BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1256|
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 1256
Author: Hancock (D)
Amended: 6/23/10
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-0, 3/24/10
AYES: Romero, Huff, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Price,
Simitian, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado
SENATE FLOOR : 34-0, 5/3/10
AYES: Aanestad, Ashburn, Cedillo, Cogdill, Corbett,
Correa, Cox, Denham, DeSaulnier, Ducheny, Dutton, Florez,
Hancock, Harman, Hollingsworth, Huff, Kehoe, Leno, Liu,
Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, Padilla, Pavley,
Price, Romero, Runner, Simitian, Strickland, Walters,
Wolk, Wright, Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Alquist, Calderon, Steinberg, Wiggins,
Vacancy, Vacancy
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 73-0, 6/28/10 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Ed Roberts Day
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill designates January 23 each year as Ed
Roberts Day, and calls for the day to be observed by the
public schools as a day of special significance. The bill
also requires the Governor to annually proclaim January 23
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as Ed Roberts Day.
Assembly Amendments (1) repeal and recast provisions of
existing law to include Ed Roberts Day, and (2) add a new
section to the Government Code relative to Ed Roberts Day.
ANALYSIS : Existing law designates a number of days as
having special significance, when public schools are
encouraged, but not required, to conduct suitable
commemorative exercises integrated into regular school
programs. Current law establishes the following days as
having special significance:
1.April 6 of each year as California Poppy Day.
2.April 21 of each year as John Muir Day.
3.The second Wednesday in May as the Day of the Teacher.
4.May 22 of each year as Harvey Milk Day.
Existing law also requires the Governor to proclaim various
days to remember individuals. These days include September
28 as Cabrillo Day; January 15 as Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day; March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day, and April 21 as John
Muir Day.
This bill:
1.Makes various findings and declarations concerning the
life and contributions of Ed Roberts.
2.Designates January 23 of each year as Ed Roberts Day, to
be a day having special significance when all public
schools and educational institutions are encouraged to
conduct exercises remembering the life of Ed Roberts,
recognizing his accomplishments as well as the
accomplishments of other Californians with disabilities,
and familiarizing pupils with the contributions that Ed
Roberts and other Californians with disabilities have
made to the state.
3.Requires the Governor to annually proclaim January 23 as
Ed Roberts Day.
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Background
Ed Roberts (1939-1995) was an international leader and
education in the independent living and disability rights
movement. He was the first severely disabled student to
attend UC Berkeley and helped create the first student-led
disability services program in the country. Ed Roberts
advocated for the rights of individuals with disabilities
to fully participate in society and served as the Director
of the Department of Rehabilitation from 1975-1983.
Ed Roberts is often called the father of the disability
rights movement. He said that, "anger is a powerful
energy. We don't need to suppress or get over our anger;
we need to channel it into making change for the greater
good. We need to make sure that we don't turn our anger in
on ourselves or our loves ones, but focus it on removing
obstacles, and making things happen. ?I get angry all the
time. This personal energy and unwillingness to accept the
status quo made Ed Roberts an effective advocate for
persons with disabilities.
This bill requires the Governor to proclaim January 23 as
Ed Roberts Day, and designates January 23 as a day of
having special significance. This bill does not result in
additional average daily attendance or funding for a school
district, nor does it result in an additional holiday or
day of school closure. The designation of a day of special
significance simply triggers statutory encouragement for
public schools to observe the day and to conduct
commemorative exercises suitable to the day, as specified
in law; however, the decision as to whether to observe any
day of special significance or to conduct suitable
commemorative exercises is left to the local district. If
this day is observed, then suitable exercises would
recognize Ed Roberts' life and accomplishments, as well as
the contributions that he made to this state and country.
Related and Prior Legislation
SB 572 (Leno), Chapter 626, Statutes of 2009 . Designated
May 22 of each year as a special day of significance for
remembering the life and contributions of Harvey Milk.
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Passed the Senate with a vote of 23-14 on 9/8/09.
SB 944 (Runner) -- 2009-10 Session . Designates February 6
of each year as Ronald Reagan Day and establishes that day
as a special day of significance in the public schools.
(On Senate Unfinished Business File)
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/29/10)
Alameda County Developmental Disabilities Council
Association of California State Employees with Disabilities
California Alliance for Retired Americans
California Association of Public Authorities
California Autism Association
California Federation of Teachers
California Foundation for Independent Living Centers
Center for Independent Living
Cerebral Palsy Center for the Bay Area
Contra Costa Health Services
DBRAC - Pacific ADA Center
Developmental Disabilities Board Area 5
Development Disabilities Council of Contra Costa
Disability Rights Advocates
Disabled Students' Program
Easy Does It Emergency Services
ILR San Francisco
Marin Center for Independent Living
SANDABS
State Council on Developmental Disabilities
State Independent Living Council
The Arc of California
Through the Looking Glass
University of California Berkeley Disabled Students' Union
University of California Berkeley Disabled Students'
Program
World Institute on Disability
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
this bill will encourage schools to conduct commemorative
exercises to recognize Mr. Robert's accomplishments and
raise awareness of issues faced by individuals with
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disabilities.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall, Tom
Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore,
Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani,
Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto, Gilmore, Hagman,
Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman,
Jeffries, Jones, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma,
Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande, Niello,
Nielsen, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Salas,
Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra
Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran,
Villines, Yamada, John A. Perez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bill Berryhill, Conway, Fuller, Hall,
Knight, Norby, Vacancy
CPM:cm 6/30/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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