BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1463|
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CONSENT
Bill No: AB 1463
Author: Smyth (R)
Amended: 7/15/09 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE : 6-0, 6/23/09
AYES: Denham, Correa, Wiggins, Negrete McLeod, Cedillo,
Maldonado
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wyland
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-0, 7/8/09
AYES: Romero, Huff, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Maldonado,
Simitian
NO VOTE RECORDED: Padilla, Wyland
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 5/18/09 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : High school graduation: military uniforms
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill allows a high school student who is
also an active member of the United States Armed Forces to
wear his/her military issued dress uniform at their
graduation ceremony, as specified.
ANALYSIS : Current Education Code makes no reference to
graduation dress requirements. Such decisions are
controlled locally and can vary from district to district,
and even from school to school within the same district.
CONTINUED
AB 1463
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Traditional dress for high school graduation is a cap and
gown that represents school colors.
This bill provides that, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, a person shall have the right to wear a
dress uniform issued to him/her by a branch of the United
States Armed Forces while participating in the graduation
ceremony for his/her high school if that person meets both
of the following requirements:
1. He/she has fulfilled all of the requirements of this
code for receiving a diploma of graduation from high
school, and is otherwise eligible to participate in the
graduation ceremony.
2. He/she has completed basic training for, and is an
active member of, branch of the United States Armed
Forces.
Comments
According to the author's office, this bill was motivated
by a student who completed his graduation requirements
early and left to complete basic training for the United
States Marine Corps before his high school graduation
ceremony date. When he asked if he could wear his military
dress uniform to the ceremony, the principal of the high
school denied his request. While the principal later
changed his ruling and the school district amended its
graduation dress policy to grant his request, there is no
protection in place for similarly situated students across
the state.
This bill grants students the right to wear their military
dress uniform and supersede any local policies by school
districts and administrators of what constitutes
appropriate ceremonial dress. The author believes that
this bill will show gratitude to the dedicated students who
have graduated early and chosen to serve their country in
the military.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
AB 1463
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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, 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, Ruskin, Salas, Silva, Skinner, Smyth,
Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres,
Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada
NO VOTE RECORDED: Eng, Price, Saldana, Bass
TSM:do 7/15/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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