BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1056|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1056
Author: Chu (D), et al
Amended: 5/2/06 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-2, 6/29/06
AYES: Scott, Alquist, Lowenthal, Romero, Simitian, Soto,
Speier, Torlakson
NOES: Maldonado, Denham
NO VOTE RECORDED: Morrow
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 8-5, 8/17/06
AYES: Murray, Alarcon, Alquist, Escutia, Florez, Ortiz,
Romero, Torlakson
NOES: Aanestad, Ashburn, Battin, Dutton, Poochigian
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 51-28, 1/30/06 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Public school curriculum: tolerance
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill establishes the Tolerance Education
Pilot Program to provide one-time $25,000 grants to ten
schools that would either purchase instructional materials
or provide staff development to promote tolerance and
intergroup relations.
ANALYSIS : Existing law authorizes the Center for
Excellence on the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, Human
CONTINUED
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Rights, and Tolerance (Center) to be established with
non-state funding as a pilot program at California State
University, Chico. The authorizing statute requires the
center to report by January 31, 2007, on progress made in
achieving specified goals and provide information on the
non-state funds secured for the Center and the number of
teachers trained by the Center.
The state appropriated one-time funding to the Museum of
Tolerance in Los Angeles as a regional social tolerance
resource center charged with providing teacher training
activities and curricular materials as well as educational
services with a special focus on pupils at risk of social
violence. The Museum's tolerance and intergroup relations
training and instructional materials support the
Reading-Language Arts and History-Social Science Frameworks
and are aligned to the California Content Standards for
English-Language Arts and History-Social Science, grades
7-12.
The statutory authorization for both the Center and the
regional social tolerance resources centers is scheduled to
repeal on January 1, 2008.
This bill:
1. Establishes the Tolerance Education Pilot Program, to be
administered by the California Department of Education
(CDE), to promote instruction on tolerance and
intergroup relations as part of the instruction in
history and social science.
2. Defines tolerance to mean "attitudes and behaviors that
convey respect toward individuals and groups, especially
those individuals and groups that have been, and
continue to be, systematically and historically
marginalized. Tolerance does not mean a passive
allowance or indulgence of the beliefs or practices of
another individual."
3. Authorizes 10 schools to apply to the CDE to receive
one-time grants of $25,000 apiece for the purchase of
supplemental instructional materials that promote
tolerance and intergroup relations, or provide
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professional development for teachers on tolerance and
intergroup relations.
4. Encourages participating schools to consult human
relations commissions and civil rights organizations
that are involved in addressing discrimination based on
specified personal or group characteristics.
5. Requires participating schools to develop a plan to
implement a tolerance and intergroup relations
curriculum and to report to the CDE on the effectiveness
of the program and the use of program funds within three
years of the receipt of their grant.
6. Provides that the pilot program is subject to the
availability of budgeted funds and is repealed as of
January 1, 2011.
Comments
Related legislation . AB 723 (Chu, 2005) required the State
Board of Education to integrate instruction on intergroup
relations and tolerance into existing curriculum frameworks
where appropriate. AB 723 was vetoed by Governor
Schwarzenegger who argued that this was already being done.
Pending legislation . AB 606 (Levine) establishes the Safe
Place to Learn Act, to ensure that all school districts and
schools work to reduce discrimination, harassment, and
violence based on specified characteristics, including
gender identity and sexual orientation.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2006-07 2007-08
2008-09 Fund
Tolerance curriculum $250 one-time
General*
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pilot program
Cost pressure Unknown, major cost pressure to
General*
expand pilot program statewide
* Counts toward meeting Proposition 98 minimum funding
guarantee
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/10/06)
Anti-Defamation League
Applied Research Center
Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council
Bienestar
Center for Third World Organizing
Chinese American Council of Sacramento
Corona-Norco Unified School District
Equality California
Gay-Straight Alliance Network
Lambda Letters Project
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
National Council of La Raza
Organization of Chinese Americans
Our Family Coalition
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Western Inland Empire Coalition Against Hate
Yolo County Board of Supervisors
Yolo County Sheriff's Department
OPPOSITION : (Verified 5/10/06)
Calvary Chapel of El Cajon
Concerned Women of America
Department of Finance
Office of the Secretary for Education
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : >
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : >
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ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Arambula, Baca, Bass, Berg, Bermudez, Calderon,
Canciamilla, Chan, Chavez, Chu, Cohn, Coto, De La Torre,
Dymally, Evans, Frommer, Garcia, Goldberg, Hancock,
Jerome Horton, Shirley Horton, Jones, Karnette, Klehs,
Koretz, Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber, Lieu, Liu, Matthews,
Montanez, Mullin, Nation, Nava, Negrete McLeod, Oropeza,
Parra, Pavley, Richman, Ridley-Thomas, Ruskin, Saldana,
Salinas, Torrico, Umberg, Vargas, Wolk, Yee, Nunez
NOES: Aghazarian, Benoit, Blakeslee, Bogh, Cogdill,
Daucher, DeVore, Emmerson, Harman, Haynes, Houston, Huff,
Keene, La Malfa, La Suer, Leslie, Maze, McCarthy,
Mountjoy, Nakanishi, Niello, Plescia, Sharon Runner,
Spitzer, Strickland, Villines, Walters, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Tran
NC:mel 8/21/06 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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