Amended in Assembly March 26, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 872

Introduced by Assembly Member Brown

February 26, 2015

An act to begin delete amend end delete begin insert add end insert Section begin delete 48900.6 of end delete begin insert 51421.5 to end insert the Education Code, relating to begin delete pupil discipline. end delete begin insert high school equivalency certificates. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 872, as amended, Brown. begin delete Pupil discipline: suspensions: community service. end delete begin insert High school equivalency certificates: general educational development examination fee waiver. end insert

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Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a high school equivalency certificate and an official score report, or an official score report only, to a person who has not completed high school and who has taken all or a portion of a general educational development test that has been approved by the State Board of Education and that is administered by a testing center approved by the State Department of Education, with a score determined by the state board to be equal to the standard of performance expected from a high school graduate, and as otherwise specified. Existing law also authorizes the Superintendent to charge a one-time fee, established by the state board, to be submitted by an examinee when registering for the general educational development test, as specified.

end insert begin insert

Notwithstanding these provisions, this bill would require the state board to adopt a rule or regulation granting a waiver of the general educational development examination fee for low-income persons, as defined.

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Existing law authorizes a superintendent of schools or principal of a school to suspend or recommend for expulsion a pupil who commits one or more enumerated acts. Existing law authorizes the principal of a school, the principal’s designee, the superintendent of schools, or the governing board of a school district to require a pupil to perform community service, as defined, during the pupil’s nonschool hours as part of or instead of disciplinary action, subject to specified exceptions.

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This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the provision authorizing community service.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 51421.5 is added to the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert ,
to read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 51421.5. end insert   

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the state board
shall adopt a rule or regulation that grants a waiver to a
low-income person of the general educational development
examination fee charged pursuant to Section 51421.

(b) For purposes of this section, “low-income person” means
a person eligible for Medi-Cal benefits under Chapter 7
(commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code.

end insert

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

Section 48900.6 of the Education Code is
amended to read:

48900.6.  

(a) As part of or instead of disciplinary action
prescribed by this article, the principal of a school, the principal’s
designee, the superintendent of schools, or the governing board of
a school district may require a pupil to perform community service
on school grounds or, with written permission of the parent or
guardian of the pupil, off school grounds, during the pupil’s
nonschool hours.

(b) For purposes of this section, “community service” may
include, but is not limited to, work performed in the community
or on school grounds in the areas of outdoor beautification,
community or campus betterment, and teacher, peer, or youth
assistance programs.

(c) This section does not apply if a pupil has been suspended,
pending expulsion, pursuant to Section 48915. However, this
section applies if the recommended expulsion is not implemented
or is, itself, suspended by stipulation or other administrative action.

end delete