BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1593
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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
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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).
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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
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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
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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