BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
426 (Yee)
Hearing Date: 05/28/2009 Amended: 05/19/2009
Consultant: Dan Troy Policy Vote: ED 6-3
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BILL SUMMARY: SB 426 would require the Senate Committee on
Rules to inform the Department of Education regarding each
concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature that proposes
changes to curriculum frameworks that are currently under review
by the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials
Commission. The bill would require the commission to vote on
whether to adopt each reported concurrent resolution and present
the adopted resolutions to the State Board of Education (SBE)
for consideration.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
Frameworks revision Indeterminate, though likely
minor costs General
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STAFF COMMENTS: SUSPENSE FILE.
Curriculum frameworks are blueprints for implementing the
SBE-adopted academic content standards and serve as a basis for
the development of standards-aligned instructional materials.
Frameworks are revised every six or eight years, depending on
whether the subject is considered to be a core subject or not.
The Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission
advises the SBE on the adoption of curriculum frameworks and
instructional materials.
The Legislature has passed numerous bills over the years to
include specific items in the curriculum frameworks. These
bills are typically vetoed by the Governor, whose veto messages
typically cite the overly prescriptive nature of the bills.
This bill would sidestep gubernatorial vetoes by effectively
giving resolutions, which do not require the Governor's
signature, force of law, if the resolutions concern revisions to
the curriculum frameworks. The bill would require the
commission to consider adopting the resolutions into the
frameworks as the appropriate framework is being revised. The
bill further specifies that the duties specified would be
performed "in a manner that does not impose additional costs on
the department."
If signed into law, this bill will likely result in some costs
to the Department of Education, as resolutions are routinely
approved by the Legislature. The Senate Committee on Education
has identified at least 10 bills this year that deal with
curriculum issues. If this bill becomes law, it is likely that
bills such as these, routinely vetoed, will be approved as
resolutions and require consideration by the commission. It is
also the case, however, that mere consideration of an issue is
not very costly if done concurrently with the curriculum
framework revision, as this bill requires. While a precise
estimate is not
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SB 426 (Yee)
possible, as costs will depend on the number of future
resolutions adopted for a given curriculum area, staff suggests
it is unlikely that costs that would rise to $50,000 or more in
any fiscal year.