BILL NUMBER: AB 1605	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 16, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Coto

                        JANUARY 6, 2010

   An act to add  and repeal  Section 17303.5  to
  of  the Education Code, relating to school
facilities.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1605, as amended, Coto. School facilities: plan review.
   Existing law requires the Department of General Services to
supervise the design and construction of school buildings to ensure
that plans and specifications comply with various structural safety
standards, as specified. Existing law requires a local educational
agency to submit a plan for the construction, and in specified cases,
the alteration, of any school building prior to adopting the plan.
An applicant is required to pay a filing fee to the department based
on the estimated cost of the work, in accordance with a specified
schedule, and is required to make an election to either use the
department to review the plan or request that the plan review be
performed by a qualified plan review firm, as specified. If the
department is elected, the department is required to take specified
actions to expedite the review of the applicant's plan, including,
among other things, employing additional staff on a temporary basis.
   This bill would authorize a local educational agency to agree to
pay an additional fee to the department for the department's cost to
employ additional staff to expedite its review of that local
educational agency's plan. The bill would exempt employees funded by
those fees from furloughs implemented by any state agency, board, or
commission.  The bill would repeal those provisions on January 1,
2017. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 17303.5 is added to the Education Code, to
read:
   17303.5.  (a) A local educational agency may agree to pay an
additional fee to the Department of General Services for the
department's cost to employ additional staff to expedite its review
of that local educational agency's plan  if the school seeking
construction or modernization is a low performing school, as
identified by that school's position in the lowest two deciles of
pupil performance in the year immediately preceding the year that the
plan is submitted for review  .
   (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an employee funded
by a fee collected pursuant to this section is exempt from any
furlough implemented by any state agency, board, or commission. 
   (c) The Department of General Services shall complete and return
its initial review of a school construction or modernization plan
within 120 days from the date the plan was submitted by the local
educational agency pursuant to this section.  
   (d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2017, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2017, deletes or extends
that date.