BILL NUMBER: AB 1876	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Lopez

                        FEBRUARY 10, 2016

   An act to add Section 51420.5 to the Education Code, relating to
pupils.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1876, as introduced, Lopez. Pupils: diploma alternatives:
language options.
   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 meets specified requirements,
including, among others, having taken all or a portion of a general
education development test that has been approved by the State Board
of Education and 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 high
school graduates.
   Commencing July 1, 2017, this bill would prohibit the department
from approving or renewing approval of a contractor or testing center
to administer the tests described above unless the contractor or
testing center provides those tests in the top 5 primary languages
used in the contractor or testing center's service area. The bill
would require an examinee to be able to take the test in the offered
language of his or her choice.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares both of the
following:
   (a) The intention in enacting the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual
Services Act was to provide for effective communication between all
levels of government in this state and the people of this state who
are precluded from utilizing public services because of language
barriers.
   (b) It is in the interest of California to reduce language
barriers in obtaining high school equivalency certificates.
  SEC. 2.  Section 51420.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:
   51420.5.  (a) Commencing July 1, 2017, the department shall not
approve or renew approval of a contractor or testing center to
administer tests for purposes of Section 51420 unless the contractor
or testing center provides the general educational development tests
that have been approved by the state board in the top five primary
languages used in the contractor or testing center's service area.
   (b) An examinee shall be able to take the test in the offered
language of his or her choice.
   (c) This section is intended to supplement and not supplant any
other requirements the department adopts for the approval of
contractors or testing centers under this article.