Amended in Assembly March 30, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2489

Introduced by Assembly Member McCarty

February 19, 2016

An act to add Article 9 (commencing with Section 49055) to Chapter 6 of Part 27 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to pupil rights.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2489, as amended, McCarty. Pupil rights: restorative justice practices.

Existing law requires suspension to be imposed on a pupil only when other means of correction fail to bring about proper conduct, and specifies that other means of correction may include, among other things, participation in a restorative justice program.

This bill would require the State Department of Education to develop a standard model to implement restorative justice practices on a school campus and to make the standard model available on the department’s Internet Web site for use by any school district that chooses to implement restorative justice practices as part of its campus culture. begin insert The bill would require the department to take specified actions to implement the bill’s provisions, including end insert begin insert consulting with school-based restorative justice practitioners and others to identify best practices, as specified. end insert

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.  

Article 9 (commencing with Section 49055) is
added to Chapter 6 of Part 27 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:

 

Article 9.  Restorative Justice Practices

 

49055.  

begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert The department shall develop a standard model to
implement restorative begin delete justices end delete begin insert justice end insert practices on a school campus
and shall make the standard model available on the department’s
Internet Web site for use by any school district that chooses to
implement restorative justice practices as part of its campus culture.

begin insert

(b) The department shall do all of the following to implement
this section:

end insert begin insert

(1) Consult with school-based restorative justice practitioners,
educators, pupils, community stakeholders, and nonprofit and
public entities to identify best practices for effective,
evidence-based restorative justice in elementary and secondary
schools.

end insert begin insert

(2) Select an advisory committee made up of stakeholders and
professionals who have participated in the development and
expansion of restorative justice programs to assist in the planning
and implementation of the standard model.

end insert begin insert

(3) Collect and disseminate evidence-based best practices.

end insert