BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1593 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 6, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION Patrick O'Donnell, Chair AB 1593 (Obernolte) - As Amended March 29, 2016 SUBJECT: Pupil attendance: excused absences: naturalization ceremony SUMMARY: Adds a pupil's attendance at his or her naturalization ceremony to become a United States citizen to the list of excused absences. EXISTING LAW: 1)Requires a pupil between the ages of 6 through 18 to attend school in the school district where either parent or legal guardian resides except as specified. (Education Code (EC) Section 48200) 2)Specifies that excused absences are deemed to be absences in computing average daily attendance and shall not general state apportionment payments. (EC Section 48205) 3)Defines a "truant" as any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education a student who is absent from school without a valid excuse on any day or is tardy for more than 30 minutes, or any AB 1593 Page 2 combination thereof, for three days in a school year. (EC Section 48260) 4)Provides that a valid excuse includes, but is not limited, the reasons specified in the "excused absences" sections of law and may include other reasons that are within the discretion of school administrators and based on the facts of the pupil's circumstances. (EC Section 48260) FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown COMMENTS: California's compulsory education law requires every child between the ages of 6 through 18 to attend school full-time and their parents and legal guardians to be responsible for ensuring that children attend school. A student who is absent from school without a valid excuse on any day or is tardy for more than 30 minutes, or any combination thereof, for three days in a school year is considered a truant. Current law establishes excused absences for any of the following: 1)Due to his or her illness or quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer. 2)For medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic appointments. 3)For the purpose of attending the funeral services of an immediate family member (1 day if within the state and three days out of state). AB 1593 Page 3 4)For the purpose of attending jury duty. 5)Due to the illness or medical appointment of a child of whom the student is the custodial parent. 6)For justifiable personal reasons, including an appearance in court, observation of a religious holiday or ceremony, or attendance at an employment or educational conference on legislative or judicial process. 7)For the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board for an election. 8)For the purpose of spending time with an immediate family member who is an active duty member of the military, as specified. Current law also authorizes school districts to determine other valid excuses for purposes of determining truancy. This bill adds a pupil's attendance at his or her naturalization ceremony to become a United States citizen to the list of excused absences. The author states that this bill will ensure that these students will not be punished for missing school for something as important as becoming a citizen of this country. Secretary of State Alex Padilla supports the bill and states, "California is home to over 10 million immigrants, just like my parents, and every year tens of thousands become naturalized citizens at ceremonies across the state. Since assuming office last year, I have had the honor of speaking to nearly 7500 new citizens, including many students, at a dozen ceremonies from AB 1593 Page 4 San Diego to Sacramento. State law should not tarnish a once-in-a-lifetime ceremony by punishing students who must miss school to take their oaths as new United States citizens." Related legislation. SB 946 (Leyva), pending in the Senate Appropriations Committee, deems a student who is serving as a member of a precinct board for an election to be participating in independent study for purposes of calculating average daily attendance. SB 1014 (Liu), pending in the Senate Appropriations Committee, authorizes a school to grant parental leave to a student who is a parent, and provides that such absences generate average daily attendance if the school district files an expectant and parenting student policy with the California Department of Education. SB 1457 (Morrell) expands the authority of school districts to authorize a student to be excused from school to receive moral and religious instruction by authorizing a local governing board to adopt a policy, as specified, to allow pupils to earn up to two elective credits towards high school graduation requirements for the completion of "released time instruction," excluding any cap on the number of excused absences for this purpose, and authorizing a school district to generate average daily attendance (ADA) for these absences. The bill failed passage in the Senate Education Committee. REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION: Support AB 1593 Page 5 Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles California Immigrant Policy Center Los Angeles County Office of Education Secretary of State Alex Padilla Opposition None on file Analysis Prepared by:Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087