BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1857
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Date of Hearing: April 18, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1857 (Fong) - As Amended: April 10, 2012
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:7-3
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Healthy Relationships Promotion and
Teen Dating Abuse Prevention statute, which does the following:
1)Authorizes school districts to provide education programs to
promote healthy relationships and prevent teen dating abuse to
pupils in grades 7-12, as specified. Further authorizes
districts to work in partnership with parents, caregivers, and
community-based organizations specializing in this issue to
provide these educational programs.
2)Requires school districts that choose to provide these
educational programs to use research-based materials that are
appropriate for pupils of all races, genders, sexual
orientations, gender identities, and ethnic/cultural
backgrounds, and for pupils with disabilities.
3)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to
provide specified information about model education programs
that are designed to promote healthy relationships and prevent
teen dating abuse among pupils on the State Department of
Education's (SDE) internet website.
4)Requires the SPI, in providing the information referenced
above, to seek input from other public agencies and private
non-profit organizations with experience providing education
programs that promote healthy relationships and prevent teen
dating abuse, as specified.
FISCAL EFFECT
AB 1857
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1)GF/98 cost pressure of at least $475,000, to school districts
and COEs to provide a teen dating violence education program
to pupils in grades 7-12, as specified. In 2010-11, there were
2.9 million students enrolled in grades 7-12.
2)GF administrative costs to SDE, between $75,000 and $100,000,
to provide educational programs to promote healthy
relationships and prevent teen dating abuse and post this
information on its Internet website, as specified.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to the Center for Disease Control's (CDC)
Fact Sheet on Teen Dating Violence (2012), "Dating violence is
a serious problem in the United States. Many teens do not
report it because they are afraid to tell friends and family.
Among adult victims of rape, physical violence, and/or
stalking by an intimate partner, 22.4% of women and 15.0% of
men first experienced some form of partner violence between 11
and 17 years of age. About 10% of students nationwide report
being physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past
12 months."
The CDC also states: "Dating violence can have a negative
effect on health throughout life. Teens who are victims are
more likely to be depressed and do poorly in school. They may
engage in unhealthy behaviors, like using drugs and alcohol,
and are more likely to have eating disorders. Some teens even
think about or attempt suicide. Teens who are victims in high
school are at higher risk for victimization during college."
The author states: "A substantial number of teen dating
violence incidents occur in school buildings and on school
grounds. The California State Constitution dictates that our
schools have 'an obligation to protect pupils from
mistreatment from other children' and to protect the right of
every student 'to attend campuses which are safe, secure, and
peaceful.' Unfortunately, many schools still do not perceive
teen dating violence as a priority within their mission and
purview to address." This bill authorizes school districts to
provide education programs to promote healthy relationships
and prevent teen dating abuse to pupils in grades 7-12, as
specified.
2)Existing law establishes the Carl Washington School Safety and
AB 1857
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Violence Prevention Act (CWSSVA), which provides funds to
school districts serving pupils in grades 8-12 for the purpose
of promoting school safety and reducing schoolsite violence.
Funding from this program can be used to hire personnel,
including counselors, social workers, nurses, and
psychologists trained in conflict resolution. Statute also
authorizes funding to be used to provide and implement
curricula designed to equip pupils with skills necessary to
prevent school violence, as specified.
As part of the February 2009 budget package, SB 4 X3
(Ducheny), Third Extraordinary Session, Chapter 12, Statutes
of 2009, provided local education agencies (LEAs) with
unprecedented fiscal and policy flexibility related to over 40
categorical programs, including the CWSSVA, between the
2008-09 fiscal year (FY) to the 2012-13 FY. Specifically, any
LEA that received funding for specified categorical programs
in the 2008-09 FY is authorized to use this funding for any
other educational purpose until the 2012-13 FY. The LEA may
choose to continue operating the categorical program that it
received funding for or redirect it for any other educational
purpose it deems appropriate. SB 70 (Committee on Budget and
Fiscal Review), Chapter 7, Statutes of 2011, extended this
flexibility until the 2014-15 FY.
3)Related legislation . AB 1880 (Lara), pending in this
committee, requires middle and high schools to establish and
implement a policy to prevent and respond to dating abuse, as
specified.
4)Previous legislation . AB 1373 (Fong), similar to this bill,
was held on this committee's suspense file in May 2011.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081