BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1068
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          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 1068 (Bloom)
          As Amended  September 4, 2013
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |78-0 |(May 29, 2013)  |SENATE: |39-0 |(September 9,  |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2013)          |
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           Original Committee Reference:    ED  .

           SUMMARY  :  Restricts the release of directory information for  
          pupils who are identified as a homeless child or youth and  
          allows access of pupil records to specified individuals for  
          those pupils who are identified as homeless.  Specifically,  this  
          bill  :  

          1)Prohibits the disclosure of directory information of a pupil  
            identified as a homeless child or youth as defined by the  
            federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act unless a  
            parent, or pupil accorded parent rights as identified by the  
            federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 2001  
            (FERPA), has provided written consent for such release.

          2)Permits a local educational agency (LEA) to give access to a  
            pupil's records to the following individuals:

             a)   The pupil, if he/she is 14 years of age or older and is  
               both a homeless child or youth and an unaccompanied youth  
               as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. 

             b)   An individual who completes the Caregiver's  
               Authorization Affidavit as provided in Family Code Section  
               6552. 

          3)Makes other non-substantive, technical amendments to these  
            sections.
           
          The Senate amendments:
           
          1)Address chaptering issues between this bill and AB 643  
            (Stone), Chapter 80, Statutes of 2013, by adding the following  
            provisions:









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             a)   Permits a school district to allow access to specified  
               pupil records to an agency caseworker or other  
               representative of a state or local child welfare agency, or  
               tribal organization, as defined, which has legal  
               responsibility, in accordance with state or tribal law, for  
               the care and protection of the pupil.

             b)   Permits the agency or organization to whom pupil records  
               were disclosed pursuant to a) above, to disclose pupil  
               records, or the personally identifiable information  
               contained in those records, to an individual or entity  
               engaged in addressing the pupil's educational needs, if the  
               individual or entity is authorized by the agency or  
               organization to receive the disclosure and the information  
               requested is directly related to the assistance provided by  
               that individual or entity.

          2)Make technical, non-substantive edits to this measure.

           COMMENTS  :  These amendments reflect the language of AB 643  
          (Stone).  The Assembly concurred in the Senate amendments to AB  
          643 on June 27, 2013, by a vote of 78-0 which will help to close  
          the academic achievement gap between children in foster care and  
          their peers by providing youth with the support they need to  
          avoid problems like inappropriate course placement and lost  
          credits upon changing schools.  Specifically, it allows  
          caseworkers, or other representative of a state or local child  
          welfare agency, or tribal organization to access transcripts and  
          report cards for foster youth while maintaining important  
          privacy protections.  In fact, foster youth sometimes had to  
          repeat coursework they had already taken because child welfare  
          agencies had incorrect or limited educational information.   
          These youth also missed school for extended periods of time  
          while waiting for school records to transfer when placed with a  
          new caregiver.  This was remedied in federal law by the  
          enactment of the Uninterrupted Scholars Act.  With the enactment  
          of these bills, more than 56,000 foster youth in California will  
          now have additional tools for their advocates to ensure they are  
          immediately enrolled into school and have access to the  
          interventions they may need to succeed academically. 


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jill Rice / ED. / (916) 319-2087 










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