BILL NUMBER: AB 658 CHAPTERED 10/10/99 CHAPTER 645 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 10, 1999 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 5, 1999 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 10, 1999 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 9, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 9, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 28, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 14, 1999 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Washington FEBRUARY 23, 1999 An act to amend the heading of Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 32228) of Chapter 2 of Part 19 of, to amend Section 32228.1 of, and to add Section 32228.3 to, the Education Code, relating to school safety, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 658, Washington. School safety. Existing law establishes the School Safety and Violence Prevention Act, a statewide program administered by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, who, pursuant to the act, allocates funds to school districts that maintain any of grades 8 to 12, inclusive, that certify the funds will be used as required by the act. Funds allocated pursuant to this program are required to be expended for purposes that include, but are not limited to, providing conflict resolution personnel, providing on-campus communication devices, establishing staff training programs, and establishing cooperative arrangements with law enforcement agencies. This bill would change the name of the School Safety and Violence Prevention Act to the Carl Washington School Safety and Violence Prevention Act. The bill would also authorize county offices of education to participate in the program established pursuant to that act. This bill would appropriate $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for allocation exclusively to county offices of education for the purposes of funding the activities and full participation of those offices in the Carl Washington School Safety and Violence Prevention Act and would require these funds to be available to county offices of education in the same manner that funds are made available to school districts pursuant to that act. The funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution. This bill would declare that it would take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Appropriation: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The heading of Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 32228) of Chapter 2 of Part 19 of the Education Code, as added by Chapter 51 of the Statutes of 1999, is amended to read: Article 3.6. Carl Washington School Safety and Violence Prevention Act SEC. 2. Section 32228.1 of the Education Code, as added by Chapter 51 of the Statutes of 1999, is amended to read: 32228.1. (a) The Carl Washington School Safety and Violence Prevention Act is hereby established. This statewide program shall be administered by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, who shall provide funds to school districts serving pupils in any of grades 8 to 12, inclusive, for the purpose of promoting school safety and reducing schoolsite violence. As a condition of receiving funds pursuant to this article, an eligible school district shall certify, on forms and in a manner required by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, that the funds will be used as described in this section. (b) From funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act or any other measure, funds shall be allocated to school districts on the basis of enrollment of pupils in grades 8 to 12, inclusive, for any one or more of the following purposes: (1) Providing schools with personnel, including, but not limited to, licensed or certificated school counselors, school social workers, school nurses, and school psychologists, who are trained in conflict resolution. Any law enforcement personnel hired pursuant to this article shall be trained and sworn peace officers. (2) Providing effective and accessible on-campus communication devices and other school safety infrastructure needs. (3) Establishing an in-service training program for school staff to learn to identify at-risk pupils, to communicate effectively with those pupils, and to refer those pupils to appropriate counseling. (4) Establishing cooperative arrangements with local law enforcement agencies for appropriate school-community relationships. (5) For any other purpose that the school or school district determines that would materially contribute to meeting the goals and objectives of current law in providing for safe schools and preventing violence among pupils. SEC. 3. Section 32228.3 is added to the Education Code, to read: 32228.3. For purposes of this article, "school district" means a school district or county office of education. SEC. 4. The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for allocation exclusively to county offices of education for the purposes of funding the activities and full participation of those offices in the Carl Washington School Safety and Violence Prevention Act as set forth in Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 32228) of Chapter 2 of Part 19 of the Education Code. These funds shall be available to county offices of education in the same manner that funds are made available to school districts pursuant to the Carl Washington School Safety and Violence Prevention Act as set forth in Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 32228) of Chapter 2 of Part 19 of the Education Code. SEC. 5. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are: In order to expand the school safety and violence prevention program established by Chapter 51 of the Statutes of 1999 to allow county offices of education to participate, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.