BILL ANALYSIS
AB 506
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Date of Hearing: April 27, 2005
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Judy Chu, Chair
AB 506 (Montanez) - As Introduced: February 16, 2005
Policy Committee: EducationVote:8-2
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill requires each school district to establish a policy
and protocol, as specified, for dealing with incidents of teen
dating violence involving middle school and high school
students. Specifically, this bill:
1)Includes legislative recommendations that:
a) Each school district provide teen dating violence
prevention instruction that is age-appropriate to pupils in
grades 7-12. The measure also requires each school
district to allow a pupil's parent or guardian to exempt
his or her child from this instruction.
b) Each school district train school counselors and
administrators with respect to teen dating violence
dynamics to ensure school counselors and administrators are
able to respond to incidents of teen dating violence on
campus.
c) Each school district use existing resources within
organizations such as domestic violence shelters or rape
crisis centers, as specified.
d) That the teen dating violence program not result in any
redirection of funding from core academic programs.
2)Requires the Comprehensive School Safety Plan to include the
teen dating violence reporting procedures and response
requirements, as specified above.
3)Requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to
AB 506
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incorporate the teen dating violence education curriculum into
the health curriculum framework at its next revision, as
specified. The measure also requires that these revisions
only be implemented if it will not result in any redirection
of money from core academic programs.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)General Fund (Proposition 98) mandated costs, of approximately
$465,000, to school districts to develop policies and
protocols regarding teen dating violence.
2)Unknown General Fund (Proposition 98) cost pressure, of
approximately $5.3 million, to school districts to provide
teen dating violence prevention instruction. This assumes all
9th graders receive instruction for two hours.
3)Unknown General Fund (Proposition 98) cost pressure, of
approximately $2.9 million, to school districts to provide all
counselors and administrators with three hours of training in
teen dating violence and prevention.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . According to the SDE's 2003-04 California Student
Survey (CSS), at least one incident of dating violence was
reported by five percent of 9th graders and eight percent of
11th graders. Furthermore, approximately 60% of students in
grades 9 and 11 reported that they had a boyfriend or
girlfriend, and of these students, the teen dating violence
rates were 9% in 9th grade and 13% in 11th grade.
The CSS also indicates that higher rates of teen dating
violence are being reported at school in the last 12 months.
For example, rates for dating victims in 9th grade were
generally at least twice as high and often three times as
high. The largest differences were for students threatened
with a weapon (38% vs. 12%), gender-related harassment (24%
vs. 7.5%) or sexual orientation (22% vs. 7%), as well as fear
of being beaten up (44% vs. 20%).
This bill requires school districts to develop a teen dating
violence prevention policy and recommends instruction and
training for students and school personnel.
AB 506
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2)The School Safety Consolidated Competitive Block Grant
(SSCCBG) (AB 825 (Firebaugh), Chapter 831, Statutes of 2004)
consolidated the following programs into one block grant,
beginning in 2005-06: (a) the Safe School Planning and
Partnership Minigrants, (b) the School Community Policing
program, (c) the Gang-risk Intervention program, (d) the
School Safety Plans for new schools, (e) the School Community
Violence Prevention program, and (f) the Conflict Resolution
program. The 2005-06 proposed budget provides $52.4 million
for the SSCCBG, which includes funding for growth and a
cost-of-living adjustment.
3)The Health Curriculum Framework was adopted by the State Board
of Education in 2003. The Health framework, which is the
guide for developing health textbooks, contains references to
dating relationships. For example, the framework acknowledges
the ability of high school students to understand "appropriate
behavior in dating relationships." In reference to sexuality
and sexual feelings, the framework states that "responsible
sexual behavior can and should be defined. Students who date
should discuss limits with their dating partners and should
expect those partners to respect those limits."
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081