BILL NUMBER: AB 1931 CHAPTERED 09/30/00 CHAPTER 959 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 30, 2000 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 29, 2000 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 29, 2000 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 28, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 25, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 18, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 7, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 28, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 12, 2000 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 5, 2000 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Scott (Coauthors: Assembly Members Cunneen, Honda, Knox, Kuehl, Longville, Mazzoni, Murray, and Steinberg) (Coauthors: Senators Solis and Vasconcellos) FEBRUARY 15, 2000 An act to add Section 233.8 to the Education Code, relating to hate violence. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1931, Scott. Hate violence. Existing law requires at the request of the Superintendent of Public Instruction that the State Board of Education adopt policies directed toward creating a school environment free from discriminatory attitudes, practices, and acts of hate violence and that the state board revise, as needed, curriculum to include human relations education with the aim of fostering an appreciation of people of different ethnicities. This bill would require, subject to funds being appropriated therefor in the Budget Act of 2000, the State Department of Education to provide regional training to assist school district personnel in the identification and determination of hate violence on school campuses. The bill would establish a grant program for school districts to enable pupils and teachers to participate in educational programs focused on fostering ethnic sensitivity, overcoming racism and prejudice, and countering hatred and intolerance. This bill would, subject to funds being appropriated therefor in the Budget Act of 2000, allocate $150,000 to contract for the services of an organization with the experience to provide regional training programs throughout the state to assist school district personnel in the identification and determination of hate violence on school campuses, and allocate $2,000,000 for the purpose of providing grants on a competitive basis, as specified, to school districts and county offices of education to enable pupils and teachers to participate in educational programs focused on fostering ethnic sensitivity, overcoming racism and prejudice, and countering hatred and intolerance. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) The number of hate crimes against pupils is dramatically increasing throughout the state. (b) Hate crimes impact not only the individuals or group victimized but also have a dramatic impact on the school learning environment for all pupils. (c) Pupil achievement depends, in part, on a safe learning environment. (d) Understanding and identifying hate crimes on school campuses and determination of motive requires specialized training of school staff. (e) To address hate crimes, educational programs have been created to expose pupils to the dynamics and history of racism and prejudice and issues of intolerance, and to foster ethnic sensitivity and counter hatred. SEC. 2. Section 233.8 is added to the Education Code, to read: 233.8. (a) The State Department of Education shall provide regional training to assist school district personnel in the identification and determination of hate violence on school campuses. (b) (1) A grant program for school districts shall be established by the department for the purpose of enabling pupils and teachers to participate in educational programs focused on fostering ethnic sensitivity, overcoming racism and prejudice, and countering hatred and intolerance. It is the intent of the Legislature that the grants be awarded on a competitive basis with similar sized school districts and county offices of education competing against each other for grant funds. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall establish grant competition bands as follows: (A) Districts with less than 2,501 average daily attendance. (B) Districts with more than 2,500 average daily attendance but less than 5,001. (C) Districts with more than 5,000 average daily attendance but less than 15,001. (D) Districts with more than 15,000 average daily attendance but less than 30,001. (E) Districts with more than 30,000 average daily attendance. (F) County offices of education. (2) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall allocate the appropriated funds for competitive grants to each of the competitive bands based on the amount of average daily attendance in all districts in the competitive range compared to the statewide average daily attendance in all school districts and county offices of education. The grant program is not required to be implemented under this section unless funds are appropriated for that purpose. SEC. 3. Subject to funding being appropriated in the Budget Act of 2000 for the purposes of this act, the State Department of Education shall allocate funding according to the following schedule: (a) One hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) to contract for the services of an organization with the experience to provide, pursuant to Section 233.8 of the Education Code, training programs throughout the state to assist school district personnel in the identification and determination of hate violence on school campuses. (b) Two million dollars ($2,000,000) for the purpose of providing grants to school districts to enable pupils and teachers to participate in educational programs pursuant to Section 233.8 of the Education Code, that foster ethnic sensitivity, overcoming racism and prejudice, and countering hatred and intolerance.