BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    ACR 144


                                                                    Page  1





          Date of Hearing:  April 20, 2016 


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                               Lorena Gonzalez, Chair


          ACR  
          144 (Mullin) - As Introduced February 24, 2016


           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Policy       | Education                     |Vote:| 7 - 0       |
          |Committee:   |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 


          Urgency:   No State Mandated Local Program: No  Reimbursable:   
          No


          SUMMARY:


          This resolution urges the State Board of Education (SBE), county  
          offices of education (COE), and local school governing bodies to  
          increase emphasis on character, citizenship, ethics, and the  
          humane treatment of living creatures in order to promote a  
          humane and compassionate society.  Specifically, this bill:  










                                                                    ACR 144


                                                                    Page  2





          1)Makes findings and declarations relative to the importance of  
            education in character, citizenship, ethics, and the humane  
            treatment of living creatures.



          2)Resolves that the Legislature urges the SBE, county offices of  
            education, and local school governing bodies to increase  
            emphasis on character, citizenship, ethics, and the humane  
            treatment of living creatures in order to promote a humane and  
            compassionate society.



          3)Resolves that the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies  
            of this resolution to the SBE, the Superintendent of Public  
            Instruction, boards of education and administrators of county  
            offices and school districts, and to the author for  
            distribution.
          FISCAL EFFECT:


          Minor General Fund and Proposition 98/GF cost pressures for the  
          SBE and local education agencies to increase emphasis on  
          character, citizenship, ethics, and the humane treatment of  
          living creatures in order to promote a humane and compassionate  
          society.


          COMMENTS:


          1)Purpose. According to the author, the State of California has  
            demonstrated support for character education since 1980s, when  
            a select bipartisan committee on character education was  
            initiated. Every year, the California State Board of Education  
            adopts a resolution naming the month of October as "Character  
            Education Month." This resolution builds on existing character  
            education efforts in schools by encouraging the humane  








                                                                    ACR 144


                                                                    Page  3





            treatment of animals along with a greater emphasis on  
            character, citizenship, and ethics.





          Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081