Amended in Assembly April 18, 2016

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 begin delete 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. The bill would require the department to take specified actions to implement the bill’s provisions, including consulting end delete begin insert consult end insert with school-based restorative justice practitioners and others to identify best begin delete practices, as specified. end delete begin insert practices to evaluate the implementation of restorative justice practices in school districts, to develop standard models or recommendations for effective implementation, and to post the standard model or models or recommendations on the department’s Internet Web site. 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

 

begin delete

49055.  

(a) The department shall develop a standard model to
implement restorative justice 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

end delete

begin insert

begin insert 49055. end insert   

end insert

begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert It is the intent of the Legislature to evaluate existing end insert
restorative justice practices begin delete as part of its campus culture. end delete

begin insert implemented by school districts to determine if there are common
effective strategies that can be shared with school districts that
have not implemented restorative justice practices. end insert

(b) The department shall do all of the begin delete following to implement
this section: end delete begin insert following: end 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.

begin delete

(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.

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

end delete begin insert

(2) Evaluate the implementation of restorative justice practices
in school districts and, upon consultation with the stakeholders
pursuant to paragraph (1), either develop standard models or
develop recommendations for effective implementation.

end insert begin insert

(3) Post the standard model or models or recommendations
developed pursuant to paragraph (2) on the department’s Internet
Web site.

end insert