Bills

AB 1520: Pupil instruction: State Seal of Civic Engagement Resource Lead.

  • Session Year: 2023-2024
  • House: Assembly

Current Status:

Failed

(2024-02-01: From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.)

Introduced

First Committee Review

First Chamber

Second Committee Review

Second Chamber

Enacted

Version:

Existing law requires, on or before January 1, 2020, the Superintendent of Public Instruction to recommend to the State Board of Education criteria for awarding a State Seal of Civic Engagement to pupils who have demonstrated excellence in civics education and participation and have demonstrated an understanding of the United States Constitution, the California Constitution, and the democratic system of government.

This bill would establish the State Seal of Civic Engagement Resource Lead for the purpose of providing support and technical assistance to local educational agencies to improve equitable statewide access to the State Seal of Civic Engagement. The bill would, on or before July 1, 2024, require the Superintendent, in consultation with the executive director of the state board, to select a partnership, consisting of an applicant county office of education and a community organization, to administer the State Seal of Civic Engagement Resource Lead, as provided. The bill would require the State Seal of Civic Engagement Resource Lead to, among other duties, coordinate support, provide technical assistance, and deliver professional learning to improve equitable statewide access to the State Seal of Civic Engagement, research and publish best practices in the civic engagement of underserved pupil populations, as provided, and sponsor and promote civic engagement practicums to expand the breadth of support from local educational agencies and community partners for pupils pursuing the State Seal of Civic Engagement, as provided. The bill would require the State Seal of Civic Engagement Resource Lead to submit a report to the State Department of Education by January 1, 2027, that makes findings and recommendations related to evidence-based strategies to provide equitable pupil access to the State Seal of Civic Engagement throughout a local educational agency. The bill would require the department to submit this report to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature, as provided. The bill would make the implementation of these provisions contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes.

Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer courses in, among other things, social studies, drawing upon the disciplines of anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology, designed to fit the maturity of the pupils. Existing law requires this instruction to, among other things, provide a foundation for understanding the history, resources, development, and government of California and the United States of America.This bill would require school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to work with registered community organizations, as defined, to voluntarily integrate pupils into civic engagement practicums, as defined, that address community needs and social and individual development. The bill would, among other things, require civic engagement practicums to include activities, training, and training materials that meet specified requirements, including, among others, that they be appropriate for pupils of all races, religions, nationalities, genders, sexual orientations, and diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, pupils with disabilities, and English learners. The bill would require the written consent of a pupils parent, legal guardian, or educational rights holder to participate in a civic engagement practicum, and would authorize a pupil to opt out at any time. The bill would require a participating registered community organization to be responsible for any costs associated with a pupils integration into a civic engagement practicum. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.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.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 the statutory provisions noted above.

Discussed in Hearing

Assembly Standing Committee on Education16MIN
Apr 12, 2023

Assembly Standing Committee on Education

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Bill Author

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