SB 1421: Educational equity: Uniform Complaint Procedures: Office of Civil Rights.

Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish and implement a system of complaint processing, known as the Uniform Complaint Procedures, for specified educational programs, and requires the State Department of Education to review those regulations pertaining to uniform complaint procedures for specified types of complaints, including those that allege unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying against any protected group, as provided. Existing law requires the department to, on or before March 31, 2019, commence rulemaking proceedings to revise those regulations, as necessary, to conform to specified provisions.

This bill would require the department to establish the Office of Civil Rights within the department to (1) receive and investigate these complaints reported pursuant to the uniform complaint procedures that allege unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying, as specified, (2) assume the departments duties as it pertains to these complaints, as provided, (3) develop procedures to optimize complaint reporting and response, (4) report to the department on the frequency of incidents of unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying at school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, (5) advise the department on the offices investigations, and (6) provide other recommendations to the department, as specified. The bill would also require this office to receive and investigate complaints relating to access to a high-quality education, instruction, instructional materials, and other matters as determined independently by the department or the State Board of Education.