BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 146 (Cristina Garcia) - Pupil instruction: social sciences: deportations to Mexico. ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: February 25, 2015 |Policy Vote: ED. 6 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: July 13, 2015 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: This bill requires the State Board of Education (Board) to consider including in the history-social science curriculum framework, instruction on the unconstitutional deportation of citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States to Mexico during the Great Depression. This bill also provides encouragement from the Legislature for the California Department of Education (CDE) to incorporate this topic into curriculum resources for teachers. Fiscal Impact: Approximately $160,000 one-time General Fund (cost pressure of $138,000 and direct costs of $19,000) to the CDE and the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) within the CDE, respectively. AB 146 (Cristina Garcia) Page 1 of ? Background: Current law establishes the IQC as an advisory body to the Board. The IQC is responsible for recommending curriculum frameworks to the Board, developing criteria for the evaluation of instructional materials, and evaluating and recommending adoption of instructional materials. (Education Code § 33530 and § 60204) The revision to the history-social science framework was suspended in July 2009, and subsequently resumed in July 2014. The draft revision was released for field review in September 2014, and is expected to be presented to the Board in November 2015, and expected to be adopted in May 2016. The existing draft framework includes some references to the deportation to Mexico during the Great Depression in grades four and 11. Proposed Law: This bill adds to the list of items that the Legislature encourages the CDE to incorporate into publications that provide examples of curriculum resources for teachers, the unconstitutional deportation of citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States to Mexico during the Great Depression. This bill also requires the Board to consider including this subject when it revises and adopts the history-social science curriculum framework, evaluation criteria, and instructional materials. Finally, this bill includes the unconstitutional deportation to Mexico during the Great Depression within the meaning of "human rights" and "human rights violations." In existing law, the Legislature encourages the incorporation of oral testimony into the teaching of human rights and that all professional development activities provide teachers with background and resources to assist them in teaching about human rights violations. Related Legislation: SB 551 (Cedillo, 2007) and SB 1214 (Cedillo, 2008) both required the Board to include the unconstitutional deportation to Mexico during the Great Depression in the next revision of the history-social science framework. SB 551 was held in this committee and SB 1214 was vetoed by the Governor at that time. SB 1575 (Dunn, 2006) expanded the course of study for grades AB 146 (Cristina Garcia) Page 2 of ? 7-12 to include instruction on the unconstitutional deportation to Mexico during the Great Depression, and required the CDE to include this instruction in curriculum resources for teachers. SB 1575 was vetoed by the Governor at that time. Staff Comments: This bill encourages the CDE to incorporate the unconstitutional deportation of citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States to Mexico during the Great Depression into teacher curriculum resources. This provision results in cost pressures to the CDE of about $138,000 to incorporate such material. To the extent it is decided to provide additional information on this topic in the curriculum framework, beyond what is already included, costs would be about $19,000. -- END --