BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2845
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 18, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2845 (Williams) - As Amended April 26, 2016
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Policy |Education |Vote:|7 - 0 |
|Committee: | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill expands the Safe Place to Learn Act to require the
California Department of Education (CDE), as part of the
existing Categorical Program Monitoring (CPM) process, to assess
whether local educational agencies (LEAs) serving grades 7-12
have provided information and resources for students who may
face bias or bullying based on religious affiliation, as
specified. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to
post, and annually update on the department's website, a list
of statewide resources, including community based
AB 2845
Page 2
organizations, that provide support to youth and their
families who have been subjected to school-based
discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying on the
basis of religious affiliation, or perceived religious
affiliation.
2)Specifies that nothing in the bill requires school employees
to engage with religious institutions in the course of
identifying community support resources.
FISCAL EFFECT:
General Fund administrative costs to the CDE of approximately
$20,000 in the first year to add additional resources to the
department website on school-based discrimination, harassment,
intimidation, or bullying on the basis of religious affiliation,
or perceived religious affiliation. Ongoing costs of
approximately $10,000 GF to incorporate LEA compliance review
into the existing CPM process.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. Under the Safe Place to Learn Act, all LEAs are
required to work to reduce discrimination, harassment,
violence, intimidation, and bullying. The Safe Place to Learn
Act requires the CDE to monitor whether school districts have
adopted policies prohibiting discrimination based on the
actual or perceived characteristics including disability,
gender, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity,
religion, sexual orientation, or association with a person or
group with one or more of those characteristics. The Safe
Place to Learn Act also requires LEAs serving grades 7-12 to
provide school employees with resources for LGBT students.
This bill would add a requirement that school employees
AB 2845
Page 3
serving grades 7-12 are also provided resources to students
who encounter discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and
bullying based on religious affiliation, or perceived
religious affiliation.
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081