BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó





          SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                             Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
                            2015 - 2016  Regular  Session

          SB 1068 (Leyva) - Homeless children and youth:  local  
          educational agency liaisons:  training materials
          
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |                                                                 |
          |                                                                 |
          |                                                                 |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
          |                                |                                |
          |Version: March 31, 2016         |Policy Vote: ED. 9 - 0          |
          |                                |                                |
          |--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
          |                                |                                |
          |Urgency: No                     |Mandate: No                     |
          |                                |                                |
          |--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
          |                                |                                |
          |Hearing Date: April 25, 2016    |Consultant: Jillian Kissee      |
          |                                |                                |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 


          This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the  
          Suspense File.


          
          Bill  
          Summary:  This bill requires the California Department of  
          Education (CDE) to provide specified informational and training  
          materials to local educational agency (LEA) liaisons for  
          homeless youth (liaisons), and adopt policies and practices to  
          ensure that liaisons participate in professional development and  
          other technical assistance programs.


          Fiscal  
          Impact:  
           The CDE estimates costs of about $50,000 to implement the  
            requirements of this bill.  (Federal Funds)








          SB 1068 (Leyva)                                        Page 1 of  
          ?
          


          Background:  Existing federal law, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance  
          Act, requires state educational agencies to ensure that homeless  
          children and youth have equal access to the same free public  
          education as is provided to other children and youth. (42, USC §  
          11431, et seq.) 
          Federal law requires each LEA to designate a staff person as a  
          LEA liaison for homeless children and youth, and carry out  
          specific duties, such as ensuring immediate enrollment, access  
          to educational opportunities offered to other students,  
          referrals to appropriate services, and providing notice of the  
          rights of homeless youth.  (42, USC § 11432)

          General rights for homeless children and youth under federal law  
          establishes the choice of schools the youth is eligible to  
          attend; prohibits a homeless youth from being required to attend  
          a separate school; requires a homeless youth to be provided  
          comparable services, including transportation services,  
          educational services, and meals through school meal programs;  
          and states that a homeless youth should not be stigmatized by  
          school personnel.  (42, USC § 11432)

          Effective July 1, 2016 the federal Every Student Succeeds Act  
          (ESSA) amends requirements that are a condition of receiving  
          federal grants for states and locals to provide education of  
          homeless children and youths under the McKinney-Vento Homeless  
          Assistance Act.  State educational agencies are required to  
          provide professional development opportunities for LEA liaisons  
          and LEA personnel to assist in identifying and meeting the needs  
          of homeless youth.  LEA liaisons must ensure that school  
          personnel providing services to homeless youth receive  
          professional development and other support.  In addition, the  
          state and LEAs are required to adopt policies and practices to  
          ensure that LEA liaisons participate in professional development  
          and other technical assistance activities, as specified.  (42  
          U.S.C. § 11432).

          Existing state law requires a LEA liaison to ensure that public  
          notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths  
          is disseminated in schools within the LEA liaison's LEA that  
          provide services.  (Education Code § 48852.5)


          Proposed Law:  







          SB 1068 (Leyva)                                        Page 2 of  
          ?
          
            
          This bill requires the CDE to provide informational materials to  
          LEA liaisons regarding specified topics including:


             1.   The educational rights of homeless children and youths  
               under state and federal law as well as updates to these  
               rights under current law;


             2.   The responsibilities of LEA liaisons; and 


             3.   The resources available to schools to assist homeless  
               children and youths.


          This bill also requires the CDE to provide training materials to  
          LEA liaisons to assist them with providing professional  
          development and other support to school personnel providing  
          services pursuant to the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless  
          Assistance Act.  This bill provides that these materials are  
          intended to support LEA liaisons in meeting requirement of the  
          ESSA (as described above).


          Finally, this bill requires the CDE to adopt policies and  
          practices to ensure that LEA liaisons participate in  
          professional development and other technical assistance  
          programs, as specified, in accordance with the requirements of  
          the ESSA (as described above).




          Related  
          Legislation:  AB 951 (Medina, 2013) required school districts  
          that designate a liaison for homeless children and youths, as  
          required under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance  
          Act, to ensure the liaison is properly trained regarding the  
          rights of these children to receive educational services.  AB  
          951 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
          Staff Comments: New federal law requires LEAs to adopt policies  
          and practices to ensure that liaisons participate in  
          professional develop and other technical assistance activities,  







          SB 1068 (Leyva)                                        Page 3 of  
          ?
          
          as specified.  Initial estimates of the federal McKinney-Vento  
          grant indicate California will receive additional funding that  
          would likely be used to support these local requirements.








                                      -- END --