarian
missions. 
   Existing law also requires each pupil completing grade 12, unless
he or she is granted a waiver for specified reasons, to successfully
pass the high school exit examination as a condition of receiving a
diploma of graduation or a condition of graduation from high school.
 
   This bill would authorize the governing board of a high school
district, unified school district, or county office of education,
before granting a retroactive high school diploma, as specified, to
require a person eligible to receive a retroactive high school
diploma to pass the high school exit examination. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 51430 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   51430.  (a) Notwithstanding any other law,  and except as
provided in subdivision (c),  a high school district, unified
school district, or county office of education may retroactively
grant a high school diploma to a person who has not received a high
school diploma if he or she meets either of the following conditions:

   (1) The person was interned by order of the federal government
during World War II and was enrolled in a high school operated by the
school district or under the jurisdiction of the county office of
education immediately preceding his or her internment and did not
receive a high school diploma because his or her education was
interrupted due to his or her internment during World War II.
   (2) The person is a veteran, as defined in Section 51442, was
honorably discharged from his or her military service, was enrolled
in a high school operated by the school district or under the
jurisdiction of the county office of education immediately preceding
his or her military service, and did not receive a high school
diploma because his or her education was interrupted due to his or
her military service.
   (b) A high school district, unified school district, or county
office of education may retroactively grant a high school diploma to
a deceased person who meets the conditions of paragraph (1) or (2) of
subdivision (a), to be received by the next of kin of the deceased
person. 
   (c) The governing board of a high school district, unified school
district, or county office of education may, before granting a
retroactive high school diploma pursuant to subdivision (a), require
a person who is eligible to receive a retroactive high school diploma
to pass the high school exit examination required for high school
graduation pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 60850) of
Part 33. 
  SEC. 2.  Section 51442 of the Education Code is amended to read:
   51442.  For purposes of this article, "veteran" means a person who
has served 90 days or more in the military service of the United
States during a war with a foreign power, as defined in Section
22804, a humanitarian mission, or any national emergency declared by
the President of the United States and who has received an honorable
discharge from that service.