BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1271
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1271 (Bonta)
As Amended August 19, 2014
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: | |(January 29, |SENATE: |35-0 |(August 21, |
| | |2014) | | |2014) |
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(vote not relevant)
Original Committee Reference: HIGHER ED.
SUMMARY : Encourages the school safety plan to include protocols
to address the mental health care of pupils who have witnessed a
violent act. Specifically, this bill :
1)Encourages the guidelines in a school safety plan for the
roles and responsibilities of mental health professionals,
community intervention professional, school counselors, school
resource offices, and police officers on school campuses to
include protocols to address the mental health care of pupils
who have witnessed a violent act at any time, including, but
not limited to, any of the following:
a) While on school grounds;
b) While going to or coming from school;
c) During a lunch period whether on or off campus; and,
d) During, or while going to or coming from, a
school-sponsored activity.
2)Finds and declares that a paramount goal of the state is to
ensure that all children receive a high quality education that
enables them to become responsible citizens who will
contribute to their communities and state. Further finds and
declares that a safe and supportive learning environment is a
necessary foundation for increasing academic achievement,
enhancing healthy development, and improving educational
outcomes for all children.
The Senate amendments delete the Assembly version of this bill,
and instead insert the language described in the summary above.
AB 1271
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EXISTING LAW :
1)Specifies that the schoolsite council or a school safety
planning committee is responsible for developing the
comprehensive school safety plan. (Education Code (EC)
Section 32281)
2)Specifies that the comprehensive school safety plan shall
include an assessment of the current status of school crime
committed on school campuses and at school-related functions
and identification of appropriate strategies and programs that
will provide or maintain a high level of school safety and
address the school's procedures for complying with existing
laws related to school safety, including child abuse reporting
procedures; disaster procedures; an earthquake emergency
procedure system; policies regarding pupils who commit
specified acts that would lead to suspension or expulsion;
procedures to notify teachers of dangerous pupils; a
discrimination and harassment policy; the provisions of any
schoolwide dress code; procedures for safe ingress and egress
of pupils, parents, and school employees to and from school; a
safe and orderly environment conducive to learning; rules and
procedures on school discipline; and hate crime reporting
procedures. (EC Section 32282)
3)Expresses the encouragement of the Legislature that all school
safety plans, when they are reviewed and updated and to the
extent that resources are available, to include clear
guidelines for the roles and responsibilities of mental health
professionals, community intervention professionals, school
counselors, school resource officers, and police officers on
school campus, if the school district uses these people. The
guidelines may include primary strategies to create and
maintain a positive school climate, promote school safety, and
increase pupil achievement, and prioritize mental health and
intervention services, restorative and transformative justice
programs, and positive behavior interventions and support.
(EC Section 32282.1)
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, minor cost pressure to state legislative
encouragement for schools to "prioritize mental health and
intervention services, restorative and transformative justice
AB 1271
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programs, and positive behavior interventions and support" in
their guidelines governing the roles and responsibilities of
specified adults on campus, and to include protocols to address
the mental health care of pupils who have witness violent acts,
as specified.
COMMENTS : Existing law requires each school to develop a school
safety plan that includes processes, procedures, and policies to
ensure student and staff safety at a school site. The
components of the plan range from daily processes, such as
procedures for safe ingress and egress of pupils, parents and
school employees; to disaster and emergency procedures such as
those during and after earthquakes; to behavioral policies such
as discrimination and harassment policies. The school safety
plan is developed by a school site council or a school safety
planning committee.
AB 549 (Jones-Sawyer), Chapter 422, Statutes of 2013, encourages
the school safety plan, as it is reviewed and updated, to
include guidelines on the roles and responsibilities of mental
health and community intervention professionals, school
counselors, school resource officers and police officers on the
school campus. The guidelines may include strategies to create
positive school climates and culture and prioritize mental
health and intervention services, restorative and transformative
justice programs, and positive behavior interventions and
support.
This bill expands on this provision to also encourage the
guidelines to include protocols to address the mental health
care of pupils who have witnessed a violent act, whether at
school; while going to or coming from school; during lunch,
whether on or off campus; or during, or while going to or coming
from a school-sponsored activity. According to the author, this
bill was introduced in response to recent school shootings
across the country, and while it is difficult to prevent and
control violent acts, it is possible to prepare schools and
students in the event there is a crisis. The author states,
"Shootings such as the Sandy Hook massacre have devastating
effects on both the communities in which they occur and the
nation. Students, parents and other community members require
counseling, support groups, increased safety protocols, and
other procedures to help individuals first grieve properly and
then begin to heal."
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This bill was substantially amended in the Senate and has not
been heard in an Assembly policy committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0005227