BILL ANALYSIS
AB 819
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Date of Hearing: May 2, 2001
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Virginia Strom-Martin, Chair
AB 819 (Jackson and Shelley) - As Amended: April 30, 2001
SUBJECT : Domestic violence education.
SUMMARY : Amends the intent language of the School Safety and
Violence Prevention Act to include age-appropriate instruction
in domestic violence prevention for school sites receiving funds
to promote school safety. Specifically, this bill : Amends the
intent language of the School Safety and Violence Prevention Act
to include age-appropriate instruction in domestic violence
prevention, for public schools serving pupils in kindergarten or
any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, receiving funds to promote
school safety provide
EXISTING LAW
1)Requires the State Department of Education (SDE), through its
Healthy Kids Resources Center, to identify and distribute
information to public schools about programs or curricula on
self-reliance and safety that are designed to teach students
the skills and to help them develop the self-esteem necessary
to recognize and prevent child endangerment, such as
abduction, abuse, and neglect.
2)Requires that all California public schools, in kindergarten,
and grades one to twelve, inclusive, develop a comprehensive
school safety plan that includes, but is not limited to:
a) Assessing the current status of school crime committed
on school campuses and at school-related functions.
b) Identifying appropriate strategies and programs that
will provide or maintain a high level of school safety and
address the school's procedures for complying with existing
laws related to school safety, which will include the
development of all of the following:
c) Child abuse reporting procedures,
d) Disaster procedures, routing and emergency,
AB 819
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e) Policies for pupils who committed an act leading to
suspension, expulsion, or mandatory expulsion
recommendations,
f) A sexual harassment policy,
g) The provisions of any school-wide dress code that
prohibits pupils from wearing "gang-related apparel," if
the school has adopted such a dress code. For those
purposes, the comprehensive school safety plan shall define
"gang-related apparel" and enforce the dress code on the
school campus and at any school-sponsored activity,
h) Procedures for safe ingress and egress of pupils, parent
and school employees to and from school,
i) A safe and orderly environment on school discipline, and
j) Rules and procedures on school discipline.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS :
Related legislation . AB 558 (Jackson), which contained similar
language to this bill was vetoed by the Governor in 1999. In
his veto message the Governor stated, "While I am supportive of
efforts to reduce domestic violence, I cannot support this bill
for the following reasons. Existing law already requires
instruction in the principles and practices of individual,
family, and community health. In addition, if districts chose
to provide such instruction this bill could result in
redirections of up to $7 million away from core academic
programs. Any such issues should be addressed through the annual
Budget Act. Finally, this bill contains no provision for
parents to exempt their children from this instruction if they
so choose."
"I would support a requirement that the state's health
curriculum framework, as adopted by the State Board of
Education, include sections on domestic violence. This revision
would be included as part of the regular curriculum framework
adoption process. Any such legislation should also include a
provision allowing for parents to exempt their children from
instruction in this area."
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Related current legislation . AB 79 (Havice) Requires that
comprehensive school safety plans include a policy for the
prevention of bullying and a conflict resolution program.
Arguments in support . The author contends, "Over the past few
years we have started to recognize and address the problem of
domestic violence as a public health crisis. While we have
begun to recognize the need to more severely punish those who
commit violence against women, we must also try to effect
societal change to reduce the incidence of domestic violence.
If we can reach children at an early age with the message that
domestic violence is never acceptable, we will be able to break
the cycle and greatly decrease the number of families affected."
"Domestic violence is a crime that endangers individuals and
families, causes injury or sometimes death and has a devastating
emotional, economic and societal cost. As many as six million
women are victims of domestic violence in this country each
year. Millions of children grow up in homes where they witness
domestic violence. Many of these children believe that domestic
violence is the norm and either grow up to become perpetrators
or new victims themselves. AB 819 will bring domestic violence
prevention education into our school classrooms so that children
learn from an early age that domestic violence is a crime and
that there is no place for it in our society for such
unacceptable behavior. This is particularly important given
the prevalence of teen dating violence. Studies show that one
in four high school and college students surveyed said that they
had experienced violence in a dating relationship."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California School Employees Association
National Organization for Women
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Mavonne Garrity / ED. / (916) 319-2087