BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 305|
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VETO
Bill No: SB 305
Author: Vasconcellos (D)
Amended: 9/3/99
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-2, 3/17/99
AYES: Alpert, McPherson, Alarcon, Dunn, Hughes, Ortiz,
O'Connell, Vasconcellos
NOES: Knight, Monteith
NOT VOTING: Chesbro, Hayden, Haynes, Sher
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 9-4, 5/27/99
AYES: Johnston, Alpert, Bowen, Burton, Escutia, Karnette,
McPherson, Perata, Vasconcellos
NOES: Johnson, Kelley, Leslie, Mountjoy
SENATE FLOOR : 25-11, 9/9/99
AYES: Alarcon, Alpert, Baca, Bowen, Burton, Chesbro, Dunn,
Escutia, Figueroa, Hayden, Hughes, Johnston, Karnette,
McPherson, Murray, O'Connell, Ortiz, Peace, Perata,
Polanco, Rainey, Schiff, Solis, Speier, Vasconcellos
NOES: Brulte, Haynes, Johannessen, Kelley, Knight, Leslie,
Lewis, Monteith, Mountjoy, Poochigian, Wright
NOT VOTING: Costa, Johnson, Morrow, Sher
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 49-29, 9/7/99 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Parenting education
SOURCE : Author
CONTINUED
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DIGEST : This bill requires school districts to ensure
that all pupils in grades 9 to 12 receive parenting
education, as specified; and that the State Department of
the Youth Authority offer parenting education to wards in
their jurisdiction, as specified. Further, the bill calls
for the convening of a summit for the purpose of developing
a master plan for parenting education in nonpublic school
settings.
Assembly Amendments (1) further specify the topics to be
covered in the parenting courses, the objectives of the
summit, and the appropriate existing classes to offer the
education and (2) specify that the bill will be implemented
only to the extent that funding is appropriated.
ANALYSIS : Existing law:
1.Requires the course of study in grades 7 or 8 to include
a course in parenting education.
2.Requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to
supply a sample curriculum in parenting education
suitable as a stand alone course or for incorporation
within existing courses in grades 7 or 8. The content of
which should develop a knowledge of topics including, but
not limited to (a) child growth and development, (b)
parental responsibilities, (c) household budgeting, (d)
child abuse and neglect issues,(e) personal hygiene, (f)
maintaining healthy relationships, (g) teen parenting
issues, and, (h) self-esteem.
3.Requires the county boards of education to administer the
operation of juvenile court schools.
4.Requires the State Department of the Youth Authority
(DYA) to adopt and prescribe minimum standards of
programs of education for juvenile homes, ranches, camps,
forestry camps, and youth correctional facilities.
This bill:
1.Requires that, beginning in 2000-2001, all pupils in
grades 9 to 12 receive parenting education from
adequately trained instructors in existing appropriate
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education courses.
2.Requires that each parent or guardian of a pupil in a
parenting education curriculum be given notice about the
proposed participation of the pupil, and access to the
instructional materials.
3.Requires the SDE to submit to the Legislature by January
1, 2004 an evaluation of the effectiveness of the
parenting education requirements of this bill.
4.States legislative intent that each school district
ensure that all pupils who are pregnant and all pupils
who are known to be prospective fathers for the babies
of these pregnant pupils shall be enrolled in the next
scheduled parenting education course.
5.Specifies that a teacher providing parenting education
either:
A. Hold a valid California teaching credential that
includes preparation to teach child growth and
development, family and interpersonal relationships,
and parenting education, or
B. Complete 40 hours of SDE approved in-service
instruction in the above areas.
6.Requires a juvenile court school and DYA to offer a
course in parenting to each pupil or ward who is at
least 12 years old.
7.Specifies that the parenting education courses required
above be designed to develop knowledge of topics
including, but not limited to, all of the following:
A. Parental responsibilities.
B. Child development and growth.
C. Maintaining healthy relationships.
D. Child abuse and neglect issues.
E. Self-esteem.
F. Personal hygiene.
G. Household budgeting.
H. Teen parenting issues.
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I. Positive communication and problem solving skill.
8.Requires the Director of the State Department of Health
Services (DHS) to convene a summit no later than March
31, 2000 to develop a master plan for parenting
education in nonpublic school settings. Also, requires
the Director to submit a proposed master plan of
parenting education to the Legislature by January 1,
2001.
9.Requires DHS to evaluate the Summit's recommendations
and attempt to use existing resources or secure private
funding to underwrite the study.
10.Specifies that these provisions would be implemented
only to the extent that funding is appropriated for this
purpose.
Comments
1. Need for the Bill . The purpose of this bill, according
to the author, is to educate children about their most
important function as productive members of society:
being parents. The author believes that attention should
be focused on parenting education to better prepare
children to be responsible, caring adults. The author
notes that as many as 75 percent of all prison inmates
were abused as children and that the only hope of
breaking the cycle of violence is to prepare every
Californian to become a parent who can provide a
nurturing environment conducive to healthy human
development.
Several studies have concluded that the first three years
of life lay the foundation for all that follows and cite
many factors, particularly the lack of family support,
for the causes of health, economic and social problems
later in life.
2. New Trend in Violence . The American Association for the
Advancement of Science researched the patterns of murder,
drugs, and guns and found a disturbing trend. In the
period between 1985-93, murders by adults decreased 20
percent, while murders by 18-24 year-olds increased 65
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percent, and murders by 14-17 year-olds increased 165
percent. High birth rate over the last decade means than
40 million children will be in their teens in the next
decade.
3. Prior Legislation . This bill is similar to Senator
Vasconcellos' SB 669 (1997) and SB 2138 (1998) which were
vetoed. In his vetoes, Governor Wilson expressed support
for parenting education as a means of improving
children's lives, but had concerns with two areas of the
bills, specifically:
A. "Notification of parents is not the parental
consent sought in the veto of a prior version of this
bill." The Governor is referring to his veto of AB
2497 (Vasconcellos) in 1994.
B. "...this bill - while overly prescriptive in some
respects - leaves a number of questions
unaddressed...Agencies other than DHS need to be
involved in non-school settings." This was a concern
raised by the Governor for the first time, without
any guidance as to what he might have suggested as an
alternative.
The author also addressed several of these concerns
in AB 262 (1995), but the bill was held in the
Assembly Appropriations Committee.
4. A Preventative Effort . Supporters of the bill contend
that this bill offers a comprehensive, cost efficient,
and preventative approach to break the cycle of crime.
They further state that nowhere is the need for parenting
skills more evident than in correctional facilities
designed for children.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
Unknown cost, potentially multi-millions.
SUPPORT : (Unable to reverify at time of writing)
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California Association for the Education of Young Children
California Child, Youth and Family Coalition
California Teachers Association
Children's Advocacy Institute
Planned Parenthood of California
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE:
"The primary responsibility of schools is to teach
the basics-reading, math, science, English and
history/social sciences.
"Recent state and national standard tests reveal that
California, unfortunately, still is not doing a very
good job of meeting its obligations to our children
in this regard.
"Schools must focus on their primary mission if we
are to provide a high-quality basic education to our
state's children. Although laudable as a goal, I do
not believe the teaching of parenting skills is the
appropriate role of schools. Rather, this is a
subject that is rightfully the domain of parents,
families, faith-based entities and non-profit
organizations."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Alquist, Aroner, Baugh, Bock, Calderon, Cardenas,
Cardoza, Cedillo, Corbett, Correa, Davis, Ducheny, Dutra,
Firebaugh, Florez, Floyd, Frusetta, Gallegos, Havice,
Hertzberg, Honda, Jackson, Keeley, Knox, Kuehl, Lempert,
Longville, Lowenthal, Machado, Mazzoni, Migden, Nakano,
Papan, Reyes, Romero, Scott, Shelley, Soto, Steinberg,
Strom-Martin, Thomson, Torlakson, Vincent, Washington,
Wayne, Wiggins, Wildman, Wright, Villaraigosa
NOES: Aanestad, Ackerman, Ashburn, Baldwin, Bates, Battin,
Brewer, Briggs, Campbell, Cox, Cunneen, Dickerson,
Granlund, House, Leach, Leonard, Maddox, Maldonado,
Margett, McClintock, Olberg, Oller, Robert Pacheco, Rod
Pacheco, Pescetti, Runner, Strickland, Thompson, Zettel
NOT VOTING: Kaloogian, Wesson
NC:cm 1/5/00 Senate Floor Analyses
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SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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