BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2519
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Date of Hearing: April 6, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Patrick O'Donnell, Chair
AB 2519
(Calderon) - As Introduced February 19, 2016
SUBJECT: School safety plans
SUMMARY: Revises the provision expressing the intent of the
Legislature that school districts develop a comprehensive school
safety plan and revises the definition of a "safety plan."
Specifically, this bill:
1)Adds coaches and other persons interested in the health and
safety of the campus community to the list of entities a
school should consult with in developing a school safety plan.
2)Revises the definition of a "safety plan" to include a plan to
develop strategies in "response to" potential incidents
involving "medical emergency" on the school campus, which
shall include "sanctioned activities before and after school".
3)Makes minor, technical corrections.
EXISTING LAW:
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1)Expresses the intent of the Legislature that all California
public schools, in cooperation with local law enforcement
agencies, community leaders, parents, pupils, teachers,
administrators, and other persons who may be interested in the
prevention of campus crime and violence, to develop a
comprehensive school safety plan that addresses the safety
concerns identified through a systematic planning process.
(Education Code Section (EC) Section 32280)
2)Specifies that a "safety plan" means a plan to develop
strategies aimed at the prevention of, and education about,
potential incidents involving crime and violence on the school
campus. (EC Section 32280)
3)Requires each school district or county office of education
(COE) to be responsible for the overall development of all
comprehensive school safety plans for its schools operating
kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12. (EC Section
32281)
4)Specifies that the schoolsite council or a school safety
planning committee is responsible for developing the
comprehensive school safety plan. (EC Section 32281)
5)Specifies that the comprehensive school safety plan shall
include an assessment of the current status of school crime
committed on school campuses and at school-related functions
and identification of appropriate strategies and programs that
will provide or maintain a high level of school safety and
address the school's procedures for complying with existing
laws related to school safety, including child abuse reporting
procedures; disaster procedures; an earthquake emergency
procedure system; policies regarding pupils who commit
specified acts that would lead to suspension or expulsion;
procedures to notify teachers of dangerous pupils; a
discrimination and harassment policy; the provisions of any
schoolwide dress code; procedures for safe ingress and egress
of pupils, parents, and school employees to and from school; a
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safe and orderly environment conducive to learning; rules and
procedures on school discipline; and hate crime reporting
procedures. (EC 32282)
FISCAL EFFECT: None. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS: Background. Existing law specifies that school
districts and COEs are responsible for the overall development
of school safety plans. Each school is required to develop a
school safety plan that includes processes, procedures, and
policies to ensure student and staff safety at a school site.
The components of the plan range from daily processes, such as
procedures for safe ingress and egress of pupils, parents and
school employees; to disaster and emergency procedures such as
those during and after earthquakes; and to behavioral policies
such as discrimination and harassment policies.
The school safety plan is developed by a school site council or
a school safety planning committee. Current law requires a
school to submit the school safety plan to the school district
or COE for approval and requires the school district or COE to
annually notify the California Department of Education (CDE) of
any schools that have not complied with the requirement to
develop a school safety plan. The Superintendent of Public
Instruction is authorized to impose a fine of not more than
$2,000 against a school district or COE for any willful failure
to make any required report. According to the CDE, there has
been no report of noncompliance by schools and no district or
COE has been fined for willfully failing to report a school that
has not developed a school safety plan. It is unclear whether
this is because there have been no violations and every school
in the state has developed its school safety plan, or whether
districts or COEs have not reported schools that have not
developed their school safety plans.
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Intent of the school safety plan. Existing law expresses the
intent of the Legislature for schools to develop the school
safety plan in cooperation with a number of entities, including
local law enforcement agencies, community leaders, parents,
pupils, teachers, administrators, and other persons who may be
interested in the prevention of campus crime and violence. This
bill adds coaches and other persons who may be interested in the
health and safety of the campus community to that list.
Existing law defines a safety plan as a plan to develop
strategies aimed at the prevention of and education about
potential incidents involving crime and violence. This bill
expands the definition to include strategies in response to
crime and violence, and adds incidences of medical emergency,
which includes sanctioned activities before and after school.
The author states that the intent of the bill to ensure that
safety plans are developed for before and after school
activities, such as sports practice and club meetings, and to
include coaches in the development of those plans.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
AB 2519
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Analysis Prepared by:Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087