BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1007
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 6, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                   AB 1007 (Carter) - As Amended:  April 15, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                              EducationVote:9-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the governing board of a school district  
          maintaining one or more high schools, within 30 days of receipt  
          of a petition for pupil representation, to appoint a pupil  
          member to its board, as specified.  Specifically, this bill: 

          1)Provides that if no meeting is held within the next 30 days of  
            receipt of the petition, the governing board is required to  
            appoint the pupil member at its next regularly scheduled  
            meeting.  

          2)Authorizes the governing board to adopt a resolution  
            authorizing a pupil advisory board to assist the pupil member  
            in executing his or her board duties, as specified.  This  
            measure further requires the structure and composition of the  
            advisory board to be determined by the governing board.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor absorbable GF/98 reimbursable state mandated costs to  
          comply with the requirements of this measure.  

           COMMENTS 

           Purpose  .  Existing law authorizes pupils to submit a petition of  
          at least 500 signatures from pupils enrolled in a high school  
          requesting that the district governing board do the following:  
          (a) appoint one or more nonvoting pupil members to the governing  
          board; and/or (b) allow preferential voting for the pupil member  
          or members of the board.  Preferential voting is defined as a  
          "formal expression of opinion that is recorded in the minutes  
          and cast prior to the official vote of the governing board."  A  








                                                                  AB 1007
                                                                  Page  2

          preferential vote cannot determine the final numerical outcome  
          of a vote.  

          According to the author, "At present, students may submit a  
          petition to the governing board of a school district requesting  
          the addition of a student board member.  However, there exists  
          no period of time in which the governing board must respond,  
          leaving an ambiguous area in the Education Code.  [This bill]  
          seeks to clarify existing law and provide a period of time in  
          which the governing board of a school district must respond to a  
          student-submitted petition."  


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081