BILL ANALYSIS
SB 1348
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Date of Hearing: August 9, 2000
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Carole Migden, Chairwoman
SB 1348 (Vasconcellos) - As Amended: August 7, 2000
Policy Committee: HealthVote:12-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill requires the State Department of Health Services (DHS)
to convene a statewide summit on parenting education by April
30, 2001. Specifically, this bill:
1)States legislative findings regarding the value of parenting
education and the state's responsibility to support the
development of healthier parents. States legislative intent
to convene the summit to determine whether parenting education
should be provided to every young Californian and, if so, to
develop a strategic action plan for providing it to develop
healthier parents and families.
2)Requires participation by the directors, or their designees,
of various state departments (Education, Social Services,
Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Program, Youth Authority, and
Corrections), as well as the Attorney General, Chair of the
State Board of Education and Secretary of Education. Requires
each department director to submit data on specified aspects
of child development and the causal relationship between lack
of good parenting and dysfunctional behavior.
3)Requires DHS to report its findings by January 1, 2002, to the
Legislature, and, if deemed valuable, to organize summit
recommendations into a proposed master plan.
4)Requires DHS to solicit private funding to underwrite summit
costs and the follow-up evaluation. States that DHS is not
responsible for participant travel costs and per diem, except
when required by state law or administrative policy.
FISCAL EFFECT
SB 1348
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One-time GF costs to DHS in FY 2000-01, ranging from $200,000 to
$500,000. The actual cost will depend on whether or not DHS
develops a master plan for parenting education, as well as the
department's success in securing private funding for the summit.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . This bill reflects the author's belief that
attention should be focused on parenting education to better
prepare children and youth to be responsible, healthy and
effective parents. It cites research findings that over 50%
of Californians imprisoned for violent crime were abused as
children. In order to promote healthier parents and thereby
healthier families and children, this bill requires a
statewide summit to examine strategies that are proving
successful in developing good parenting skills, and to develop
recommendations for providing parenting education in
non-school settings.
Prior Legislation . This bill is similar to previous
legislation carried by the author. In 1994, AB 2947 would
have expanded existing requirements for parenting education by
requiring the Youth Authority, juvenile court schools, and
public secondary schools to offer parenting education courses
to students in grades 9 to 12. It also required DHS to
convene a summit to develop a master plan for parenting
education in non-public schools. Governor Wilson vetoed AB
2947, citing lack of provisions for parental consent and
inappropriate inclusion of private schools in the master plan.
In 1995, AB 262 failed passage in this committee. In 1997,
SB 669 was vetoed because the governor believed the bill was
overly prescriptive in some respects while leaving other areas
unaddressed.
Analysis Prepared by : Joyce Iseri / APPR. / (916) 319-2081