BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






               SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                     Dede Alpert, Chair
                 1999-2000 Regular Session
                              

BILL NO:       AB 798
AUTHOR:        Wildman
AMENDED:       April 12, 1999
FISCAL COMM:   Yes            HEARING DATE:  July 14, 1999
URGENCY:       No             CONSULTANT:James Wilson



  SUMMARY  

This bill allows programs for adults in correctional  
facilities to use any of the five previous years, rather  
than just the prior year, as the basis for calculating each  
program's annual limit on funded growth.

  BACKGROUND  

Current law authorizes county offices of education and  
school districts to operate educational programs for adults  
in local correctional facilities (usually county jails).   
Programs are funded through a revenue limit system that  
pays each county or district a formula amount per pupil  
based upon actual costs.  This program is unusual in that  
current year appropriations are used to reimburse LEAs for  
prior year costs.  Like all adult education programs, the  
state has imposed growth limits that allow programs to  
claim funding for no more than two and one half percent  
more pupils (ADA) than in the prior year.

  ANALYSIS  

  This bill  allows school districts or county offices that  
operate programs for adults in correctional facilities to  
claim current year funding for a program enrollment that  
does not exceed 102.5% of the program's pupil count in any  
of the five previous years, rather than in the single prior  
year.

  STAFF COMMENTS 

  Need for the bill.   The current growth cap on programs for  




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Adults in Correctional Facilities prevents individual  
programs from returning to full strength whenever a jail  
has to be closed or renovated and the prisoner population,  
and thus the program participant population, declines  
temporarily.  By allowing any of the five previous years to  
be the base for the growth cap calculation, program growth  
will still be capped, but not artificially lowered.











































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  SUPPORT  

California State Sheriffs' Association
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department 

  OPPOSITION  

None received