Amended in Assembly March 28, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1444


Introduced by Assemblybegin delete Member Weberend deletebegin insert Members Buchanan and Weberend insert

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(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Alejo, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Campos, Dickinson, Medina, Pan, and Quirk-Silva)

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(Principal coauthors: Senators DeSaulnier, Hill, Lieu, Wolk, Wright, and Yee)

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January 6, 2014


An actbegin delete relating to elementary education.end deletebegin insert to amend Section 48010 of, and to add Section 48001 to, the Education Code, relating to kindergarten.end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1444, as amended, begin deleteWeberend delete begin insertBuchananend insert. Elementary education: kindergarten.

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Under existing law, a person between the ages of 6 and 18 years who is not exempted by law is subject to compulsory full-time education. Existing law excludes a child under 6 years of age from the public schools, subject to specified exceptions.

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begin insert

Existing law requires a school district maintaining a kindergarten to admit a child who will have his or her 5th birthday on or before certain specified dates during that school year. Existing law also requires that a child who will have his or her 6th birthday on or before specified dates be admitted to the first grade of an elementary school.

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begin insert

This bill, beginning with the 2015-16 school year, would require a child to have completed one year of kindergarten before he or she may be admitted to the first grade, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.

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begin insert

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

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begin insert

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

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Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and generally requires compulsory full-time education for each person between 6 and 18 years of age. Existing law authorizes school districts to operate kindergarten programs, and sets minimum ages for children who are admitted to kindergarten.

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This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would require the children of this state to attend kindergarten.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: begin deleteno end deletebegin insertyesend insert. State-mandated local program: begin deleteno end deletebegin insertyesend insert.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1begin insert

begin insertSECTION 1.end insert  

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begin insertSection 48001 is added to the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert,
2to read:end insert

begin insert
3

begin insert48001.end insert  

Beginning with the 2015-16 school year, a child shall
4have completed one year of kindergarten before he or she may be
5admitted to the first grade.

end insert
6begin insert

begin insertSEC. 2.end insert  

end insert

begin insertSection 48010 of the end insertbegin insertEducation Codeend insertbegin insert is amended to
7read:end insert

8

48010.  

(a) A child shall be admitted to the first grade of an
9elementary school during the first month of a school year if the
10childbegin insert has completed one year of kindergarten andend insert will have his or
11her sixth birthday on or before one of the following dates:

12(1) December 2 of the 2011-12 school year.

13(2) November 1 of the 2012-13 school year.

14(3) October 1 of the 2013-14 school year.

15(4) September 1 of the 2014-15 school year and each school
16year thereafter.

P3    1(b) For good cause, the governing board of a school district may
2permit a child of proper age to be admitted to a class after the first
3school month of the school term.

4begin insert

begin insertSEC. 3.end insert  

end insert
begin insert

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
5this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
6local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
7pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
84 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

end insert
begin delete
9

SECTION 1.  

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact
10legislation that would require the children of this state to attend
11kindergarten.

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O

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