BILL ANALYSIS
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 769|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 769
Author: Torres (D)
Amended: 7/23/09 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-0, 6/17/09
AYES: Romero, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Maldonado, Simitian,
Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Huff, Padilla
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 79-0, 5/21/09 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : State preschool and priority enrollment:
high-risk children
SOURCE : Los Angeles County Office of Education
DIGEST : This bill expands priority enrollment in state
preschool programs to include children who have a custodial
parent who is, or who has been within the previous six
months, a dependent or ward of the juvenile court.
Senate Floor Amendments of 7/23/09 references a correct
section of law.
The Education Code currently includes two Sections 8236;
one became inoperative on July 1, 2009 and the other became
operative on July 1, 2009. This bill currently amends the
section that became in operative on July 1, 2009. The
amendments move the changes proposed by this bill into the
CONTINUED
AB 769
Page
2
now-operative section of the Education Code.
ANALYSIS : Current law establishes priorities for
enrollment in state preschool programs as follows:
1.First priority is for three- or four-year old neglected
or abused children who are recipients of child protective
services or who are at risk of being neglected, abused or
exploited.
2.Second priority is for eligible four-year old children
prior to enrolling eligible three-year old children.
This bill expands priority enrollment in state preschool to
include children who have a custodial parent who is, or who
has been within the previous six months, a dependent or
ward of the juvenile court. Specifically, this bill:
1.Adds to the first priority for enrollment in a state
preschool program children who have a custodial parent
who is, or who has been within the previous six months, a
dependent or ward of the juvenile court. Priority
enrollment is to be granted when slots become available,
but shall not be used to displace children who are
currently receiving care.
2.Adds this population to the first priority for enrollment
during any expansion of a state preschool program (when
additional slots become available).
Priorities for Care . Current law establishes priorities
for which children are enrolled in state preschool
programs, and families are placed on waiting lists
according to where they fall within the priorities. When a
"slot" becomes available, it is filled by a child on the
waiting list. This bill gives priority to children that
meet specified criteria for a preschool "slot" over any
children on the waiting list. There are an estimated
200,000 children on the Centralized Eligibility List.
The California School Age Families Education (Cal-SAFE)
program provides community-linked, school-based support
services and child care and development programs for
expectant mothers and teen parents. These programs may be
AB 769
Page
3
available at school sites, including alternative schools.
Dependents and wards of the court that are parents or are
pregnant are eligible for this program. The 2009-10 Budget
appropriated $57.9 million for the Cal-SAFE program.
Cal-SAFE funding is included in the categorical program
flexibility (Tier III), allowing school districts to use
this funding for any educational purpose for the 2008-09
fiscal year to the 2012-13 fiscal year. This grant funding
was reduced by 15.38 percent in 2008-09, and faces an
additional 4.46 percent reduction in 2009-10. Therefore,
it is unclear if Cal-SAFE programs will continue to operate
and provide child care (different from preschool) for the
population affected by this bill,
Prior Legislation
AB 659 (Ma), 2007-08 Session, would have extended to
specified locally funded child care programs in San
Francisco existing continuity of care provisions of
families receiving subsidized child care from state and
federally funded programs. AB 659 was vetoed by the
Governor, whose veto message read:
"The continuity of services in child care settings is a
laudable goal. However, this bill would create a
negative incentive for the county to rely on the
availability of state and federally funded programs to
alleviate their local program needs, rather than
maximizing their local funds to create a comprehensive
child care delivery system. This bill would also
create significant Proposition 98 General Fund cost
pressure to expand state child care programs at a time
of fiscal challenge."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/17/09)
Los Angeles County Office of Education (source)
Advancement Project
Association of California School Administrators
California Catholic Conference
California State PTA
AB 769
Page
4
Contra Costa County Office of Education
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,
Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,
DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher,
Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani,
Garrick, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi,
Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight,
Krekorian, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza,
Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A.
Perez, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas,
Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland,
Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines,
Yamada, Bass
NO VOTE RECORDED: Saldana
DLW:cm 8/17/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****