Legislative Update: CSBA sponsored bills, other key measures on the move
Published: April 11, 2018
A flurry of bills were heard in both the Senate and Assembly Education Committees today, including several CSBA cosponsored bills and a CSBA supported bill to generate LCFF funding for the state’s lowest performing student groups.
View all active 2017–18 bills with CSBA positions
(Updated April 11; this document will be updated again on Thursday, April 12, to reflect all results from today’s Education Committee hearings; you may need to refresh your browser after opening the document for the latest version.)
CSBA sponsored/co-sponsored bills:
Many of CSBA’s seven sponsored or co-sponsored bills cleared key policy committee hurdles this week and are moving forward.
Click here to view an info sheet on CSBA’s 2018 sponsored bill package.
Assembly Bill 2808 (Muratsuchi, D-Torrance), Local Control Funding Formula funding increase: Passed the Assembly Education Committee today.
AB 2228 (Wood, D-Healdsburg), Wildfire mitigation: Passed the Assembly Education Committee on 6-0 vote on April 2, and currently resides in Appropriations.
AB 276 (Medina, D-Riverside), Charter school transparency: Currently resides in the Assembly Rules Committee and is awaiting assignment.
AB 1951 (O’Donnell, D-Long Beach), Pathways to College Act: Passed the Assembly Education Committee today.
AB 2285 (O’Donnell, D-Long Beach), Out-of-state prepared teachers: Passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee today after passing the Assembly Education Committee on a 6-0 vote in March.
AB 3149 (Limón, D-Santa Barbara), Substitute teacher service and permits: Currently resides in the Assembly Education Committee and is awaiting a hearing.
AB 3192 (O’Donnell, D-Long Beach), Medi-Cal Billing Option; audit guide: Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 10 on a 11-0 vote and now moves to Appropriations.
LCFF supplemental grants for lowest-performing subgroup:
CSBA is supporting AB 2635 (Weber, D-San Diego), which would provide LCFF funding eligibility for California’s lowest-performing student subgroup or subgroups, based on math and language results from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress. After a lengthy discussion and several witnesses testifying in support (with none in opposition), the bill passed the Assembly Education Committee earlier this afternoon, with the final vote tally still pending as of this writing.
AB 2635 provides funding generated from Proposition 98 growth and contingent on appropriation from the Legislature that would be ongoing until the lowest-performing subgroup(s) meets the academic performance of the highest-performing subgroup(s). At present, approximately 90,000 African-American students do not generate LCFF supplemental and concentration grants, despite these students currently ranking as the lowest-performing group of students in the state.
Read more on AB 2635 in yesterday’s Sacramento Bee op-ed, co-authored by CSBA President Mike Walsh.
“The new funding formula was designed to usher in a more equitable education finance system - but how can we take it seriously when 90,000 of the state’s lowest-performing kids are left off the list of ‘high-needs’ students?” Walsh said. “AB 2635 corrects that oversight in a way that better realizes the governor’s original intent -- directing more money to those students with the greatest need.”
School start times:
Senate Bill 328 (Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge), which would prohibit every middle school and high school in California from starting the regular school day (not including zero period) before 8:30 a.m., is on the Assembly Floor and could be taken up any day. The bill failed passage in the Assembly in September but was granted reconsideration last week, allowing the bill to again be taken up for a vote. While CSBA does not oppose later start times, CSBA remains opposed to a one-size-fits-all statewide mandate on school start times; start times should remain a local decision made by locally-elected boards. CSBA members are encouraged to call their Assemblymembers to request a “No” vote on SB 328; click here for more information.
School impact fees, land use:
SB 831 (Wieckowski, D-Fremont), which is opposed by CSBA, would amend current law to prohibit school districts and other local agencies from charging impact fees for the construction of accessory dwelling units, also commonly referred to as “in-law units” or “granny flats.” While SB 831 endeavors to address California’s housing supply shortage by removing barriers to construction of ADUs, the availability of revenue for LEAs to fund school facilities projects is already grossly insufficient; this bill would further deplete an important source of revenue that California’s schools rely on to meet their facilities needs. The bill will be heard in the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on April 17.
There are two other bills active in the Legislature related to ADU’s, each with identical language: SB 1469 (Skinner, D-Berkeley) and AB 2890 (Ting, D-San Francisco) – as of this writing CSBA does not have an official position on these bills but is closely monitoring them, as the impacts would be very similar to SB 831. Both bills are scheduled to be heard in housing committees in their respective houses later in April.
Other bills of note:
SB 1177 (Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge) – Oppose – Would establish the Classified School Employees Summer Furlough Fund, which would provide income assistance to classified employees during the summer months, but would levy significant cost burdens on LEAs. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee today on a 4-2 vote.
AB 1744 (McCarty, D-Sacramento) – Support – Would authorize (but not require) schools that receive grants for before and after school programs to include elements to prevent and reduce substance use and improve school retention and performance, thus allowing the programs to qualify for funding from the Youth Education, Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment Account established pursuant to Proposition 64. The bill passed the Assembly Education Committee today on consent.
AB 2289 (Weber, D-San Diego) – Support – Would establish statewide family and sick leave policies for young parents who are in school, authorize parent absences due to the need to care for a sick child and ensure students are informed of their rights to leaves and absences. The bill passed the Assembly Education Committee today, with the final vote tally still pending as of this writing.
AB 2547 (McCarty, D-Sacramento) – Support – Would make grant funds available to LEAs to establish, maintain or expand teacher residency programs. The bill passed the Assembly Education Committee today on consent.