BILL NUMBER: SB 1224	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 4, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Huff

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2016

   An act to  amend   add  Section 
44948 of   44955.3 to  the Education Code,
relating to certificated school employees.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1224, as amended, Huff. Certificated school employees:
probationary employees: dismissal or suspension. 
   Under existing law, when school employees are terminated pursuant
to a reduction in workforce, a school district is required to
terminate the employees in order of seniority, beginning with the
least senior. Existing law authorizes a school district to deviate
from terminating employees pursuant to a reduction in workforce in
the order of seniority for specified reasons.  
   This bill would require a local educational agency that terminates
an employee pursuant to a reduction in workforce in order of
seniority to report that termination to the State Department of
Education. By imposing additional duties on local educational
agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The
bill would require the department to annually aggregate the number of
terminations reported and to make that number available to the
public on its Internet Web site.  
   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.  
   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.  
   Under existing law, the governing board of a school district may
dismiss certain probationary employees during the school year only
for cause.  
   This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that provision.

   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program:  no
  yes  .


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 44955.3 is added to the 
 Education Code   , to read:  
   44955.3.  (a) A local educational agency that terminates an
employee in order of seniority pursuant to Section 44955 shall report
that termination to the department.
   (b) The department shall annually aggregate the number of
terminations reported pursuant to subdivision (a), and make that
number available to the public on its Internet Web site. 
   SEC. 2.    If the Commission on State Mandates
determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs
shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of
Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.  
  SECTION 1.    Section 44948 of the Education Code
is amended to read:
   44948.  (a) (1) The governing board of a school district shall
dismiss probationary employees during the school year for cause only,
as in the case of permanent employees.
   (2) This subdivision shall apply only to probationary employees
whose probationary period commenced before the 1983-84 fiscal year or
who are employed in a school district having an average daily
attendance of less than 250 pupils.
   (b) The governing board of a school district may suspend a
probationary employee for a specified period of time without pay as
an alternative to dismissal pursuant to this section. This
subdivision shall apply only to probationary employees whose
probationary period commenced before the 1983-84 fiscal year.