Amended in Assembly March 29, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1593


Introduced by Assemblybegin delete Memberend deletebegin insert Membersend insert Obernoltebegin insert and Alejoend insert

begin delete(Coauthor: Assembly Member Mayes)end deletebegin insert (Coauthors: Assembly Members Travis Allen, Baker, Chang, Chávez, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Hadley, Kim, Lackey, Linder, Mayes, Mullin, Patterson, Wagner, and Wilk)end insert

begin delete(Coauthor: Senator Morrell)end deletebegin insert (Coauthors: Senators Anderson, Bates, Cannella, Fuller, Leno, Morrell, Runner, and Vidak)end insert

January 6, 2016


An act to amend Section 48205 of the Education Code, relating to pupil attendance.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1593, as amended, Obernolte. Pupil attendance: excused absences: naturalization ceremony.

Existing law requires a pupil to be excused from school for specified types of absences and prohibits those excused absences from generating state apportionment payments by deeming them as absences in computing average daily attendance.

This bill would include attending the pupil’s naturalization ceremony to become a United States citizen as another type of excused absence.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 48205 of the Education Code is amended
2to read:

3

48205.  

(a) Notwithstanding Section 48200, a pupil shall be
4excused from school when the absence is:

5(1) Due tobegin delete his or herend deletebegin insert the pupil’send insert illness.

6(2) Due to quarantine under the direction of a county or city
7health officer.

8(3) For the purpose of having medical, dental, optometrical, or
9chiropractic services rendered.

10(4) For the purpose of attending the funeral services of a member
11ofbegin delete his or herend deletebegin insert the pupil’send insert immediate family, so long as the absence
12is not more than one day if the service is conducted in California
13and not more than three days if the service is conducted outside
14California.

15(5) For the purpose of jury duty in the manner provided for by
16law.

17(6) Due to the illness or medical appointment during school
18hours of a child of whom the pupil is the custodial parent.

19(7) For justifiable personal reasons, including, but not limited
20to, an appearance in court, attendance at a funeral service,
21observance of a holiday or ceremony ofbegin delete his or herend deletebegin insert the pupil’send insert
22 religion, attendance at religious retreats, attendance at an
23employment conference, or attendance at an educational conference
24on the legislative or judicial process offered by a nonprofit
25organization when the pupil’s absence is requested in writing by
26the parent or guardian and approved by the principal or a designated
27representative pursuant to uniform standards established by the
28governing board.

29(8) For the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board
30for an election pursuant to Section 12302 of the Elections Code.

31(9) For the purpose of spending time with a member of the
32pupil’s immediate family, who is an active duty member of the
33uniformed services, as defined in Section 49701, and has been
34called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned
35from, deployment to a combat zone or combat support position.
36Absences granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be granted for
37a period of time to be determined at the discretion of the
38superintendent of the school district.

P3    1(10) For the purpose of attending the pupil’s naturalization
2ceremony to become a United States citizen.

3(b) A pupil absent from school under this section shall be
4allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the
5absence that can be reasonably provided and, upon satisfactory
6completion within a reasonable period of time, shall be given full
7credit therefor. The teacher of the class from which a pupil is absent
8shall determine which tests and assignments shall be reasonably
9equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and
10assignments that the pupil missed during the absence.

11(c) For purposes of this section, attendance at religious retreats
12shall not exceed four hours per semester.

13(d) Absences pursuant to this section are deemed to be absences
14in computing average daily attendance and shall not generate state
15apportionment payments.

16(e) “Immediate family,” as used in this section, has the same
17meaning as set forth in Section 45194, except that references
18therein to “employee” shall be deemed to be references to “pupil.”



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