ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
FOR YOUR PATIENCE, THIS IS, A
HEARING OF THE ASSEMBLY
EDUCATION COMMITTEE CALLING IT
TO ORDER, WE HAVE, I SAW A
REPUBLICAN HERE, VICE CHAIR
FLORA, HE JUST CHECKED IN, LET'S
SEE. AND WE HAVE MR. ALVAREZ
HERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND
SO WE WILL PROCEED AS A
SUBCOMMITTEE. AND, HOPEFULLY
WE'LL BE JOINED WITH THE REST OF
THE COMMITTEE, REAL SOON. GOOD
AFTERNOON. I WOULD LIKE TO HOLD
OFF ON CALLING THE ROLL TO
ESTABLISH A QUORUM. AND ANNOUNCE
THAT WE HAVE 29 BILLS ON FILE
TODAY. THREE BILLS HAVE BEEN
PULLED FROM THE AGENDA FOR
TODAY'S HEARING. AND SO IF YOU
HEAR ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BILLS,
IF YOU'RE HERE FOR ANY OF THE
FOLLOWING THREE BILLS, THEY WILL
NOT BE HEARD TODAY. SO YOU CAN
GO HOME, THOSE ARE FILE ITEM
NUMBER FOUR. ASSEMBLY BILL 2009.
FILE ITEM NUMBER FIVE, ASSEMBLY
BILL 2097 AND FILE ITEM NUMBER
EIGHT, ASSEMBLY BILL 2165. OKAY.
THANK YOU. THERE ARE IS IT 11 OR
10 BILLS ON CONSENT, TEN BILLS
ON CONSENT. THEY ARE, SO THESE
BILLS, WILL BE, HEARD OR VOTED
ON AS A GROUP, THEY WILL NOT YOU
WILL NOT SEE ANY INDIVIDUAL
HEARINGS ON ANY OF THESE
FOLLOWING BILLS. THEY ARE AB
1971, AB 2137 WITH AMENDMENTS AB
2181 WITH AMENDMENTS. AB 2534,
AB 2714, AB 2771, AB 2932 WITH
AMENDMENTS. AB 3223, AB 3262
WITH AMENDMENTS AND AB 3271, SO
YOU WILL NOT HEAR ANY
PRESENTATION ON THOSE TEN BILLS.
AND WE WILL BE VOTING ON THEM AS
A GROUP. TWO BILLS HAVE BEEN
PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THEY ARE A FILE ITEM 19 AB 2876
AND FILE ITEM 26 AB 3216. SO
THESE TWO BILLS WILL BE HEARD,
AS THEY HAVE BEEN PULLED FROM
THE CONSENT CALENDAR. BILLS WILL
BE HEARD IN, SIGN IN ORDER. I
HAVE A SIGN IN LIST WITH MR.
MANCHIN'S NAME AT THE TOP THERE.
I'LL HOLD OFF. AS A REMINDER,
FOR EACH BILL, WE WILL HAVE UP
TO TWO WITNESSES IN SUPPORT. TWO
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION, EACH OF
WHOM MAY SPEAK FOR UP TO TWO
MINUTES. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
IN THE HEARING ROOM WILL HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO STATE YOUR
POSITION ON THE BILL. PLEASE
STATE YOUR NAME, AFFILIATION,
AND POSITION ON THE BILL. ONLY
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE ALSO
WELCOME TO PROVIDE FURTHER
COMMENT THROUGH THE POSITION
LETTER PORTAL ON THE COMMITTEE'S
WEBSITE. AND, I BELIEVE THAT
COVERS ALL THE PRELIMINARY. AND
SO WE WILL START WITH THE FIRST
AND SIGN IN ORDER FILE ITEM 20,
ASSEMBLY BILL 2887. MR. MANCHIN,
WELCOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS. FIRST,
I'D LIKE TO START BY ACCEPTING
THE COMMITTEE'S AMENDMENTS. AND
EACH YEAR, OVER 356,000
AMERICANS EXPERIENCE CARDIAC
ARREST OUTSIDE OF A HOSPITAL
WITHOUT IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION,
90% OF THESE CASES RESULT IN
FATALITIES. Ã. AMONG THE MOST
VULNERABLE ARE CHILDREN UNDER
THE AGE OF 18, WITH
APPROXIMATELY 23,000
EXPERIENCING OUT-OF-HOSPITAL
CARDIAC ARREST EACH YEAR. AB
2887 SEEKS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE
BY ENSURING SCHOOLS HAVE
PROTOCOLS IN PLACE TO RESPOND
EFFECTIVELY IN A MEDICAL
EMERGENCY, PARTICULARLY SUDDEN
CARDIAC ARREST, CRUCIAL TO THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF A PROPOSED
SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN IS THE
INCREASED ACCESS TO AUTOMATIC
EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS OR, AS
THEY'RE MORE COMMONLY KNOWN,
AEDS. THESE HAVE BEEN
STATISTICALLY PROVEN TO INCREASE
THE CHANCES OF SURVIVAL
FOLLOWING SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST,
AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENTS IN
NEUROLOGICAL OUTCOMES.
PROPONENTS OF COMMUNITY BASED
PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE CENTER
FOR DISEASE CONTROL, ADVOCATE
FOR PLACING AEDS IN HIGH TRAFFIC
AREAS SUCH AS SCHOOLS, AIRPORTS,
FEDERAL BUILDINGS, WORKPLACES,
AND FITNESS CENTERS, EQUIPPING
SCHOOLS WITH THE NECESSARY
PROCEDURES AND EQUIPMENT TO
PROMPTLY AND EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS
SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST ENHANCES
THE PROBABILITY OF FAVORABLE
OUTCOMES DURING SUCH EMERGENCY.
AB 2887 PRIORITIZES THE HEALTH
AND SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS,
STAFF, AND VISITORS, AND ENSURES
SCHOOLS HAVE THE NECESSARY
RESOURCES AND PROTOCOLS TO
RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO MEDICAL
EMERGENCIES. BY IMPLEMENTING
COMPREHENSIVE PROTOCOLS AND
ENSURING ACCESS TO LIFE SAVING
EQUIPMENT LIKE AEDS IN SCHOOLS,
WE'RE TAKING PROACTIVE STEPS TO
PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK
YOU. AND I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR
AN AYE VOTE WITH ME. HERE HERE
TO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT IS DOCTOR
RAO FROM RADY CHILDREN'S
HOSPITAL OF SAN DIEGO, ALONG
WITH HEATHER, FROM LEE, A
SURVIVOR OF SUDDEN CARDIAC
ARREST, JOINED BY HER FATHER,
DEREK, FROM TRACY, CALIFORNIA.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. MY
NAME IS HEATHER FREELY AND I GO
TO ART FULLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
IN TRACY, CALIFORNIA. MY DAD IS
HERE WITH ME. HE TOLD ME TO
SPEAK CLEARLY AND SMILE AND MAKE
EYE CONTACT. I AM A DAUGHTER, A
SISTER, A BASKETBALL TEAMMATE,
AND A SURVIVOR OF SUDDEN CARDIAC
ARREST. BUT I ALMOST DIDN'T
SURVIVE. IT IS IT IS HARD TO
TELL MY STORY BECAUSE IT SEEMS
SO UNREAL. BUT I KNOW TELLING MY
STORY COULD BRING HOPE TO OTHERS
AND A SINGLE STORY CAN CHANGE
THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THOSE IT
TOUCHES. ON SEPTEMBER 22ND,
2023, I SUFFERED SUDDEN CARDIAC
ARREST IN MY CLASSROOM, SITTING
NEXT TO MY CLASSMATE AND FRIENDS
AS I FELL TO THE GROUND. AS MY
LIPS TURNED BLUE AND MY HEART
STOPPED BEATING AS THE PRINCIPAL
BEGAN CPR AND FIRST RESPONDERS
CONTINUED CPR, I DIED IN
FLATLINED ON THE MONITOR. I WAS
LUCKY BECAUSE THE PARAMEDICS HAD
AN AED AND I WAS BEING MONITORED
AS MY LIFE SIGNS FLATLINED AND
THE AED DEVICE RECOMMENDED TO
SHOCK ME. ONE SHOCKS, TWO SHOCKS
AND THREE SHOCKS WERE DELIVERED,
BUT MY HEART DID NOT START AGAIN
. ON THE FOURTH SHOCK, MY HEART
FINALLY STARTED TO BEAT AGAIN
AND I SHOWED SIGNS OF LIFE. ONCE
I WAS STABILIZED AND PLACED IN A
MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA, I WAS
AIRLIFTED TO UCSF AND PLACED IN
THE ICU FOR 24 HOURS. MY MOM AND
DAD HELD MY HAND, NOT KNOWING IF
I WAS GOING TO WAKE UP AND WHAT
PERMANENT DAMAGE I MAY HAVE.
AFTER 24 HOURS, I FINALLY WOKE
UP. I SQUEEZED MY DAD'S HAND AND
MOVED MY EYES, LOOKING INTO HIS
EYES, I SAW MY DAD BREAK DOWN
INTO TEARS, SAYING MY NAME OVER
AND OVER AGAIN. MY DAD KNEW
RIGHT THEN AND THERE THAT HE HAD
WITNESSED A MIRACLE. AFTER 18
DAYS IN THE ICU AT UCSF, I
WALKED OUT OF THE HOSPITAL WITH
NO COMPLICATIONS AND NHIÀU AND A
NEW OUTLOOK AND CHANCE AT LIFE.
I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF THE
GRACE OF GOD AND JESUS CHRIST,
THROUGH THE ACTIONS OF THE
PRINCIPAL OF FIRST RESPONDERS
THAT DAY, THE ACTIONS OF CPR
DONE BY THE PRINCIPAL AND THE
ACTIONS OF THE AED DEVICE
OPERATED BY FIRST RESPONDERS.
THE PRINCIPAL HAD JUST RECEIVED
CPR TRAINING TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO
MY SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST. THE
FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED IN TIME
WITH AN AED DEVICE WHO WERE
PROPERLY TRAINED ON HOW TO USE
IT. THEY WILL FOREVER LIVE IN MY
FAMILY'S MEMORIES AS HEROES WHO
WERE A PART OF A MIRACLE THAT
DAY. NOW AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION,
DOING MY PART TO HELP SAVE LIVES
COULD I ASK YOU TO WRAP UP? AS
YOU'VE HEARD. GREAT. THANK YOU.
AS YOU HAVE HEARD FROM MY STORY
AND MY SURVIVAL CPR AND THE
PROPER TRAINING OF AN AED DEVICE
SAVES LIVES. ESPECIALLY THIS
GIRL. AND I CAN'T FORGET MY
CLASSMATES WHO CALLED 911. WE
ARE CLOSER THAN EVER NOW BECAUSE
OF THE AMERICAN HEART
ASSOCIATION. I KNOW I'M NOT
ALONE IN HELPING MAKE A
DIFFERENCE. SCHOOLS NEED TO HAVE
EMERGENCY PLANS AND AEDS IN
PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN
ANOTHER CHILD OR ADULT HAS
SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST ON A
SCHOOL CAMPUS, THERE WILL BE
SOMEONE WHO IS TRAINED IN CPR
AND KNOWS HOW TO USE AN AED
DEVICE. I PERSONALLY WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A
CHANCE AT SURVIVAL, LIKE I DID.
STAND WITH ME, MY DAD, AND THE
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION SO WE
CAN SAVE LIVES TOGETHER BECAUSE
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE PERSON
NEXT TO YOU MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE
OR A LOVED ONE. PLEASE SUPPORT
ASSEMBLY BILL 2887. THANK YOU.
GREAT JOB. NEXT WITNESS PLEASE.
MY NAME IS DOCTOR ROHIT RAO. I
AM A PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGIST AND
I'M A PROFESSOR AT UCSD. I TAKE
CARE OF KIDS LIKE HEATHER ALL
THE TIME IN THE INTENSIVE CARE
UNIT. I'M ALSO THE MEDICAL
DIRECTOR OF PROJECT ADAM, WHICH
HAS BEEN GOING SINCE 1999. ADAM
WAS A HIGH SCHOOL KID IN
WHITEFISH BAY THAT WENT DOWN
DURING A BASKETBALL AND WAS NOT
AS FORTUNATE, WAS RESUSCITATED
REALLY WELL BY AMT, BUT HE, DID
NOT MAKE IT SO HIS PARENTS HAVE
TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES TO
CONTINUE HIS LEGACY. AND WE GO
OUT TO SCHOOLS AND PROVIDE
SCHOOLS WITH HELP WITH MAKING
CARDIAC EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS
IN PLACE, AND MAKE SURE THERE IS
DEVICES READY TO GO, SUDDEN
CARDIAC ARREST IS A ELECTRICAL
PROBLEM IN THE HEART. IT'S NOT
LIKE A HEART ATTACK, THE HEART
MUSCLE IS A PUMP, AND THE
ELECTRICITY DRIVES THAT PUMP.
AND VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION IS
THE EVENT THAT HAPPENS THAT
CAUSES THIS THIS SUDDEN CARDIAC
ARREST, WHICH IS A SUDDEN LOSS
OF ELECTRICAL POWER. SO TWO
THINGS YOU NEED TO START
PUMPING, WHICH IS THE CPR. AND
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO DEPLOY THE AED
TO TURN THE ELECTRICITY BACK ON.
AND IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT
SCHOOLS HAVE THIS IN PLACE SO
THAT THIS CAN BE DONE WITHIN
THREE MINUTES. OTHERWISE THE
SURVIVAL IS USUALLY 10, WHICH IS
THE STATISTICS RIGHT NOW. AND
THERE IS A STUDY FOR TWO YEARS
IN 2000 SCHOOLS. THEY FOUND THAT
THE SURVIVAL CAN GO UP TO 70 TO
80. IF THE SCHOOL HAS A PLAN IN
PLACE AND AN AED IS DEPLOYED
WITHIN THREE MINUTES, BECAUSE
AFTER THREE MINUTES, EVERY
MINUTE IS 10% LOSS OF CHANCE OF
SURVIVAL. AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME
OF EMT IN THIS COUNTRY IS AROUND
EIGHT MINUTES. SO YOU CAN SEE
WHERE THAT 8,080% MORTALITY
COMES FROM. SO I'M VERY HAPPY
AND GLAD TO BE HERE. AND I FULLY
SUPPORT THE BILL AND HOPE THAT
WE CAN MAKE A CASE FOR IT. THANK
YOU. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
SUPPORT OF THE BILL? PLEASE COME
FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE. AND
WHILE WE, ACTUALLY LET ME PAUSE
FOR A QUICK MINUTE AND, TAKE
ROLE TO ESTABLISH QUORUM.
MURATSUCHI HERE. MURATSUCHI HERE
. LARA. ADIS. ALVAREZ HERE.
ALVAREZ. HERE BONTA. HERE.
BONTA. HERE. HOOVER. HOOVER
HERE. MCCARTY ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE
QUORUM, PLEASE. THANK YOU. CHAIR
AND MEMBERS TIM MADDEN,
REPRESENTING THE CALIFORNIA
CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE
OF CARDIOLOGY AND SPORT. THANK
YOU, DAVID QUINTANA, ON BEHALF
OF THE HABEMATOLEL POMO TRIBE OF
UPPER LAKE IN SUPPORT. THANKS.
GOOD AFTERNOON. JAMIE MORGAN, ON
BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN HEART
ASSOCIATION. PROUD SPONSOR OF
THE BILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. ANY WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL? SEEING
NONE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL? SEEING
NONE. LET ME BRING IT TO THE
COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE
MEMBERS SEEING NONE. THANK YOU,
MR. MANCINI, FOR, ALWAYS
FIGHTING FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS,
ESPECIALLY, MAKING SURE THAT OUR
SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS, ENSURE
THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE,
PROPERLY TRAINED AND THAT THEY
HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO BE ABLE TO
RESPOND TO A SITUATIONS LIKE
MISS FREELY SHARED, THANK YOU,
MISS FREELEY, FOR SHARING YOUR
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE SO THAT, YOU
KNOW, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT ALL,
STUDENTS HAVE, A GOOD OUTCOME
LIKE YOU, WE WOULD LIKE TO
ADVANCE THIS BILL FORWARD. I AM
HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS BILL, MR.
MANCHIN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
CLOSE? YEAH. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. AND I WOULD RESPECTFULLY
REQUEST AN AYE VOTE. THANK YOU.
I BET MOTION'S BEEN MADE.
SECONDED MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL BILL ITEM 19, AB
2876. THE MOTION IS TO PASS, AS
AMENDED, TO APPROPRIATION. THANK
YOU TOO. OH, SORRY. I'M SORRY.
THANK YOU. FILE ITEM 20 AB 2887.
THE MOTION IS Dð PASSES AMENDED
TO APPROPRIATIONS. MURATSUCHI.
ALL RIGHT. MURATSUCHI I LARA
ADDIS ALVAREZ I ALVAREZ I BONTA.
EYE TO EYE. HOOVER. HOOVER I
MCCARTY. FOR ZERO. THE BILL IS
OUT. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT,
NEXT, AND SIGN IN. FILE ITEM,
ORDER FILE NUMBER 21, AB 2901,
BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER AGUILAR CURRY
. TAKE ANY SEAT. YOU. JUST
WANTED TO START AT THE TOP OF MY
PAGE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS. UNDER CURRENT STATE
LAW, EDUCATORS CANNOT EARN ANY
PAID PREGNANCY LEAVE. ONLY AFTER
THEY HAVE USED ALL OF THEIR SICK
LEAVE. ARE EDUCATORS ELIGIBLE TO
RECEIVE DIFFERENTIAL PAY WHEN
THEY CANNOT WORK DUE TO
PREGNANCY RELATED DISABILITIES.
AND IN CASE YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR
WITH DIFFERENTIAL PAY, IT IS
PAYING EDUCATORS THAT ARE
REGULAR SALARY MINUS THIS. LET'S
PUT IT THERE, MINUS THE COST OF
THEIR SUBSTITUTE SCHOOL
EMPLOYEES ARE LEFT WITH A
DECISION TO EITHER SCHEDULE
PREGNANCIES BASED ON THE SCHOOL
CALENDAR YEAR, OR TO TRY TO GET
BY WITH LESS PAY. LIKE YOU KNOW,
ANY MOTHER OR FATHER OR THOSE
WHO HAVE TRIED TO HAVE CHILDREN
CAN GET A IRONIC CHUCKLE OUT OF
THAT SUGGESTION. THIS CURRENT
STANDARD OF PREGNANCY LEAVE FOR
EDUCATORS STRAIGHT UP
DISCRIMINATES AGAINST WOMEN AND
STUDIES RELEASED SINCE THIS
POLICY WAS ATTEMPTED BEFORE NOW
PROVE THE REPERCUSSIONS IN
EQUITY IN RETIREMENT. WE NOW
HAVE DATA FROM CALSTRS THAT
SHOWS WOMEN WILL RECEIVE ALMOST
100,000 LESS IN RETIREMENT
BENEFITS THAN THEIR MALE
COUNTERPARTS, $100,000 LESS IN A
PROFESSION WHERE OVER 70% WOMEN
THAN IT IS SHOCKING AND
UNACCEPTABLE. AND IT'S ABOUT
TIME WE FIX IT. SPEAKING IN
SUPPORT WITH ME TODAY IS ERIKA
JONES, SECRETARY TREASURER OF
THE CALIFORNIA TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION, AND ERIKA TORRES,
DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION FOR THE CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
WELCOME. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. GO
AHEAD. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR.
CHAIR, AND MEMBERS. MY NAME IS
ERIKA JONES. I AM A KINDERGARTEN
TEACHER AND CURRENTLY SERVING AS
THE SECRETARY TREASURER FOR
CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION,
REPRESENTING 310,000 MEMBERS
STATEWIDE. AND WE ARE HONORED TO
BE SPONSORING THIS BILL. ALSO,
THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO
ME AND VERY PERSONAL. IN AUGUST,
I GAVE BIRTH TO MY DAUGHTER,
JOSEPHINE, WHO JUST STARTED
CRAWLING. SO THAT'S BEEN A BIT
MUCH RIGHT NOW, BUT I HAVE
VISITED LUNCHROOMS SCHOOL LUNCH
ROOMS ACROSS THE STATE, AND YOU
HEAR EDUCATORS TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT PLANNING PREGNANCIES AROUND
SCHOOL CALENDARS OR EVEN TRYING
TO LOOK AT THE RETIREMENT,
NOTICING THAT THEY HAVE TO SERVE
MORE YEARS THAN THEIR MALE
COUNTERPARTS. I HAVE FRIENDS
WHERE BOTH THE MALE AND FEMALE
ARE EDUCATORS, WHERE THEY HAVE
TO WORK FOUR MORE TO FIVE MORE
YEARS THAN THEIR HUSBAND BECAUSE
OF, BECAUSE THEY WERE THE
BIRTHING PARENT. BUT LOOK, WE
HAVE ZERO PAID PREGNANCY LEAVE.
WE HAVE TO USE OUR SICK LEAVE.
AND THEN ONCE THAT'S EXHAUSTED
AS, SULEIMAN SAID, THEN YOU GO
INTO DIFFERENTIAL PAY. HAVING
CHILDREN IS NOT AN ILLNESS. THIS
IS A WAGE GAP ISSUE. THIS IS AN
EQUITY ISSUE. AND THE TIME IS
NOW FOR US TO DO THE RIGHT
THING, DURING THIS TIME OF
EDUCATOR SHORTAGE, WE ARE SEEING
BIRTHING PARENTS LEAVE THE
PROFESSION BECAUSE OF THE LACK
OF SUPPORT. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO
BUILD OUR FAMILIES WITHOUT THE
ADDED STRESS OF EXHAUSTING OUR
SICK DAYS, SACRIFICING OUR SICK
DAYS, AND THEN OF COURSE, LOWER
PAY. AND GOD FORBID YOU ACTUALLY
GET SICK AFTER YOU'VE EXHAUSTED
YOUR SICK DAYS OR YOUR CHILD IS
SICK IN THIS DAY OF COVID. YOU
KNOW THAT'S JUST NOT REALISTIC
RIGHT NOW. SO WE URGE YOU TO
SUPPORT ASSEMBLY BILL 2901.
JOINING ME, I HAVE K¾T
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCATE SETH
BRAMBLE, WHO CAN ANSWER ANY
TECHNICAL QUESTIONS. AND WE ARE
INCREDIBLY THANKFUL FOR THE
MAJORITY LEADERS. HONORABLE THE
HONORABLE AGUILAR CURRY FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP AND AUTHORING THIS
BILL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS
DOCTOR ERIKA TORRES, AND I SERVE
AS DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION FOR THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION. I AM REPRESENTING
TONY THURMOND, STATE
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION, AND HE REGRETS NOT
BEING ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY.
SUPERINTENDENT THURMOND IS
PLEASED TO JOIN STATE TREASURER
FIONA MA AND THE CALIFORNIA
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, AND
CO-SPONSORING ASSEMBLY BILL 2901
TO ESTABLISH PAID PREGNANCY
LEAVE FOR TEACHERS AND PUBLIC
SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. THIS BILL
GRANTS UP TO 14 WEEKS OF LEAVE
WITH FULL PAY WHEN AN EMPLOYEE
IS EXPERIENCING PREGNANCY,
MISCARRIAGE, CHILDBIRTH,
TERMINATE, THÀNH OF PREGNANCY OR
RECOVERY FROM THOSE CONDITIONS.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MAJORITY
LEADER AGUIAR-CURRY FOR
AUTHORING THIS IMPORTANT
MEASURE, WHICH WILL HAVE A
LASTING IMPACT ON CALIFORNIA
EDUCATORS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
CURRENTLY, EDUCATORS CANNOT EARN
PAID PREGNANCY LEAVE,
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING
WOMEN BY FORCING THEM TO EXHAUST
THEIR SICK LEAVE AND GET BY WITH
LESS PAY. THIS IMPACTS EDUCATORS
EVEN THROUGH RETIREMENT, WITH
FEMALE EDUCATORS EARNING
APPROXIMATELY $100,000 LESS IN
RETIREMENT THAN THEIR MALE
COUNTERPARTS. AB 2901 WILL HELP
PROMOTE EQUITY FOR CALIFORNIA'S
EDUCATORS BY PROVIDING PAID
PREGNANCY LEAVE FOR CALIFORNIA'S
TEACHERS. WE WILL TAKE AN
IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD ACHIEVING
GENDER EQUITY IN TEACHER PAY,
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT IN
CALIFORNIA, WE'RE FACING A
TEACHER SHORTAGE. THEREFORE IT
IS IMPERATIVE TO ENSURE OUR
TEACHERS, WHO ARE PREDOMINANTLY
WOMEN, ARE NOT PENALIZED
FINANCIALLY FOR STARTING A
FAMILY. ESTABLISHING PAID
PREGNANCY LEAVE AS A UNIVERSAL
RIGHT IS A FUNDAMENTAL STEP
TOWARD THIS GOAL. AB 2901 THE
PREGNANCY LEAVE FOR EDUCATORS
ACT IS AN EXCELLENT STEP IN
PROVIDING GREATER SUPPORT FOR
OUR TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS, AND
ULTIMATELY, THE STUDENTS OF OUR
GREAT STATE OF CALIFORNIA. I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR AYE
VOTE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
SUPPORT OF THE BILL? PLEASE COME
FORWARD. HERE WE GO AGAIN, A
REMINDER, PLEASE LIMIT YOUR
COMMENTS TO NAME AFFILIATION AND
YOUR POSITION ON THE BILL. MAY I
BEGIN? YES. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M
NIKKI MILEVSKY. I'M A SCHOOL
PSYCHOLOGIST AND I'M PRESIDENT
OF THE SACRAMENTO CITY TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION. ON BEHALF OF MY
2800 MEMBERS, I URGE YOU TO
SUPPORT AB 2901. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. MITCH STEIGER WITH
CFT ALSO IN SUPPORT. KOBE
PEZZATI I'M A WASHINGTON UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT TRUSTEE AND
SUPPORT. MYRA HARVEY, PRESIDENT,
NATOMAS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION AND
SUPPORT. SHEA STEVENS, PRESIDENT
, ANDERSON UNION SCHOOL
DISTRICT, IN SUPPORT. RICKY
NUNN, MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER, SAN
JUAN SCHOOL DISTRICT. YES, VOTE.
THANK YOU. MARTHA ZARAGOZA DIAZ,
REPRESENTING THE DELTA KAPPA
GAMMA, CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS A
STATEWIDE WOMEN EDUCATORS
ORGANIZATION IN SUPPORT. GOOD
AFTERNOON, JENNIFER BAKER WITH
THE CALIFORNIA RETIRED TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION. PROUD TO SUPPORT
THIS BILL. GEORGE, ON BEHALF OF
THE CALIFORNIA LABOR FEDERATION
IN SUPPORT. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS.
KAREN STOUT HERE ON BEHALF OF
REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM FOR ALL
CALIFORNIA, WE WANT TO THANK THE
AUTHOR FOR HER COMMITMENT TO THE
RIGHTS OF PREGNANT PEOPLE, AND
WE ARE IN SUPPORT. GOOD
AFTERNOON, JOYCELYN MARTINEZ.
WADE WITH THE CALIFORNIA STATE
TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM IN
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON. CASSIE MANCINI, ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION. AND
SUPPORT. CONNIE CHAN, ON BEHALF
OF CALIFORNIA STATE TREASURER
FIONA MÀ, PROUD CO-SPONSOR OF AB
2901. NORA LIN, ON BEHALF OF
CHILDREN NOW IN SUPPORT.
BRITTANY WARD, THIRD GRADE
TEACHER AT TWIN RIVERS AND I'M
IN SUPPORT. REBECCA LEDOUX,
PRESIDENT OF TWIN RIVERS UNITED
EDUCATORS AND SUPPORT. JEANETTE
SCHANZENBACH, FOURTH GRADE
TEACHER AND ALSO FCA. FOLSOM
CORDOVA, ASSOCIATE THÀNH IN
SUPPORT. JENNY CASSIDY,
CALIFORNIA WORK AND FAMILY
COALITION IN STRONG SUPPORT.
ALSO TESTIFYING ON BEHALF OF THE
FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS IN
STRONG SUPPORT. ASIAN LAW
ALLIANCE BREASTFEED, LA
CALIFORNIA BREASTFEEDING
COALITION, CARING ACROSS
GENERATIONS, CENTER FOR
COMMUNITY ACTION, AND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, CENTER
FOR WORKERS RIGHTS, CITIZENS FOR
CHOICE, ELECTRIC UNIVERSE, EQUAL
RIGHTS ADVOCATES, LA ALLIANCE
FOR A NEW ECONOMY, AND LA PESTE
BABIES NETWORK. SARAH DIAZ WITH
THE CALIFORNIA WICK ASSOCIATION
IN SUPPORT, ALSO TESTIFYING IN
SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING
ORGANIZATIONS THE NATIONAL
COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN, LOS
ANGELES NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR
WOMEN AND FAMILIES, NATIONAL
WOMEN'S POLITICAL CAUCUS OF
CALIFORNIA, ORANGE COUNTY
EQUALITY COALITION, PARENT
VOICES, CALIFORNIA PUBLIC
COUNCIL, WORKSAFE CALIFORNIA
CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL
NETWORK, CHILD CARE LAW CENTER,
FRIENDS COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATION
OF CALIFORNIA, AND OUR FAMILY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MELISSA
NANCE, HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AT
FAIRFIELD-SUISUN UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT, AND I SUPPORT THIS.
THANK YOU. HONOR FEARFUL TO SUE
ON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
GOVERNING BOARD TRUSTEE AREA SIX
AND FULL SUPPORT. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS ANNA MATHEWS WITH THE
FACULTY ASSOCIATION OF THE
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN
STRONG SUPPORT OF THIS BILL.
THANK YOU. JENNIFER ROBLES WITH
HEALTH ACCESS CALIFORNIA IN
SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON AND
THANK YOU. I'M KAREN HUMPHREY,
NATIONAL WOMEN'S POLITICAL
CAUCUS POLICY CO-CHAIR. WE
REALLY SUPPORT THIS BILL
ENTHUSIASTICALLY. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
MEMBERS JANICE O'MALLEY WITH THE
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE
COUNTY MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES HERE
IN SUPPORT. THANK YOU, KIMBERLY
ROSENBERGER WITH SEIU IN SUPPORT
. ALL RIGHT. ANY FURTHER
WITNESSES IN SUPPORT, PUBLIC
COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL,
SEEING NONE ANY WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL, PLEASE
COME FORWARD. GOOD AFTERNOON,
MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS. DOROTHY
JOHNSON, ON BEHALF OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATORS, OUR OPPOSITION
IS PROBABLY BETTER SUITED FOR
THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. SO
I'LL KEEP MY COMMENTS BRIEF.
WE'VE APPRECIATED THE COMMENT OR
THE CONVERSATION WITH THE
SPONSORS AND THE AUTHOR'S
OFFICE. IN LIGHT OF OUR THE
CONCERNS ABOUT THE FISCAL
PRESSURES, AND WE RECOGNIZE THE
INTENT OF AB 2009, AND WE DO NOT
OPPOSE THE IDEA OF LEAVE FOR
PREGNANCY, DISABILITY, FAMILY
CARE AND OTHER NEEDS. IT'S THE
REALITY OF BEING A HUMAN BEING.
HOWEVER, THERE IS NO DEDICATED
FUNDING RESOURCE AVAILABLE AND
UNFORTUNATELY, WITHOUT THAT, IT
MEANS THAT EXISTING RESOURCES
FROM A FINITE POT OF MONEY WILL
BE DRAINED, AND THAT MEANS THAT
STUDENTS WILL SEE THIS IMPACT
AND EMPLOYEES MAY SEE THIS
IMPACT AS WELL. WE'RE DEALING
WITH A FINITE POOL OF MONEY AND
AGAIN, OUR DEEP CONCERN ABOUT
THE FISCAL IMPACT REMAINS
REGARDLESS OF THE GOOD
INTENTIONS BEHIND THIS BILL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MICHELLE
BEALL, ON BEHALF OF CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS
OFFICIALS, WE OPPOSE Dð THE SAME
REASONS STATED BY MY COLLEAGUE
AT AXA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO
WE HEARD FROM TWO WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS
IN OPPOSITION. PLEASE COME
FORWARD SEEING NONE, BRING IT
BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, MISS
BONTA. THEN MR. HOOVER, I WANT
TO THANK THE AUTHOR FOR BRINGING
FORWARD THIS BILL. AND VERY
PROUD TO HAVE YOU AS THE VICE
CHAIR OF THE CALIFORNIA
LEGISLATIVE WOMEN'S CAUCUS,
BRINGING FORWARD THIS BILL AS
WELL. IT STRIKES ME THAT WE'RE
DEALING WITH LARGELY WITH OUR
EDUCATORS, LARGELY WOMEN
FOCUSED, EMPLOYEE BASE, AND, AND
THE FACT THAT YOU'VE OUTLINED A
WAY IN WHICH WE HAVE THAT
WORKFORCE SEVERELY IMPACTED OVER
THE COURSE OF TIME BECAUSE OF
THE IMPACTS ON RETIREMENT AND
COST OF LIVING, IS CERTAINLY NOT
LOST ON ME IN IN MY INDIVIDUAL
SUPPORT FOR THIS BILL, WHICH I
WHOLEHEARTEDLY DO. I'M A
COAUTHOR OF THIS BILL. AND I
ALSO JUST KIND OF WANTED TO
FRAME THIS ISSUE AROUND
OPPORTUNITY COSTS AND WHAT IT
ACTUALLY COSTS. WHEN WE TAKE ON
THESE OPPORTUNITIES, MY
UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WHENEVER
AN EMPLOYEE LEAVES, A TEACHER
LEAVES, THEIR POSITION, IT COSTS
ANYWHERE. BETWEEN 70,000 TO
$110,000 TO GET ANOTHER PERSON
TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THEIR PLACE
IN TERMS OF THE TRAINING THAT'S
REQUIRED AND THE OPPORTUNITY
COST ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING
EMPTY AN EMPTY CLASSROOM, THE
COST OF, REFILLING THAT
POSITION. SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO
TO ENSURE THAT, WHEN SOMEBODY
LEAVES FOR THE BEAUTIFUL
OPPORTUNITY OF, OF PARENTING,
THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO
COME BACK INTO THAT POSITION. SO
I THINK WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT
COSTS, IN A VERY MYOPIC WAY. AND
AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'VE
LAID OUT WITH THIS LEGISLATION,
MAJORITY LEADER, A WAY FOR US TO
THINK MORE HOLISTICALLY ABOUT
THE COST OF WORK AND THE COST OF
LIVING AND THE COST OF EDUCATING
EVERY CHILD AND THE COST OF
HAVING A LOVING FAMILY AROUND
THEM FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF
TIME. THANK YOU, MR. HOOVER.
THANK YOU, FIRST, I JUST WANT TO
SAY I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE GOAL
OF YOUR BILL. AND, I JUST HAD A
FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU IN TERMS
OF, HOW YOU CHOSE THE NUMBER 14
WEEKS. SO I NOTICED IN THE
COMMITTEE ANALYSIS THAT MOST OF
THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND I DON'T
KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO,
SPEAK ON THIS EITHER, BUT THE
ONES THAT HAVE NEGOTIATED LEAVE,
IT'S BEEN ABOUT AROUND SIX
WEEKS. I KNOW THERE WAS A
PREVIOUS BILL IN THIS BODY THAT
WAS SIX WEEKS, SO JUST CURIOUS
ON HOW THAT NUMBER CAME TO BE
AND, YEAH. SO I'LL JUST PUT THAT
OUT THERE. GO AHEAD, I DID, SEE
IN THE VERY WELL DRAFTED SETH
BRAMBLE. SORRY, CALIFORNIA
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION. I DID SEE
IN THE WELL DRAFTED A COMMITTEE
ANALYSIS. SOME MENTION OF THE
INTERNATIONAL LABOR
ORGANIZATION. 14 WEEKS WAS THE
STANDARD WORLDWIDE FOR WHERE
COUNTRIES WERE MOVING TOWARDS IN
TERMS OF THE LEAVE THAT THEY
WERE PROVIDING. MOMS THAT ARE
HAVING CHILDREN, THAT'S WHERE WE
KIND OF SET IT BASED ON WHAT THE
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD IS. BUT
THE TRUTH IS, THE UNITED STATES
IS REALLY WAY BEHIND A LOT OF
THE WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO HOW
WE SUPPORT NEW MOMS. SO THIS IS,
I THINK, A REALLY IMPORTANT STEP
FOR AS AS WE DEFINE THE
CALIFORNIA WAY FOR, YOU KNOW,
WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING FOR
MOMS, NOT JUST IN PUBLIC
EDUCATION, BUT IN OUR WORKFORCE
AS. AND MAYBE, SETH, IF I IF I
COULD FOLLOW UP WITH YOU TOO ON
DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR CTA
HAVE ANY CONCERNS ON HOW THIS
LIKE FISCAL PRESSURE, ESPECIALLY
AS WE ENTER KIND OF A TOUGH
BUDGET CYCLE, WILL HAVE ON
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL IN OTHER AREAS, LIKE
IS IT GOING TO PUT COST
PRESSURES AND MAYBE LIMIT, YOU
KNOW, THE ABILITY OF DISTRICTS
TO, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY, YOU
KNOW, FUND RAISES AND THINGS
LIKE THAT? I WAS JUST CURIOUS,
WHAT WERE YOUR GENERAL THOUGHTS
ARE RIGHT, SO I THINK IT'S AN
IMPORTANT IN THIS CLIMATE THAT
WE MAKE THE CASE, NOT JUST FOR
THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO BE
TAKING BIG STEPS TO ADDRESS THE
SHORTAGE OF WORKERS WHO ARE
CHOOSING PUBLIC EDUCATION AS A
CAREER. AND WE KNOW THAT, YOU
KNOW, CERTAINLY SALARY BENEFITS,
WORKING CONDITIONS DRIVE THAT.
WE THINK THIS BILL IS A BIG STEP
AND WORTH THE INVESTMENT IN
TERMS OF IMPROVING WORKING
CONDITIONS IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, ESPECIALLY IN AN
INDUSTRY THAT'S PRIMARILY WOMEN.
BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT
WHEN WE MAKE THE CASE FOR WHY WE
SHOULD MAKE THIS INVESTMENT, TO
THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT AT THE
MOMENT, AS WAS MENTIONED BY THE
AUTHOR, WOMEN WHO ARE RETIRING
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BURN
THROUGH THEIR SICK LEAVE RESULT
IN A RETIREMENT BENEFIT THAT'S
$100,000 LESS THAN MEN OVER THE
COURSE OF THEIR LIFETIME. THAT
KIND OF INEQUITY IS SOMETHING
THAT THE STATE SHOULD TAKE
ACTION TO ADDRESS. SO I
RECOGNIZE THAT IN SOME AREAS, AS
YOU MENTIONED, THERE'S BEEN
BARGAINING. BUT IF THE OUTCOME
HAS BEEN THIS KIND OF STRUCTURAL
INEQUITY AND SPECIFICALLY IN OUR
RETIREMENT SYSTEM, THEN I THINK
IT'S AN INCUMBENT UPON THE STATE
TO TAKE ACTION AND RIGHT THAT
WRONG. OKAY. WELL, I APPRECIATE
THAT. I APPRECIATE THE
THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES, I WILL BE
SUPPORTING THE BILL TODAY, THE
ONLY THING I WOULD, I GUESS JUST
ASK IS THAT AS THIS GETS INTO
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, I
THINK THERE WOULD BE SOME THINGS
THAT WOULD, I THINK, POTENTIALLY
MAKE IT EASIER TO SUPPORT FOR
MORE OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE
FLOOR, THAT MAY BE REDUCING THE
NUMBER OF WEEKS TO MAYBE A
UNDERSTANDABLY, I THINK 14 IS A
GREAT GOAL, BUT MAYBE A MORE
REASONABLE LEVEL, AND THEN ALSO,
YOU KNOW, JUST, I DIDN'T SEE A
LIMIT IN THE BILL ON HOW MANY
TIMES PER YEAR THIS, THIS CAN BE
USED. AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF
THERE'S DISCUSSIONS OR LANGUAGE
THAT COULD HAPPEN TO ADDRESS
ACCESS CONCERNS, BECAUSE I DO
ALSO UNDERSTAND KIND OF THE
PERSPECTIVE OF AXA. AND I THINK
THEIR CONCERNS ARE VALID AS
WELL. SO THAT'S THANK YOU. THANK
YOU, MR. ALVAREZ. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU TO THE AUTHOR AND THE
SPONSORS OF THE BILL FOR YOUR
WORK ON THIS. I THINK I WHAT I'D
LIKE TO DO IS PERHAPS, LAY OUT
THE FACTS OF WHERE WE'RE AT AND
WHY THIS IS SUCH A SIGNIFICANT,
IN MY OPINION, PIECE OF
LEGISLATION. THÀNH. SO CURRENTLY
, EDUCATORS, DEPENDING ON WHERE
YOU ARE, BUT ACCORDING TO THE
RESEARCH THAT WAS DONE AND
PRESENTED IN OUR ANALYSIS WITH
LIMITED, LIMITED, EXCEPTIONS DO
NOT RECEIVE PAID LEAVE WHEN THEY
, ARE EXPERIENCING EITHER A
PREGNANCY OR ANY OF THE
EXPERIENCES THAT ARE LAID OUT IN
THIS BILL IS THAT. THAT'S
CORRECT. OKAY SO WITH LIMITED
EXCEPTIONS, THERE ARE SOME WHO
PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE
DISABILITY PROGRAM, WHICH THAT
PROGRAM ACTUALLY ONLY COVERS. AS
A PERSON MARRIED TO AN EDUCATOR
WHO HAD TWO CHILDREN, ROUGHLY,
AT THIS POINT, IT'S LIKE $500
EVERY TWO WEEKS, I BELIEVE. IS
THAT THE PROGRAM THAT THOSE THAT
DO PARTICIPATE IN PAID LEAVE,
PARTICIPATE IN, DO ANY OF YOU
KNOW, SORRY, YOUR QUESTION IS
HOW MUCH SOMEONE WHO
PARTICIPATES IN STATE THEY ARE
INSURANCE. YEAH. I MEAN, BECAUSE
I'M FROM A WORLD PUBLIC
EDUCATION FOR THE MOST PART THAT
DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN STATE
DISABILITY INSURANCE, THAT'S A
CHALLENGE. WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR
LAW IS DIFFERENTIAL PAY, WHICH I
KNOW THE AUTHOR DESCRIBED. YOU
HAVE TO SUBTRACT THE COST OF
WHAT A SUBSTITUTE GETS. I THINK
THERE'S A VALUE FOR EMPLOYERS
BECAUSE THERE'S NOT REALLY A
COST THERE. THEY'RE GOING TO BE
PAYING FOR PAYING FOR THAT
POSITION ANYWAY. AND THERE'S A
VALUE FOR EMPLOYEES. THE PROBLEM
WITH A DIFFERENTIAL PAY SYSTEM
IS THAT YOU HAVE TO BURN THROUGH
YOUR SICK LEAVE FIRST. AND
THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEING THIS
INEQUITY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO
WRITE WITH RESPECT. AND I WAS
GOING TO GET TO THAT BECAUSE I
THINK THAT'S LIKE REALLY
IMPORTANT TO LAY OUT. SO PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
THIS. SO THE SDI PROGRAM, FROM
MY KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
DEFINITELY DOESN'T PAY YOU YOUR
FULL SALARY. IT IS A PORTION OF
IT. USUALLY I THINK IT'S IN THE
500 RANGE, BUT I COULD BE WRONG
ON THAT. IT'S, PER PER PAY
PERIOD, AND SO THIS WOULD NOW
ALLOW, EDUCATORS WHO ARE
EXPERIENCING, THIS IN THEIR LIFE
TO BE ABLE TO TAKE UP TO 14
WEEKS, BUT NOT REQUIRED 14
WEEKS. IT DEPENDS ON THEIR
PERSONAL SITUATION. AND
OBVIOUSLY, DECISIONS THAT THEY
MAKE WITH THEIR HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER AS TO HOW MUCH TIME
THEY NEED. AND THAT HAS TO BE.
CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY, DOES THAT
HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER? IS LIKE A
DOCTOR'S NOTE REQUIRED. WHAT IS
THAT VERIFICATION PROCESS, THE
BILL SUGGESTS THAT IT'S REALLY
BETWEEN THE PATIENT AND THE
DOCTOR. SO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH
TIME YOU'RE GOING TO NEED. BUT
IT IS FOR THE PHYSICAL ACT OF
RECOVERING FROM THE ACT OF, YOU
KNOW, PREGNANCY, MISCARRIAGE,
ALL THOSE PIECES THAT ARE IN THE
BILL. BUT IT IS BETWEEN THE
DOCTOR AND THE PATIENT. SO
AGAIN, BECAUSE IF THIS IS
SUCCESSFUL, I KNOW THAT, YOU
KNOW, CLEARLY ALL THE EDUCATORS
HERE, BUT THE HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS IN OUR STATE, I WOULD
LOOK FORWARD TO THIS UNDER THE
CURRENT VERSION. WHAT WE'RE
VOTING ON TODAY, YOU WOULD NOT
BE REQUIRED BY YOUR SCHOOL
DISTRICT OR YOUR EMPLOYER TO
PROVIDE SOME SORT OF DOCTOR
NOTIFICATION, OF THE 14 WEEKS,
YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT THAT
COULD LOOK DIFFERENT IN
DIFFERENT PLACES. THE ULTIMATELY
, YOU KNOW, IN THIS WHEN I WAS A
TEACHER, IT WAS LIKE, IF YOU
WERE OUT FOR MORE THAN THREE
DAYS, YOU HAD TO COME WITH A
DOCTOR'S NOTE. SO THERE MAY BE
SOME VARIANCE, BUT ULTIMATELY
IT'S GOING TO BE A DECISION
BETWEEN THE PATIENT AND THE
DOCTOR, AND THE EMPLOYER MAY
DETERMINE THAT THEY WANT SOME
EVIDENCE THAT THIS IS WHAT THE
DOCTOR IS, IS DETERMINING. OKAY,
REGARDLESS OF THIS BILL, WE DO
HAVE THE CALIFORNIA MEDICAL OR
FAMILY LEAVE LAW, WHICH ALLOWS
YOU TO TAKE UP TO 12 WEEKS, I
BELIEVE, OF LEAVE THAT IS ALL
UNPAID. THAT WILL CONTINUE TO
EXIST AS A, BENEFIT TO ANYONE IN
THE EDUCATION OR ANYBODY WHO'S
EMPLOYED, WHAT DOES THIS BILL DO
OR SAY ABOUT, SOMEONE WHO'S
MARRIED TO SOMEONE WHO NEEDS
TIME AFTER TIME OFF AS A RESULT
OF, EITHER PREGNANCY OR THE
OTHER CONDITIONS THAT ARE
OUTLINED IN THE BILL? IS THERE
ANY, IS IT JUST FOR THE PERSON
WHO'S EXPERIENCED IT THEMSELVES,
OR WHAT ABOUT OTHER INDIVIDUALS?
YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK EVENTUALLY
WE WOULD LOVE TO INCLUDE BOTH
PARENTS. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE
ARE KIND OF COGNIZANT TO THE
FISCAL REALITY THAT WE'RE FACING
RIGHT NOW AS A STATE. SO WE'RE
STARTING WITH ACTUALLY THE
PHYSICAL ACT OF PREGNANCY. SO
IT'S ONLY FOR, YOU KNOW,
RECOVERING FROM THAT CONDITION.
IT'S NOT FOR THE OTHER PARENT,
IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. BUT
WE WOULD LOVE TO EXPAND BECAUSE
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE
SUPPORT THINGS LIKE BABY
BONDING. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S
COUNTRIES RIGHT NOW WHERE, YOU
KNOW, THEY SUPPORT YOU TO BE
BONDING WITH YOUR CHILD FOR A
YEAR, WHICH, WHICH IS LET'S GET
THERE. SO THEN TELL ME ABOUT, IF
YOU ARE THE PARTNER OF SOMEONE
WHO WOULD, UNDER THIS LAW,
BENEFIT FROM, THESE NEW RIGHTS,
IF YOU WANTED TO TAKE TIME OFF
TO BE ABLE TO BE SUPPORTIVE,
YOU'D HAVE TO TAKE UNPAID LEAVE,
AND YOU WOULD ONLY HAVE UP TO 12
WEEKS. SO YOU'D USE THE CURRENT
CALIFORNIA, FAMILY LEAVE ACT, I
THINK WE DID PASS A LAW THAT
SAID YOU CAN USE SICK LEAVE FOR
BABY BONDING. SO YOU COULD
POTENTIALLY USE THAT TIME FOR
BABY BONDING AS WELL AS THE
DIFFERENTIAL PAY. AND THEN
EVENTUALLY YOU WOULD GET TO AS
YOU DESCRIBE. OKAY, I GUESS WHAT
I WANTED TO, GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF IS AT WHAT POINT DOES SOMEONE
WHO MAY WANT TO SUPPORT SOMEONE
WHO, NEEDS TIME OFF? AT WHAT
POINT ARE THEY REQUIRED FOR THIS
? THEY PAY OUT OF THEIR LEAVE
FOR THE SUBSTITUTE. I MEAN, THIS
IS JUST TO ME, WHEN I FIRST
HEARD ABOUT THIS WAS JUST KIND
OF MIND BOGGLING THAT WE HAVE
SOMEONE WHO'S TAKING LEAVE,
THEIR EARNED LEAVE, AND THEY'RE
USING IT TO PAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE
TO COVER FOR THEM. JUST DOESN'T
MAKE MUCH SENSE. SO I GUESS I'M
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF SOMEBODY
THAT THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
THAT IS CORRECT, RIGHT? IF YOU
TAKE LEAVE LIKE THIS, YOU'RE
YOU'RE UTILIZING YOUR PAID,
EARNED, PAID LEAVE TO PAY FOR
SOMEBODY ELSE TO COVER FOR YOU.
YEAH, WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU HAVE
TO, INITIALLY BURN THROUGH YOUR
SICK LEAVE, SO YOU GET TEN.
WELL, FOR CERTIFICATED
EMPLOYEES, YOU GET TEN DAYS
EVERY YEAR, AND THEN ONCE YOU
BURN THROUGH YOUR SICK LEAVE,
YOU HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENTIAL
PAY. DIFFERENTIAL PAY. SO IF I
WAS STILL EMPLOYED, MY EMPLOYER
IS GOING TO PAY MY SALARY, SO
WHEN I'M OUT ON DIFFERENTIAL
PAY, THEY'RE PAYING THE SAME
AMOUNT. THE EMPLOYER IS PAYING
THE SAME AMOUNT. SO THEY'RE
PAYING THE SUBSTITUTE AND
THEY'RE PAYING ME THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN WHAT I WOULD HAVE GOT
AND WHAT THE SUBSTITUTE WOULD
HAVE GOT. YEAH. DOES THAT MAKE
SENSE? YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR
ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS. I
THINK IT JUST, YOU KNOW, THE
AUTHOR DID INTRODUCE THE BILL
THAT WAY, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S
WORTHWHILE, IT MIGHT NOT SORT OF
FEEL LIKE THAT'S THE REALITY,
BUT THAT IS THE REALITY. AND
IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE
ADDRESSED. I WILL JUST END BY
SAYING, OBVIOUSLY, AS CHAIR OF
THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON EDUCATION,
FINANCE, YOU KNOW, WE DO NEED TO
HAVE A CONVERSATION. I
ACKNOWLEDGE THE OPPOSITION'S
COMMENTS ON, THE FISCAL
REALITIES OF OUR STATE. AND I
THINK WE SHOULD DEFINITELY HAVE
A CONVERSATION ABOUT, MAKING
SURE THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO
OFFER THIS BENEFIT, THAT WE DO
NOT JEOPARDIZE SCHOOL FUNDING,
WHICH I KNOW NONE OF YOU
ACTUALLY WANT TO EVER BE IN THAT
POSITION, BUT I THINK WE JUST
HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT.
AND I DEFINITELY LIKE TO EXPLORE
MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN.
SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. MR.
CHAIR. THANK YOU, MISS ADAMS. I
JUST WANTED TO COME IN AND SAY
I'M ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO YOU
FOR BRINGING THIS BILL FORWARD.
I LIVED, THROUGH 20 YEARS OF
PUBLIC TEACHING. TWO CHILDREN
USED ALL MY SICK LEAVE, PAID THE
DIFFERENTIAL FOR SUBSTITUTES. MY
RETIREMENT STILL SUFFERS FROM
THAT TODAY. EVEN THOUGH I'VE
MOVED OVER TO THE LEGISLATURE,
I'M STILL IN THAT. STILL
SUFFERING, STILL SUFFERING,
STILL SUFFERING FROM. RIGHT.
EXACTLY. NOTHING TO ADD ON.
THAT'S ANOTHER STORY FOR A
DIFFERENT DAY. BUT, JUST WANT TO
VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE
DOING THIS. THANK YOU. ALL
RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM
THE COMMITTEE SEEING NONE.
MAJORITY LEADER, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR THIS VERY,
CONSEQUENTIAL, BILL, AS MR.
BRAMBLE INDICATED, THE US IS
BEHIND THE REST OF THE WORLD,
AND, PROVIDING THIS TYPE OF PAID
PREGNANCY LEAVE, AND OBVIOUSLY
FOR, IMPORTANT NOT JUST FOR
TEACHERS, BUT FOR ALL WOMEN, I'M
PROUD TO SUPPORT YOUR MEASURE
ALSO. AND WOULD LOVE TO BE ADDED
AS A COAUTHOR OF YOUR BILL. I'D
BE HONORED. WOULD YOU LIKE TO
CLOSE? I WOULD AB2 901 WILL
FINALLY END THE DISCRIMINATORY
PRACTICE OF GIVING EMPLOYEES WHO
ARE PREGNANT NO CHOICE BUT TO
DEPLETE THEIR SICK LEAVE A
BENEFIT THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS
TEACHERS COMPENSATION. NOW AND
THE RETIREMENT FOREVER. AT A
TIME WHEN TEACHERS ARE SO
STRESSED THAT THEY ARE LEAVING
THE PROFESSION AND YOUNG PEOPLE
ARE CHOOSING DIFFERENT CAREERS,
WE MUST DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO
HELP RECRUIT AND RETAIN
EDUCATORS, AND IT'S TIME THAT WE
STOPPED CHARGING WOMEN $100,000
TO CARE FOR THEIR CHILD UNTIL
THEY RETURN TO CARE FOR OURS. I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR I VOTE
. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM
SECRETARY. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
OH A MOTION AND A SECOND. SO
MOVED. SECOND, MADAM SECRETARY,
FILE ITEM 21 AB 2901. THE MOTION
IS Dð PASS TO HIGHER EDUCATION.
MURATSUCHI Ã MURATSUCHI I LARA
I LARA I ADDIS I ADDIS I ALVAREZ
BONTA I A BONTA I HOOVER I
HOOVER I MCCARTHY. FIVE ZERO.
THE BILL IS OUT. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THANK YOU. CHAIRMAN AND
TEAM. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT
AND SIGN IN ORDER. BEFORE WE
TAKE UP THE NEXT, WELL, WHILE
MR. BERMAN IS GETTING SET UP,
FILE ITEM NUMBER 19, AB 2876, WE
WILL, ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE
CONSENT CALENDAR MOVE SECOND.
ALL RIGHT. I THINK, MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
OKAY MOTIONS FOR THE CONSENT
CALENDAR AB 1971. THE MOTION IS
DUE PASSED TO THE FLOOR. AB
2137. THE MOTION IS TO PASS AS
AMENDED, TO HUMAN SERVICES AB
2181. THE MOTION IS TO PASS, AS
AMENDED, TO APPROPRIATIONS AB
2534. THE MOTION IS DUE PASSED
TO APPROPRIATIONS AB 2714. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS TO
APPROPRIATIONS AB 2771. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS TO
APPROPRIATIONS AB 2932. THE
MOTION IS Dð. PASSES AMENDED TO
APPROPRIATIONS, AB 20 OR 3223
THE MOTION IS DUE PASS TO HUMAN
SERVICES AB 3262. THE MOTION IS
TO PASS, AS AMENDED, TO THE
FLOOR, AND AB 3271 THE MOTION IS
DUE PASSED TO HEALTH MURATSUCHI
Ã MURATSUCHI I LARA Ã LARA I
ADDIS I ADDIS I ALVAREZ. FONT I
FONT I HOOVER I HOOVER I MCCARTY
5050. THE CONSENT CALENDAR IS
PASSED. WELCOME. MR. BERMAN.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND
MEMBERS, FIRST, I WANT TO
SINCERELY THANK THE CHAIR AND
THE COMMITTEE STAFF FOR
PATIENTLY WORKING WITH A AT
TIMES VERY FRUSTRATED AUTHOR ON
THIS BILL. AND TO BE CLEAR, MY
FRUSTRATION DOES NOT LIE WITH
THE COMMITTEE. MANY OF YOU MIGHT
RECOGNIZE SOME COMPONENTS OF
THIS BILL RELATING TO MEDIA
LITERACY BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY
SIMILAR TO A BILL I RAN LAST
YEAR. LAST YEAR, THE LEGISLATURE
PASSED MY AB 873 WITH BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT, WHICH ALIGNED
CALIFORNIA WITH A GROWING NUMBER
OF STATES, ADDING MEDIA LITERACY
TO K THROUGH 12. CURRICULUM. THE
BILL, DIRECTED THE INSTRUCTIONAL
QUALITY COMMISSION IN THE STATE
BOARD OF EDUCATION TO INTEGRATE
MEDIA LITERACY INTO FOUR CORE
SUBJECT AREAS. WHEN THEY NEXT
UPDATE THEIR CURRICULUM
FRAMEWORKS. ACCORDING TO THE
STATE BOARD. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO
HAPPEN EVERY EIGHT YEARS, AND
THAT THREE OF THE FOUR SUBJECTS
WOULD BE UPDATED IN THE NEXT FEW
YEARS. HOWEVER, AFTER THE BILL
WAS SIGNED INTO LAW, WE WERE
INFORMED BY THE STATE BOARD THAT
THEY HAD NO PLANS TO UPDATE THE
CURRICULUM FRAMEWORKS. AS YOU
ALL CAN IMAGINE, THAT WAS PRETTY
FRUSTRATING. HOWEVER HOWEVER,
EVEN IF THE STATE BOARD IS NOT
UPDATING THEIR CURRICULUM
FRAMEWORKS, I HAVE BEEN TOLD
THAT THEY WILL BE UPDATING THEIR
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.
THEREFORE, I'M BACK WITH A NEW
BILL, AB 2876, THAT DIRECTS THE
INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY COMMISSION
TO INCORPORATE MEDIA LITERACY
CONTENT INTO THE MATH, SCIENCE,
HISTORY, AND ENGLISH
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AT THEIR
NEXT REVISION. IN ADDITION, AND
VERY IMPORTANTLY, AB 2876 WILL
ENSURE THAT ALL K THROUGH 12
STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA ARE
PREPARED WITH THE AI LITERACY
SKILLS NECESSARY TO COMPREHEND
BASIC AI PRINCIPLES AND
APPLICATIONS TO RECOGNIZE WHEN
AI IS EMPLOYED AND TO UNDERSTAND
AI'S IMPLICATIONS. ÓRDENES
LIMITATIONS AND ETHICAL
CONSIDERATIONS. AI HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO POSITIVELY IMPACT
THE WAY WE LIVE, BUT ONLY IF WE
KNOW HOW TO USE IT AND USE IT
RESPONSIBLY. AS AI GROWS IN
POPULARITY AND GETS INTEGRATED
INTO MORE AND MORE ELEMENTS OF
SOCIETY, CHILDREN GROWING UP IN
TODAY'S DIGITAL WORLD NEED TO BE
BETTER EQUIPPED THAN ANY
GENERATION BEFORE. TO UNDERSTAND
THESE PRINCIPLES, DEVELOPING AI
LITERACY IN SCHOOLS IS AN
IMPERATIVE FOR STEP. I AM
ACCEPTING THE COMMITTEE'S
AMENDMENTS, BUT THIS IS AN OLD
VERSION OF MY TALKING POINTS,
YOU STRUCK THE FRUSTRATED PARTS.
I STRUCK A PART, IT WASN'T. YES,
YES, BUT I WANT TO I WANT TO BE
CLEAR AND STATE ON THE RECORD,
THAT I'M ACCEPTING THE MORE
PERMISSIVE LANGUAGE, BECAUSE
I'VE BEEN ASSURED BY THE STATE
BOARD, OR I'VE BEEN ASSURED THAT
THE STATE BOARD AND THE IC WILL
STILL TAKE THIS AS DIRECTION
FROM THE LEGISLATURE, THEREFORE,
I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE
VOTE ON AB 2876. AND WITH ME,
TODAY IS ROANOKE, DELORME,
POLICY ADVOCATE FOR THE
CALIFORNIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
THANK YOU. CHAIR MEMBERS.
ROANOKE. DELORME. WITH CAL
CHAMBER REPRESENTING OVER 14,000
BUSINESSES ACROSS THE GREAT
STATE OF CALIFORNIA. WE'RE HERE
AS THE PROUD SPONSOR OF AB 2876.
WE CANNOT THANK ASSEMBLY MEMBER
BERMAN ENOUGH FOR BRINGING
FORWARD THIS CRITICAL
LEGISLATION. AND I DON'T MEAN
THAT LIGHTLY. I KNOW IT'S KIND
OF PRO FORMA TO SAY THAT, BUT WE
TRULY MEAN IT. OUR MEMBERS
STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT AI
LITERACY AND MEDIA LITERACY
ENCOMPASS BASIC SKILLS THAT
FUTURE GENERATIONS NEED IF THEY
ARE TO SUCCEED AS WORKERS, AS
CONSUMERS AND VOTERS IN THE
MODERN WORLD, WE ALL KNOW THAT
AI IS AN UNDENIABLY
TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGY THAT
WILL HAVE WIDESPREAD IMPACT ON
VIRTUALLY EVERY ASPECT OF OUR
LIVES, OF OUR SOCIETY AND OUR
ECONOMY, PERHAPS MORE SO THAN
ANY TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT
SINCE THE INTERNET. IT PRESENTS
A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AND PROMISE
FROM MAKING LIFE SAVING
ADVANCEMENTS IN MEDICINE TO
ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND
MORE. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT IT
CAN BE APPLIED IN WAYS THAT ARE
LESS DESIRABLE, SUCH AS
SPREADING DISINFORMATION.
EQUALLY TRUE, WE DON'T HAVE
ENOUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE
TECHNOLOGY IN OUR COMMUNITIES,
WORKPLACES, OR GOVERNMENT. WHEN
WE POLLED LIKELY VOTERS OF
CALIFORNIA, WHEN WE POLLED
LIKELY CALIFORNIA VOTERS AND
PARENTS SPECIFICALLY, WE LEARNED
THAT 39% OF PARENTS THINK AI
WILL HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON
THEIR CHILD'S LIFE OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL DECADES, WHEREAS 40%
SAID THEY BELIEVE IT WILL HAVE A
NEGATIVE IMPACT IN PLICIT IN AB
2876 IS THE CONCEPT THAT
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, THAT IF WE
TRULY WANT TO HARNESS THE
PROMISE OF AI AND SUPPORT BOTH
THE RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT AND
DEPLOYMENT OF THIS TECHNOLOGY,
WE HAVE TO START FROM THE GROUND
UP. WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT
FUTURE GENERATIONS HAVE THE
UNDERSTANDING AND SKILLS
NECESSARY TO NAVIGATE THIS
TECHNOLOGY, WHICH INCLUDES
UNDERSTANDING ITS LIMITATIONS,
ITS IMPLICATIONS, AND ETHICAL
CONSIDERATIONS. FROM OUR VIEW,
AI LITERACY AND MEDIA LITERACY
ARE GOING TO BE AS FUNDAMENTAL
TO LEARN AS READING, WRITING AND
ARITHMETIC, IN CLOSE, I'LL JUST
SAY IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT OUR
EDUCATION SYSTEM START TO ARMED
KIDS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND
SKILLS NECESSARY. NOW, BECAUSE
IT IS, AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO
IMPACT EVERY FACET OF THEIR
LIVES, IN EVERY INDUSTRY THEY
MIGHT WORK IN, NOT JUST COMPUTER
SCIENCE OR SOMETHING RELATED TO
THAT, SO AGAIN, WE'RE INCREDIBLY
GRATEFUL TO THE AUTHOR AND
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR VOTE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY, PUBLIC
COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL?
PLEASE COME FORWARD. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR Þ. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS,
NAOMI PEDRONI, ON BEHALF OF THE
COMPUTER AND COMMUNICATIONS
INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, PROUD TO
SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON, ANDREA
DEVAULT ON BEHALF OF TECHNET AND
OUT SCHOOL IN SUPPORT. SEEING NO
FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
SUPPORT, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE
GETTING STANDING UP IN THE BACK,
ANY WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO
THE BILL? PLEASE COME FORWARD.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL? PLEASE
COME FORWARD. DO WE HAVE, PUBLIC
COMMENTS IN THE BACK THERE AND
IN SUPPORT, DID YOU MISS YOUR
OPPORTUNITY OR, IF YOU LIKE,
PLEASE COME FORWARD. YOU GOTTA
GET YOU IN A BIGGER ROOM. YEAH.
THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S PRETTY PACKED
TODAY. ALL OF YOUR SUPPORTERS,
MR. BERMAN. YEAH, I'LL MOVE.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE SECOND, MY
NAME IS KAYLEE FULCHER. I'M A
STUDENT AT SOLANO COMMUNITY
COLLEGE, AND I AM IN SUPPORT OF
THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MY
NAME IS ARTIE SCHERMA, AND I'M A
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AT FOLSOM
HIGH SCHOOL, AND I AM IN SUPPORT
OF THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. I'M GLAD WE GOT THOSE
TWO, ANY, PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL? SEEING
NONE. BRING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEE, JUST WANT TO THANK
THE AUTHOR FOR BRINGING THIS
FORWARD. AND IT'S NO MORE
POWERFUL A THING THAN TO HEAR A
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FROM FOLSOM
AND A AND A COLLEGE STUDENT TALK
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING
SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE KIND OF
MEDIA LITERACY AND AI LITERACY
THAT WE NEED IF WE REALLY WANT
TO TRULY BE A PART OF THIS
COMPETITIVE WORKFORCE LANDSCAPE
THAT WE KNOW IS GLOBAL AND
EVOLVING, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE
THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ARMED WITH
THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT,
IN A WAY THAT IS ETHICAL AND
INNOVATIVE IN ALL THE BEST FORMS
THAT IT SHOULD. SO I'M VERY
THANKFUL TO THE AUTHOR FOR
BRINGING THIS FORWARD, ENDURING
THE FRUSTRATION ASSOCIATED WITH
THIS. AND, AND RECOGNIZING THAT
WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR, OUR
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, OUR
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION, ALL OF THE AGENCIES
REYES ASSOCIATED WITH EDUCATION
ARE, PROVIDING US WITH THE
TIGHTEST AND BEST CURRICULUM IN
A TIMELY MANNER TO ACTUALLY MAKE
AN IMPACT. SO THANK YOU, THANK
YOU, THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR LARA
NØ. OKAY TELL ME LATER. TELL ME
LATER. ALL RIGHT. ANY FURTHER
COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE? YOU
VICE CHAIR TOO MANY COMMITTEES
FOR THE RECORD. ALL RIGHT. MR.
BERMAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, YOU
KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT ALL OF
YOUR THE HISTORY OF BILLS,
CHAMPIONING, MEDIA LITERACY, YOU
KNOW, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE,
LITERACY, COMPUTER SCIENCE, AS
THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM PALO
ALTO AND THE SILICON VALLEY, YOU
CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN A LEADER,
AND WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
ALL OF YOUR WORK, I JUST WANTED
TO, WELL, FIRST I WOULD BE
HAPPY. I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT YOUR
YOUR BILL, I WANTED TO ASSURE
YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS
COMMITTEE WE RECEIVE A LOT OF
BILLS, ATTEMPTING TO MANDATE,
CURRICULUM CONTENT AND, YOU
KNOW, WITHOUT IDENTIFYING
VARIOUS CAUSES, THE CUMULATIVE
EFFECT, YOU KNOW, EVERY AUTHOR
SEES THE IMPORTANCE OF A
PARTICULAR SUBJECT MATTER, BUT
WE OFTEN WE ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP
THE CUMULATIVE, IMPACT ON A
STUDENT'S, CURRICULUM, AND, AND
SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES,
WHICH IS WHY WE DEFER IT TO THE
INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY COMMISSION
AND THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TO LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE, YOU
KNOW, WITH EDUCATORS, RATHER
THAN THE LEGISLATURE NOT HAVING
A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF ALL OF
THE, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY THE BIG
PICTURE, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, ALL
THE EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF,
EACH PROPOSAL TAKEN IN
ISOLATION. HOW DOES IT ALL COME
TOGETHER, FOR TO, TO ENSURE THAT
WE'RE SERVING, THE OVERALL,
EDUCATIONAL, WELL-BEING OF, OF
OUR STUDENTS? I KNOW YOU
UNDERSTAND THIS, MR. BERMAN,
BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST
HANDED, THIS, SUMMARY THAT, I
BELIEVE YOUR STAFF EITHER HAS
ALREADY RECEIVED IT. YOU MAY
HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED IT, BUT
EXAMPLES WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE
ASKED THE INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY
COMMISSION TO CONSIDER, SUBJECT
MATTER TO BE INCORPORATED INTO
THE CURRICULUM THAT, IN FACT,
WAS INCORPORATED INTO THE
CURRICULUM. IT INCLUDES THINGS
LIKE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS,
FINANCIAL LITERACY,
FILIPINO-AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THE FARM LABOR MOVEMENT, THE
BRACERO PROGRAM, THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE, FILIPINO AMERICAN
CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD WAR TWO,
THE PRESIDENCY OF BARACK OBAMA,
VOTER EDUCATION. SO THAT'S JUST
A SHORT LIST OF THE MANY BILLS
THAT, THAT WE HAVE, RECEIVED.
THIS COMMITTEE HAS RECEIVED
WHERE, IN FACT, THAT THAT
SUBJECT MATTER HAS BEEN
INCORPORATED INTO THE CURRICULUM
FRAMEWORK AND SO I WANT TO
ASSURE YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT
ALONE, AND THAT, AGAIN, THANK
YOU FOR YOUR, MAKING SURE THAT
ALL STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, LEARN,
HAVE MEDIA LITERACY, HAVE THE
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
LITERACY, BUT I WANTED TO
PROVIDE THAT BACKGROUND. AND
WITH THAT, YOU HAVE THE LAST
WORD. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK
YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU TO
YOUR COMMITTEE STAFF FOR
PREPARING THAT. AND IT'S
HEARTENING TO SEE THE HISTORY OF
THE CðC AND THE BOARD OF
EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, TAKING VERY
SERIOUSLY, THE GUIDANCE THAT WE
GIVE THEM, AND IN THE PAST. AND
I LOOK FORWARD TO, FOLLOWING
CLOSELY TO MAKE SURE THEY DO
THAT IN THE FUTURE. AND I DON'T
ENVY YOUR POSITION AS GATEKEEPER
OF ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT IDEAS,
THAT WE ALL HAVE. SO APPRECIATE
YOUR SUPPORT, AND, AND AGAIN,
THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE STAFF.
ABSOLUTELY. THANKS. AND
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE
VOTE. THANK YOU, MADAM SECRETARY
. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. I
BELIEVE WE HAD A MOTION. MAKE A
MOTION, ADDISON. SECOND. ALL
RIGHT. FILE ITEM 19, AB 2876.
THE MOTION IS TO PASS, AS
AMENDED, TO APPROPRIATIONS.
ÓRDENES MURATSUCHI MURATSUCHI I
LARA I LARA I ADDIS I ADDIS I
ALVAREZ. BONTA I BONTA I HOOVER.
HOOVER I MCCARTY. FIVE ZERO THE
BILL IS OUT. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT
IN SIGNING ORDER IS FILE ITEM 24
AB 3074. ASSEMBLY MEMBER CHABOT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, THANK YOU SO
MUCH, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS. I
AM GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
TO PRESENT AB 3074 TO YOU TODAY
AND I'LL BE ACCEPTING ALL OF THE
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS. THANK YOU
FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, AS A
STUDENT ATHLETE, I KNOW HOW MUCH
PRIDE AND TEAM SPIRIT COMES FROM
MASCOTS. AND YET, FOR TOO LONG,
SOME MASCOTS HAVE INSTEAD BEEN A
SOURCE OF SHAME AND CULTURAL
APPROPRIATION. AB 3074 WOULD
PROHIBIT FROM ALL, PUBLIC
SCHOOLS K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS IN
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, FROM
USING NATIVE AMERICAN TERMS FOR
SCHOOL OR ATHLETIC TEAM NAMES,
MASCOTS AND NICKNAMES. MASCOTS
ARE A HUGE PART OF SCHOOL
EVENTS, AND THEY ARE WHAT DRAW
PEOPLE TO DRESS UP FOR THEIR
TEAM OR BUY MEMORABILIA FOR.
HOWEVER, THEY CAN HAVE A HUGE
NATIVE NEGATIVE EFFECT ON NATIVE
AMERICAN COMMUNITIES WHOSE
LIKENESS IS USED FOR MASCOTS.
SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT
THESE NATIVE AMERICAN MASCOTS
HAVE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, BOTH AS AN
INDIVIDUAL AND AT A COMMUNITY
LEVEL. SOME SCHOOL TEAMS AND
EVEN PROFESSIONAL TEAMS HAVE
ALREADY STARTED THE PROCESS TO
CHANGE THEIR NAMES OF NEGATIVE
TO PREVENT THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS
OF NATIVE TO NATIVE AMERICAN
COMMUNITIES AND THE CONTROVERSY
THAT IT BRINGS. TEAMS. HART HIGH
SCHOOL IN MY SCHOOL DISTRICT
JUST WENT THROUGH A NAME CHANGE
PROCESS, AND THEY HAVE CHANGED
THEIR NAME FROM THE INDIANS TO
THE HAWKS, THE NEW MASCOT BEING
VOTED ON BY THE STUDENT BODY.
HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL OVER
2000 SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE THAT
HAVE NATIVE AMERICAN THEMED
MASCOTS, AND MANY OF THEM ARE IN
CALIFORNIA. THE AB 3074 WILL
CREATE A SAFE PLACE IN SCHOOLS
SO THAT IT MAKES, CERTAIN THAT
EVERYONE FEELS WELCOME AND FEELS
PROTECTED AND LIKE THEY'RE A
PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND
CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WILL NO
LONGER HAVE TO DEAL WITH
BULLYING, MOCKERY, AND ISOLATION
DUE TO THE NAME OF A MASCOT.
SCHOOLS, ALREADY A SCARY PLACE,
AND THERE'S NO NEED TO MAKE IT
WORSE FOR FOLKS AND JOINING ME
TODAY IS CHAIRPERSON SHERRY
TREPA FROM THE MATTEL. DID I SAY
THAT MATTEL HABEMATOLEL POMO
UPPER LAKE TRIBE AND ALSO
JOINING ME AS ASSEMBLY FELLOW,
JULIA ESTRADA, WHO IS ORIGINALLY
FROM MY DISTRICT AND WORKED ON
CHANGING THE NAME OF THE HART
HIGH SCHOOL MASCOT TO TALK ABOUT
HER EXPERIENCE AS WELL. THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN
AND MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY. MY
NAME IS SHERRY TREPA. I'M THE
CHAIRWOMAN OF HABEMATOLEL POMO
OF UPPER LAKE TRIBE. WE ARE ONE
OF SEVEN FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED
TRIBES IN LAKE COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU FOR
ALLOWING ME TO TESTIFY TODAY AND
TO TESTIFY ON BEHALF OF THE
ASSEMBLY MEMBERS THAT ARE
SPONSORING THIS, CHAU, Ó AND
RAMOS ON AB 3074, THE CALIFORNIA
RACIAL MASCOTS ACT, THE
LEGISLATION PROHIBITS PUBLIC
SCHOOLS FROM USING NATIVE
AMERICAN TERMS FOR SCHOOL OR
ATHLETIC TEAMS NAMES, MASCOTS,
OR NICKNAMES, SOME EXAMPLES OF
NATIVE AMERICAN TERMS THAT WOULD
BE INCLUSIVE HERE, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO OUR TERMS LIKE
APACHES, BIG REDS, BRAVES,
CHIEFS, CHIEFTAINS, CHIPPEWA,
COMANCHES, INDIANS, SAVAGES,
SQUAW AND TRIBE. UNDER EXISTING
LAW, CURRENTLY, ONLY THE TERMS
REDSKINS IS PROHIBITED, AS I
MENTIONED, OUR TRIBE IS IN LAKE
COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. WE'RE IN
UPPER LAKE, WHERE MANY POMO
PEOPLE HAVE RESIDED SINCE TIME
IMMEMORIAL. THE TRIBES IN THAT
AREA, INCLUDING OURS, HAVE
SUFFERED CENTURIES OF FEDERAL
POLICIES WHICH SUBJECTED THEM TO
UNSPEAKABLE CRUELTIES AND
TRAGEDIES THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY
, INCLUDING AN ATTEMPTED
GENOCIDE IN THE 1850S, ALSO
KNOWN AS THE BLOODY ISLAND
MASSACRE, LED BY CAPTAIN ANDREW
KELSEY. UNFORTUNATELY THE TOWN
OF KELSEYVILLE IS JUST 20
MINUTES AWAY FROM UPPER LAKE,
AND THE EVENT WHERE THE MASSACRE
OCCURRED IS JUST ONE MILE AWAY
FROM UPPER LAKE, WHERE OUR
OFFICES ARE SERVING AS CONSTANT
REMINDER OF THE BRUTALITY
TOWARDS THE ANCESTORS OF THE
TRIBES THAT LIVED THERE IN THE
AREA. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING
LOCAL DISPUTE BETWEEN TRIBES AND
KELSEYVILLE COMMUNITY, WHICH
UNSUCCESSFULLY HAS NOT CHANGED
THE NAME. MANY NON-TRIBAL PEOPLE
MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS
THAT A NAME OR A MASCOT MIGHT
HAVE ON A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT
HAVE HISTORICALLY AND
CONSISTENTLY HAVE BEEN
THREATENED, FORGOTTEN,
MISTREATED, LEADING TO
GENERATIONAL TRAUMA THAT REALLY
DOES HAVE IMPACTS NOT ONLY ON
OUR ELDERS, BUT NOW OUR YOUTH.
WHILE THIS LEGISLATION AFFECTS
ONLY SCHOOLS, IT IS A STEP IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION TOWARD
TAKING ACTION TO RECTIFY THE
HISTORIC MISTREATMENT TOWARDS
TRIBES AND RECOGNITION BY THIS
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE THAT
TRIBAL CULTURE IS SOMETHING TO
BE CELEBRATED AND APPRECIATED,
RATHER THAN MOCKED AND
APPROPRIATE, AND OTHER LOCAL
EXAMPLES IN THE AREA THAT I LIVE
IN CURRENTLY, NAPA HIGH SCHOOL,
WHERE MY SON WENT TO SCHOOL,
CHANGED THEIR NAMES FROM
INDIANS, A FEW YEARS BACK.
CHAIRWOMAN, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU
TO TRY TO WRAP UP. SURE,
HABEMATOLEL SUPPORTS AB 3074,
AND WE APPRECIATE THE SPONSORS
EFFORTS HERE, AND WE WISH THAT
YOU WOULD SUPPORT IT AS WELL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU. HELLO. THANK YOU,
CHAIR AND MEMBERS, FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY TO
BRIEFLY INTRODUCE MYSELF. MY
NAME IS JULIA ESTRADA AND I AM A
NATIVE ARAPAHO. COMANCHE, ALUMNI
OF HART HIGH SCHOOL FROM
ASSEMBLY MEMBER CHÁVEZ DISTRICT
AND BACK. ALL THE WAY IN 2020
WHEN I HAD A LOT OF TIME, I LED
AND SUCCESSFULLY, LED AN
INITIATIVE TO RETIRE HART HIGH
SCHOOL'S INDIAN MASCOT AS OF
MARCH 19TH OF THIS YEAR, IT WAS
OFFICIALLY CHANGED TO THE HAWK.
SO IT TOOK A LONG TIME, AND WHEN
I SHARE THIS STORY ALONGSIDE THE
TRIBAL CHAIRWOMAN, I'LL GIVE THE
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE OF MY
EXPERIENCE GOING TO A PUBLIC
HIGH SCHOOL THAT HAD INDIANS AS
A MASCOT. I WAS VERY INVOLVED. I
PLAYED TENNIS AND A CORE MEMORY
OF MINE IS FINALLY, MY FAMILY
WAS ABLE TO MAKE TIME TO COME TO
A TENNIS MATCH, AND WE FINISHED
UP OUR. WE WON. AND TO CELEBRATE
THE WINNING OF THAT GAME, ALL OF
MY TEAM MEMBERS ENGAGED IN A
WHAT I REFER TO AS A PETER PAN
LIKE WHIPPING CALL LIKE. AND I
JUST REMEMBER LOOKING AT MY
PARENTS AND THEY WERE JUST
INCREDIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE AND I
WAS JUST SILENT AND MY COACH
DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. AND BECAUSE
IT WAS ACCEPTED AND IT WAS PART
OF THE SCHOOL CULTURE. AND I
THINK THAT ALONGSIDE AT FOOTBALL
GAMES OF PARTY CITY HEADDRESS
BEING THROWN AROUND IN THE
BLEACHERS INDICATES THE
DESENSITIZATION OF SACRED
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANT ITEMS.
ITEMS AND SO WHAT THIS BILL
WOULD DO IS IT WOULD SET THE
PRECEDENT BY THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA THAT WE NO LONGER
TOLERATE ANTIQUATED MASCOTS LIKE
THE INDIANS CHIEFS, ETC, AND
THAT WE'RE TAKING A STEP IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION, THE RIGHT
DIRECTION, BY LISTENING TO
NATIVE VOICES THAT HAVE BEEN
ADVOCATING FOR THIS SINCE 1968.
THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF
AMERICAN INDIANS, ONE OF THE
LARGEST BODIES OF TRIBAL TRIBAL
ADVOCATES, HAS BEEN ADVOCATING
SINCE 1968 FOR THE RETIREMENT OF
THESE OF THIS IMAGERY AND THESE
MASCOTS. AND SO WE'RE WE'RE
PRETTY BEHIND. AND A LOT OF
STATES HAVE DONE THIS ALREADY.
THERE'S PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH
FROM HARVARD THAT HAS RECENTLY
COME OUT, I THINK IN 2022 OR 23
BY A TRIBAL INDIVIDUAL THAT
DISCOVERED AND PROVED THAT THIS
IMAGERY PROMOTES THE
STEREOTYPING OF NATIVE PEOPLE
AND THE AND MYTHOLOGICAL
PERCEPTIONS THAT WE DON'T EXIST
ANYMORE. JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW,
YOU'LL HAVE A VIKING OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, A MINOR,
YOU KNOW, OCCUPATION. WE'RE NOT
AN OCCUPATION. WE'RE A GROUP OF
PEOPLE. AND SO BY DOING THIS,
YOU'LL BE LISTENING TO NATIVE
VOICES PROTECTING NATIVE
STUDENTS, MAKING THEM FEEL MORE
INCLUDED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND
CREATING A SPACE WHERE WE TEACH
ABOUT NATIVE PEOPLES AND ENGAGE
THEM IN THE CONVERSATION. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. PUBLIC COMMENTS
IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, PLEASE
COME FORWARD. GOOD AFTERNOON,
DAVID QUINTANA. IN ADDITION TO
THE MATTOLE POMO OF UPPER LAKE,
ALSO THE KAWEAH BAND IN SUPPORT.
PAMELA LOPEZ WITH K STREET
CONSULTING ON BEHALF OF THE TULE
RIVER TRIBE AND THE SANTA ROSA
RANCHERIA TRIBE, THANK YOU.
MITCH STEIGER WITH CFTC ALSO IN
SUPPORT. RACHEL BHAGWAT WITH
ACLU CALIFORNIA ACTION AND
SUPPORT. ANNIE CHAO WITH THE
CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.
WE'RE PROCESSING A SUPPORT THIS
WEEKEND. THANK YOU. KAYLEE
FULCHER, STUDENT AT SELENA
SOLANO COMMUNITY COLLEGE, IN
SUPPORT OF THIS. THANK YOU,
AARTI SHARMA, STUDENT AT FOLSOM
HIGH SCHOOL, IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
QUINN AFTAB, STUDENT AT EARLY
COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL IN SUPPORT
OF THIS. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER
PUBLIC COMMENTS? SEEING NONE.
ANY WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO
THE BILL? SEEING NONE. ANY
PUBLIC COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION TO
THE BILL? SEEING NONE. BRING IT
BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. TO I JUST
WANT TO THANK THE AUTHOR FOR
BRINGING THIS FORWARD. AND I
JUST, I HAVE A WANTED TO SHARE
THAT, SOME COMMENTS FROM ONE OF
MY STAFF MEMBERS WHO IS DEEPLY
CONNECTED TO THIS AND WANT TO
THANK JULIA, ACTUALLY, FOR
SHARING YOUR EARLIER STORY.
INDIGENOUS STUDENTS WHO ATTEND
SCHOOLS WITH AN INDIAN MASCOT
BECOME TARGETS FOR BULLYING AND
OTHER UNWANTED ATTENTION. NATIVE
COMMUNITIES ALREADY STRUGGLE
WITH MANY ISSUES, INCLUDING
SELF-IDENTITY AND ANY SCHOOL
WITH SUCH A MASCOT NOT ONLY
HARMS THE STUDENTS, BUT WHOLE
COMMUNITIES. NO OTHER RACE OR
ETHNICITY IS SO OFTEN SUBJECTED
TO BEING MOCKED AS THE MASCOT.
THESE MASCOTS ENCOURAGE FANS TO
TAUNT NATIVE PEOPLE BY PLAYING
INDIAN, DOING THE TOMAHAWK CHOP,
AND WEARING SACRED HEADDRESSES.
NOT LONG AGO, A HIGH SCHOOL
DRILL TEAM PERFORMING AT DISNEY
WORLD HAD A VIDEO GO VIRAL WITH
THE TEAM YELLING SCALP, INDIAN
SCALP! THESE MASCOTS DO NOT
REPRESENT NATIVE AMERICANS AND
THEY DO NOT HONOR THEM. INSTEAD,
THEY DEHUMANIZE AND STEREOTYPE
CALIFORNIA'S FIRST PEOPLE. IT'S
NOT JUST IT'S NOT ABOUT A
MASCOT, BUT WHAT THE MASCOT
REPRESENTS. I WANT TO THANK THE
AUTHOR FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS
BILL AND, I JUST ALSO HAD A
QUESTION, RELATED TO HOW WE
ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE REPARATIONS
AROUND THIS. JULIA, YOU SHARED
THAT IT TOOK YOU FOR YEARS TO BE
ABLE TO HAVE THIS FINAL NAMING
CHANGE HAPPEN, AND I KNOW THAT
THE, THE COMMISSION ON STATE
MANDATES IS ACTUALLY ONLY
WILLING TO FUND THE COST FOR
SCHOOL DISTRICTS ASSOCIATED WITH
JUST THE UNIFORMS. WE KNOW THAT
MASCOTS GET PUT ON BANNERS, THEY
GET PUT ON WEBSITES, THEY GET
PUT ON, SCHOOL INSIGNIA THAT ARE
PUT INTO THE, YOU KNOW, THE
BASKETBALL COURTS AND TURNED
OVER AND, I JUST WANTED TO ASK,
YOU ALL FROM EITHER PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE, WHAT THE IMPACT OF
HAVING TO HAVE THIS PROCESS
HAPPEN OVER SO MANY YEARS,
ESSENTIALLY KIND OF AS COST
ALLOWS US, WE'LL HAVE A TALK.
YEAH. SO I CAN SPEAK TO PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE WITH HOW OUR SCHOOL
BOARD DID THAT, AND THROUGH MY
INVOLVEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL, A
LOT OF THOSE CHANGES THAT YOU
WERE MENTIONING TEND TO BE
DEPENDING ON THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT, OF COURSE, AND THE
SCHOOL, COST FREE ON AN ANNUAL
BASIS. SO I'M THINKING, FOR
EXAMPLE, OUR YEARBOOK WAS CALLED
THE TOMAHAWK. OUR NEWSPAPER WAS
CALLED THE SMOKE SIGNAL. THOSE
ITEMS ARE PRINTED ON AN ANNUAL
BASIS AND ARE SUBJECT TO GRAPHIC
DESIGN. AND SO A LOT OF THOSE
THINGS WERE ABLE TO BE MADE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THOSE CHANGES
WERE ABLE TO BE MADE COST FREE,
ALTHOUGH THINGS LIKE A GYM
FLOOR, E A I'M FORGETTING
NAME, BUT SCOREBOARD. YES. THANK
YOU. THOSE THROUGH MY DISTRICT
ARE BEING CHANGED AS A ON AN AS
NEEDED BASIS. SO THE NEXT TIME
THE GYM FLOOR IS REFURBISHED
THAT WILL BE CHANGED, WHICH IS
FRUSTRATING, BUT, EXPENSIVE TO
APPROPRIATE MONEY TO DO SO
BECAUSE GYM FLOORS COULD BE UP
TO. I THINK OUR SCHOOL'S WAS
$100,000 AND THEY REPLACED IT
RIGHT BEFORE I STARTED BUGGING
THEM ABOUT THIS. AND SO THEY
WERE NOT A FAN OF THAT, BUT A
LOT OF THE IMMEDIATE CHANGES,
LIKE COVERING, WE HAD A BIG
INDIAN HEAD ON OUR CAMPUS THAT
THEY PLANNED TO PAINT OVER.
PAINT IS PRETTY INEXPENSIVE, SO
A LOT OF THE CHANGES ARE PRETTY,
COST EFFECTIVE, BUT THE LARGER
ONES DEFINITELY WILL PROBABLY
TAKE NEGOTIATING BETWEEN SCHOOL
BOARDS. BUT CHANGES LIKE THIS
PROMPT NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN
LOCAL TRIBES AND SCHOOL
DISTRICTS. AND A LOT OF THOSE
AGREEMENTS, ARE AGREED UPON
BETWEEN LOCAL TRIBES AND SCHOOL
DISTRICTS. SO OUR TRIBE WAS
ADVOCATING FOR IMMEDIATE CHANGES
IN CERTAIN AREAS, AND WE'RE MORE
OKAY WITH LETTING OTHER THINGS
CHANGE OVER TIME. SO I THINK
THAT'S PROBABLY HOW THE THAT
WOULD PLAY OUT OVER TIME. SO,
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS.
GREAT AND, AS MY ESTEEMED
COLLEAGUE HAS AS WELL EXPLAINED,
I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE LEFT
TO THE LOCAL TRIBE TO COVER THE
COSTS, ALTHOUGH, SO I CAN TELL
YOU, MY TRIBE HAS, WE PAID FOR
THE LIGHTS FOR THE FOOTBALL
FIELD, AND WE'VE CURRENTLY
FUNDED IN, IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND
WE'VE CURRENTLY FUNDED THE
SCOREBOARD FOR THE MIDDLE
SCHOOL'S GYMNASIUM, ALL TO
REALLY PROMOTE EDUCATION AND A
WELL-ROUNDED CHILDREN. AND I
THINK, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME, WITH
THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING MADE
AND THAT THIS LEGISLATURE
RECOGNIZES, I THINK IT WILL
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER. I DO HAVE
CONCERNS OVER TOWNS THAT REVERE
THE PERSON THAT LED THE MASSACRE
OF OUR PEOPLE. AND I DO HOPE
THAT IN SOME TIME, YOU KNOW, IN
THE NEAR FUTURE THAT WILL
CHANGE, BUT, THIS IS A GOOD
START. MR. ALVAREZ. THANK YOU,
THANK YOU TO THE AUTHOR FOR THE
BILL. AND, I WANT TO
PARTICULARLY THANK, MISS
ESTRADA, WHO IS A FELLOW IN OUR
OFFICE THIS YEAR. AND I'M REALLY
PROUD OF THE WORK THAT, MISS
SHABO HAS ALLOWED OUR OFFICE TO
PARTICIPATE IN THIS EFFORT. I
WANT TO JUST PUBLICLY
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOUR
COLLABORATION AND YOUR PASSION
FOR THIS ISSUE, AND FOR ALLOWING
US TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT WAY. I
WILL ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
TO ACKNOWLEDGE, SAN DIEGO COUNTY
IS HOME TO THE LARGEST NUMBER OF
TRIBAL NATIONS IN THE ENTIRE
UNITED STATES. AND SO WE HAVE A
LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH OUR
TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS IN SAN DIEGO,
AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT. I
THINK, THANKFULLY, DON'T HAVE A
LOT OF, OF MASCOT OR SCHOOL,
NAMES THAT ARE, THAT ARE
IMPACTFUL TO OUR NATIVE
COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS, WHICH IS
GOOD, AND I AND I WANT TO SHARE
THAT WHAT WE'VE DONE IN SAN
DIEGO COUNTY IS WE'VE INVITED TO
OUR METROPOLITAN, PLANNING
ORGANIZATION, OUR MPO, THERE'S A
SEAT AT THE TABLE, ACTUALLY, FOR
A TRIBAL REPRESENTATION, IN
DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES,
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. AND
IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE WORKED ON
FOR MANY YEARS AND THAT PREVIOUS
LEGISLATORS REALLY LED, LED ON.
AND SO WE'RE PROUD OF THE WORK
THAT HAS BEEN DONE. BUT CLEARLY
MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND
THAT'S WHAT THIS BILL REALLY
RECOGNIZES IS THAT THERE'S STILL
MORE WORK TO BE DONE, THERE WAS,
YOU KNOW, A SUCCESS ROUGHLY TEN
YEARS AGO WITH THE PREVIOUS
LEGISLATION OF THE CALIFORNIA
RACIAL MASCOTS ACT, WHICH MADE
SOME PROGRESS. AND THIS BILL, I
THINK, MAKES EVEN MORE PROGRESS.
SO AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR YOUR DEDICATION, AND I'M A
PROUD COAUTHOR OF THIS BILL. AND
I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO
SUPPORT IN EVERY WAY AND
CONTINUING TO SHARE THE MESSAGE
OF WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL
OF US TO CONTINUE TO LEARN AND
ACKNOWLEDGE THE HISTORY AND
LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF
CALIFORNIA. SO THANK YOU VERY
MUCH AND PROUD TO SUPPORT THE
BILL. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER
COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE?
SEEING NONE. THANK YOU, MISS
CHAU, FOR, THIS IMPORTANT BILL,
THIS BILL IS CLEARLY LONG
OVERDUE, AND, AND SO WE THANK
YOU AND MR. RAMOS FOR, BRINGING
THIS FORWARD. I DO HAVE A FEW
QUESTIONS, TO CLARIFY, THE, THE
EXPECTED IMPACT, OF THIS BILL,
YOU, THERE'S A PROVISION IN THE
BILL THAT ALLOWS FOR SCHOOLS TO
KEEP THEIR, MASK, LIKE THEIR
THEIR THEIR NAME. IF A TRIBE
AGREES TO IT. COULD YOU EXPAND
ON YOUR RATIONALE BEHIND THAT?
SO THERE'S CURRENTLY A TRIBE IN
CALIFORNIA WHO DO DOES HAVE SUCH
AGREEMENT. AND I THINK, YOU
KNOW, WHAT'S BEHIND THAT IS
REALLY THE INTENT. THÀNH. RIGHT.
IF IT'S DONE IN COORDINATION
WITH THE TRIBE, IF IT'S DONE IN
A WAY THAT'S RESPECTFUL AND NOT
APPROPRIATE, SHOWING, AN IMAGE
OR A NAME, THEN IT'S A, IT'S
SOMETHING THAT'S DONE IN THIS
SITUATION, YOU KNOW, HOW IT'S
USED, YOU KNOW HOW IT'S TALKED
ABOUT IMAGES. ALL OF THOSE
THINGS ARE AGREED TO WITH IN A
CONTRACT WITH THE TRIBE. AND SO
THEY'RE ABLE TO IMPACT MAKING
SURE IT'S DONE IN A RESPECTFUL
WAY INSTEAD OF, A DEROGATORY
WAY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN
THOSE INSTANCES HAPPEN, THEN WE
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALLOW
FOR THAT SPACE FOR THAT WHEN
IT'S DONE IN THE RIGHT WAY AND
DONE IN A WAY TO, TO, TO SHOW
RESPECT AND TO HONOR PEOPLE, BUT
I THINK FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, THEN
THE TRIBE HAS TO BE INVOLVED IN
THAT, AND THEY HAVE TO HELP LEAD
THAT PROCESS. SURE. CHAIRWOMAN,
ESTRADA, DO YOU HAVE ANY
COMMENTS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE?
SURE I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO MY
TRIBE. WE REGULARLY WORK WITH
THE COUNTY AND LOCAL OFFICIALS
ON A GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT
BASIS AND ENTER INTO MEMORANDUMS
OF UNDERSTANDING TO ADDRESS, YOU
KNOW, CULTURAL PROTECTION, LAW
ENFORCEMENT MITIGATION, THINGS
OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THEN
MITIGATION OF IMPACTS IN, FOR AN
EXAMPLE OF OUR CASINOS. SO I
WOULD RESPECT ANOTHER SOVEREIGN
GOVERNMENT TO MAKE THE DECISION
THAT'S IN THEIR BEST INTEREST,
SO I WOULD IMAGINE IF A TRIBE,
ENTERS INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH
A COUNTY OR A SCHOOL OR THAT
THAT IS TOTALLY UP TO THEM. AND,
I WOULD RESPECT THAT. SO, YEAH.
AND TO JUST ADD ON TO THAT
REALLY QUICK, AN EXAMPLE OF
THIS, IS IN FLORIDA, THEIR
UNIVERSITY, THE FLORIDA
SEMINOLES, THEY ACTUALLY ENTERED
AN AGREEMENT WITH THE SEMINOLE
TRIBE THAT ALLOWED THEM TO KEEP
THEIR IMAGERY AND MASCOT. AND
ALTHOUGH I DON'T AGREE WITH
THAT, I RESPECT THAT NATIVE
PEOPLE AREN'T A MONOLITH AND
THAT TRIBAL OPINIONS ON THINGS
LIKE THIS MIGHT DIFFER
THROUGHOUT OUR STATE. SO A KEY
PART OF GETTING THIS DONE IS
HAVING DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN
TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS AND SCHOOL
DISTRICTS. AND SO SHOULD
SOMETHING OF AN AGREEMENT LIKE
THAT COME UP. I RESPECT THAT,
AND AT LEAST THERE'S
CONVERSATIONS THAT WILL
POTENTIALLY DRIVE AN AGREEMENT.
OKAY. YEAH, I WASN'T AWARE OF
THE SEMINOLES OF THE FLORIDA
STATE ENTERING INTO THAT
AGREEMENT, I KNOW AND I
APPRECIATE, THE CHAIRWOMAN,
TESTIMONY AS WELL AS MISS
ESTRADA, A REMINDER TO ME THAT,
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE IMPACT ON THE
LISTENER, OR ESPECIALLY OF
NATIVE PEOPLE AND NOT THOSE
THAT, WOULD FEEL NOSTALGIC
ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEIR LONG TIME
MASCOTS. I KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IN
MY DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, GARDENA
HIGH SCHOOL IS NOW THE GUARDIAN
OF HIGH SCHOOL PANTHERS, BUT,
THE OLD TIMERS OR THOSE THAT
LIKE TO SIGNAL THAT THEY'RE THE
OLD TIMERS, THEY THEY ARE ALWAYS
PROUD TO CALL THEMSELVES, A
MOHICAN. YOU KNOW, I'M I'M NOT A
PANTHER. I'M A MOHICAN. AND, YOU
KNOW, IT KIND OF. IT'S FOR THEM.
IT'S A TIME OF AFFECTION, IS A
TIME OF FOND MEMORIES. BUT. BUT
YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE INDICATING,
IT'S AN APPROPRIATION AND IT'S
DONE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF
THE MOHICANS. ANOTHER. I ALSO
HAVE ANOTHER HIGH SCHOOL IN MY
DISTRICT, THE WEST TORRANCE HIGH
SCHOOL WARRIORS. AND, AM I
CORRECT IN UNDERSTANDING THAT,
LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, I, I BELIEVE
I SHOULD KNOW THIS, BUT I
BELIEVE THEY USE, NATIVE OF,
IMAGERY, FOR THE WEST HIGH
WARRIORS. BUT IF THEY WERE TO
CHANGE THEIR MASCOT, LIKE, YOU
KNOW, TO A NORDIC WARRIOR, FOR
EXAMPLE, IS IT YOUR
UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS THIS
BILL WILL NOT PROHIBIT THEM FROM
CONTINUING TO USE WEST HIGH
WARRIORS, GOOD QUESTION. I MEAN,
IT'S NOT SO WARRIORS ARE NOT
NAMED IN THE BILL SPECIFICALLY.
IT DOES NOT IT'S NOT RESTRICTED
TO THE TERMS THAT ARE NAMED IN
THE BILL, THOUGH. AND SO, YOU
KNOW, WE CAST A WIDE NET ON
NATIVE AMERICAN TERMS GENERALLY,
BUT I THINK IN THAT EXAMPLE, IF
THEY'RE NOT USING IMAGERY OR, OR
ANY ANYTHING THAT'S ASSOCIATED
WITH IT, PROBABLY IT WOULD NOT
FALL WITHIN THE BILL. DO YOUR
WITNESSES HAVE ANY ANY THOUGHTS
OR COMMENTS, EITHER PERSONAL OR,
YOU KNOW, I WOULD I WOULD AGREE
WITH, THE SPONSOR HERE, I DON'T
THINK I THINK IT'S INTENT AND
SHOULD SHOULD THERE NOT BE
NATIVE REGALIA OR ANY NATIVE
IMAGERY. IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.
I, I WOULD THINK, YEAH. SORRY.
AND THIS BILL IT DOESN'T NAME
WARRIORS WITH JUST BECAUSE
SCHOOLS HAVE ACTUALLY SWITCHED
FROM THE INDIAN TO THE WARRIOR.
AND IT'S A VERY VAGUE, YOU KNOW,
WHAT IS THE WARRIOR AT THAT
SCHOOL? I'VE SEEN IT LIKE A
NORDIC WARRIOR AND I'VE SEEN IT
LIKE STILL A NATIVE PERSON, BUT
THIS BILL ALSO ALLOWS FOR
SCHOOLS TO KIND OF PETITION FOR
THAT IMAGERY SHOULD THEY DEEM IT
INAPPROPRIATE TO BE RECOGNIZED
UNDER THIS LAW. SO IF THERE ARE
CASES, OR I BELIEVE SOMETHING
MAYBE LIKE THAT, BUT YEAH, I
THINK THAT'S A PRETTY GENERAL
TERMS FOR A MASCOT THAT WE KNEW
COULD GET COMPLICATED. AND SO WE
WERE MAKING SURE TO INCLUDE ALL
OF THE VERY OBVIOUSLY
INAPPROPRIATE MASCOTS LIST DID.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR
SHARING, AGAIN, I RECOGNIZE, YOU
KNOW, THE IMPACT, THE IMPORTANCE
OF THIS BILL. AND I'M PROUD TO
SUPPORT THIS THIS BILL. I WOULD
WOULD LOVE TO BE ADDED AS A
COAUTHOR TO THIS BILL. THANK
YOU. THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
THANK YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
CLOSE? YEAH, I JUST, THANK YOU
SO MUCH TO THE COMMITTEE, TO THE
DISCUSSION HERE TODAY. AND,
REALLY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO
ASSEMBLY MEMBER ALVAREZ, FOR
LOANING YOUR FELLOW TO US.
OBVIOUSLY, SHE'S INCREDIBLY
CAPABLE AND, AND WELL-SPOKEN AND
REALLY AN EXPERT ON THIS ISSUE
AND APPRECIATE YOU BEING A PART
OF THIS, AND THE CHAIRWOMAN FOR
BEING HERE TODAY AND
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN I VOTE.
ALL RIGHT. WE NEED A MOTION AND
A SECOND MOTION. SECOND, ALL
RIGHT, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL. FILE ITEM 24 AB
3074. THE MOTION IS Dð PASS, AS
AMENDED TO HIGHER EDUCATION.
MURATSUCHI Ã MURATSUCHI I LARA
ADDIS ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ I HOOVER.
HOOVER. NOT VOTING MCCARTY.
THREE ZERO. THE BILL IS ON CALL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU
TO BOTH OF YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT
IN SIGN IN ORDER, WE HAVE FILE
ITEM NUMBER TWO, AB 1947 BY
ASSEMBLY MEMBER THREE OF US
.
READY? OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR.
CHAIR. AND MEMBERS, I WANT TO
START BY THANKING DEBBIE FOR HER
WORK AND THOUGHTFUL ANALYSIS ON
THIS BILL. AB 1947 WOULD EXPAND
THE NUMBER OF STAFF TRAINING
DAYS FOR CALIFORNIA STATE
PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS AND ALLOCATE
ONE OF THOSE DAYS FOR DL TRAINED
. IN 2020, THE GOVERNOR RELEASED
THE MASTER PLAN INTENDED TO
TRANSFORM THE STATE'S APPROACH
TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
THE MASTER PLAN PROVIDES A
ROADMAP TO ADDRESS RACIAL AND
ECONOMIC INEQUITIES, AND CALLS
FOR LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE
DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENTS BOTH
IN ENGLISH AND IN CHILDREN'S
HOME LANGUAGES. AMONG OTHER
THINGS. IN 2021, CALIFORNIA
SIGNED INTO LAW AB 1363, WHICH
WAS ONE OF MY BILLS, WHICH TOOK
THE FIRST STEP OF IMPLEMENTING
THE MASTER PLAN BY REQUIRING THE
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION TO DEVELOP A
STANDARDIZED PROCESS FOR
CALIFORNIA STATE PRESCHOOL
PROGRAM PROVIDERS TO IDENTIFY
DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS. AB 1947
BUILDS ON THE PROGRESS MADE IN
AB 1363, IN ACHIEVING THE GOALS
OF THE MASTER PLAN TO SUPPORT
OUR CHILDREN WHO ARE DUAL
LANGUAGE LEARNERS BY HELPING OUR
EDUCATORS CATER TO THE LEARNING
NEEDS OF OUR CHILDREN, TODAY I
HAVE WITH ME TO PROVIDE
TESTIMONY, PATTY HERRERA,
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF
SCHOOL SERVICES OF CALIFORNIA
AND VANESSA GUTIERREZ, PRESCHOOL
TEACHER WITH THE LOS RIOS
COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR.
CHAIR, AND MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE. I AM PATTY HERRERA
HERE ON BEHALF OF EARLY EDGE,
CALIFORNIA, ONE OF THE PROUD
CO-SPONSORS OF AB 1947. FIRST,
WE REALLY NEED TO THANK ASSEMBLY
MEMBER RIVAS FOR HER CONTINUED
COMMITMENT TO CALIFORNIA'S DUAL
LANGUAGE LEARNERS. HER
LEADERSHIP IN THIS SPACE, AS SHE
MENTIONED, LED TO THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A FIRST IN THE
NATION POLICY TO IDENTIFY AND
UNDERSTAND THE STATE'S DUAL
LANGUAGE LEARNER CHILD
POPULATION. AND AB 1947, AS SHE
MENTIONED, IS SIMPLY AN
EXTENSION OF THAT POLICY AND HER
LEADERSHIP. SECOND, WE'D ALSO
LIKE TO THANK, DEBBIE FOR HER
COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF OUR
BILL THAT CLEARLY ARTICULATES
THE WHY BEHIND OUR BILL, WHICH
IS THAT CALIFORNIA IS HOME TO
THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF
CHILDREN WITH THE RICH AND
PROMISING ASSET OF BECOMING
BILINGUAL AND BILITERATE IN
THEIR LIVES. THAT RESEARCH
CONSISTENTLY SHOWS THAT BI OR
MULTILINGUALISM REAPS LIFETIME
BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN, AS WELL
AS LARGER SOCIO ECONOMIC
BENEFITS FOR THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. AND FINALLY, THAT
STAFF WHO TEACH AND SUPPORT OUR
YOUNG DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS
NEED ACCESS TO TRAINING ABOUT
HOW BEST TO SUPPORT THEIR
CULTURAL AND LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT NEEDS, AS WELL AS
HOW TO EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE THEIR
PARENTS TO FURTHER SUPPORT THEIR
CHILDREN AT HOME. AS NOTED IN
THE ANALYSIS, AS EARLY LEARNING,
EDUCATORS WHO UNDERGO DL
SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT COMPLETED THEIR
PROGRAMS BETTER EQUIPPED, MORE
KNOWLEDGEABLE, AND MORE
CONFIDENT ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO
SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR
FAMILIES. WE SIMPLY CANNOT
IGNORE THE NEED IN OUR STATE TO
ENSURE THAT OUR DUAL LANGUAGE
LEARNER CHILDREN ARE GIVEN THE
PROPER SUPPORT THEY NEED TO
THRIVE, AND FOR THESE REASONS,
WE ASK FOR YOUR AYE VOTE TODAY.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR.
CHAIR, AND MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS VANESSA
GUTIERREZ AND I AM A FORMER
PRESCHOOL TEACHER AND CURRENT
ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR, SITE
SUPERVISOR AT THE COSUMNES RIVER
COLLEGE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
. I AM HERE TODAY TO SHARE WHY
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT EARLY
LEARNING EDUCATORS RECEIVE HIGH
QUALITY COACHING AND TRAINING TO
SUPPORT MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
AND FAMILIES. AS YOU ARE AWARE,
CALIFORNIA IS THE MOST DIVERSE
STATE IN THE NATION AND AS SUCH,
IT IS CRITICAL FOR EDUCATORS TO
RECEIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
COURSES IN ORDER TO ADEQUATELY
SUPPORT OUR DIVERSE CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITIES. I GREW UP IN A VERY
SMALL TOWN IN MEXICO UNTIL I WAS
18 YEARS OLD, WHICH WAS WHEN I
MOVED TO CALIFORNIA TO LIVE WITH
MY BROTHER AND ATTEND SCHOOL. I
DIDN'T KNOW ANY ENGLISH AT THE
TIME, BUT I WAS COMMITTED TO MY
EDUCATION AND STUDIES, WHICH HAS
LED ME TO WHERE I AM TODAY. MY
PASSION FOR LEARNING AND SERVING
THE COMMUNITY DROVE MUCH OF MY
WORK, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL I
RECEIVED EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT ON SERVING
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS THAT I
TRULY UNDERSTOOD HOW MUCH MORE I
HAD TO LEARN, AND HOW MUCH MORE
I COULD BE DOING FOR CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES. SIMPLY HAVING A
DIVERSE BACKGROUND IS NOT
ENOUGH. IF WE WANT TO TRULY
SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES. AS A
PRESCHOOL TEACHER, I WAS
FORTUNATE TO BE OFFERED A
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A COURSE ON
SUPPORTING DUAL LANGUAGE
LEARNERS THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA
STATE UNIVERSITY, CHANNEL
ISLANDS. THIS COURSE WAS OFFERED
AS A COHORT SYSTEM THAT MADE
FELLOW CLASSMATES AND EDUCATORS
FEEL MORE CONNECTED AND OPEN. IN
ADDITION TO DIRECT INSTRUCTION
ABOUT HOW TO IMPROVE MY
PRACTICES AS A PRESCHOOL
TEACHER, THE PROGRAM PROVIDED ME
MATERIALS THAT HELPED MAKE THE
COURSE WORK MORE ACCESSIBLE AND
EASY TO UNDERSTAND, AND THAT I
IMMEDIATELY APPLIED TO MY WORK
WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SUCH
AS BOOKS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES,
CARDS, HANDOUTS, AND REAL LIFE
EXAMPLES ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT
PERSONALIZED ORAL LANGUAGE
LEARNING OR POLICY STRATEGIES
THAT INTEGRATED FAMILY
ENVIRONMENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL
SUPPORT TO BEST SERVE
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS. THIS
PROGRAM WAS EASILY ACCESSIBLE
AND CREATED A WARM ATMOSPHERE
WHILE ALSO CHALLENGING ME AS AN
EDUCATOR AND GUIDING ME TO
BETTER PROVIDE SERVICES THAT
WERE MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH
THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES THAT I SERVE,
ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WERE DUAL
LANGUAGE LEARNERS. I'M GOING TO
ASK YOU TO TRY TO WRAP UP WELL
TRAINED, PREPARED EDUCATORS ARE
KEY TO HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMS FOR
CALIFORNIA DUAL LANGUAGE
LEARNERS. FOR THIS REASON, I ASK
YOU TO VOTE YES ON AB 1947.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU. PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
SUPPORT OF THE BILL, PLEASE COME
FORWARD. CHRISTINA SALAZAR OF
THE CALIFORNIANS TOGETHER PROUD
CO-SPONSOR MARY CREASY, ON
BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN'S
PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR AND
MEMBERS. PAMELA GIBBS,
REPRESENTING THE LOS ANGELES
COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION IN
SUPPORT OF THE BILL. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR, AND
MEMBERS. TRISTAN BROWN OF CFT,
THE UNION OF EDUCATORS AND
CLASSIFIED PROFESSIONALS,
INCLUDING EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATORS, HERE IN STRONG
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER
PUBLIC COMMENTS IN SUPPORT?
SEEING NONE ANY WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL. SEEING
NONE. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL. SEE NONE
. I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE? SEE
MR. ALVAREZ, THANK YOU. THANK
YOU FOR THE BILL. JUST A QUICK
QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION IS
HOPEFULLY THIS GETS IMPLEMENTED,
I'M READING IN THE BILL LANGUAGE
THAT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IS
NOT, A WAY OUT FOR PEOPLE
BECAUSE I THINK THIS SHOULD BE
DONE. WE SHOULD PROVIDE THIS
TRAINING, GIVEN THE OVERWHELMING
NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO WOULD
BENEFIT FROM THIS. IT READS
THAT, TRAINING PROVIDED PURSUANT
TO THE SUBDIVISION IS ENCOURAGED
TO INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED
TO, AND THEN IT TALKS ABOUT THE
DUAL LANGUAGE BILITERACY
DEVELOPMENT, BUT THE INTENT
STILL IS FOR THERE TO BE A
REQUIREMENT OF SOME TYPE OF
BILITERACY Kò TRAINING. IS THAT
CORRECT? I JUST WANT TO MAKE
SURE, I'LL LET OUR WITNESS. OKAY
THANK YOU. ASSEMBLY MEMBER
ALVAREZ. YES, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY
CORRECT, THERE'S A OTHER
SUBDIVISION OR PARAGRAPH IN THAT
SAME SUBDIVISION THAT SPECIFIES
THAT IF CONTRACTORS TAKE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE AT LEAST
THREE DAYS OF PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT AND HAVE A CERTAIN
PERCENTAGE, 25% OF THEIR
CHILDREN ARE DUAL LANGUAGE
LEARNERS, THAT ONE OF THOSE DAYS
HAS TO BE DEDICATED TO DUAL
LANGUAGE LEARNER PD. THE
PROVISION THAT YOU ARE REFERRING
TO OUTLINES THE ELEMENTS OF WHAT
RESEARCH HAS SHOWN TO BE
EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT. TO SUPPORT DUAL
LANGUAGE LEARNERS. THE REASON
WHY WE TOOK AMENDMENTS TO,
ENCOURAGE A PROGRAM TO INCLUDE
ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS IS BECAUSE
WE UNDERSTOOD THAT OFTENTIMES
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CAN
ALSO, PROMOTE, PEDAGOGICAL
PRACTICES IN SUPPORT OF THE
WHOLE CHILD, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO THEIR DUAL LANGUAGE
LEARNER SUPPORT NEEDS. SO WE
DIDN'T WANT TO WE DIDN'T WANT
THOSE ELEMENTS TO, ECLIPSE THE
ABILITY TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT
THAT IS SORT OF WRAPPED AROUND
THE WHOLE CHILD NEED. IF THAT
MAKES SENSE. IT MAKES TOTAL
SENSE. AND I COMPLETELY AGREE
WITH THE APPROACH AND APPRECIATE
WANTING TO GIVE THAT A
FLEXIBILITY FOR THE DIFFERENT
TYPES. I JUST WANTED TO, ON THE
RECORD HERE, IF THIS LANGUAGE
SORT OF CONTINUES AND THIS IS
WHAT BECOMES LAW, TO MAKE IT
REALLY CLEAR THAT THIS IS WHAT
THE INTENT IS, THAT IT IS ABOUT
PROVIDING SOME TYPE OF, OF
TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT THAT IS INCLUSIVE OF
NOT JUST, THIS IS NOT JUST A
SUGGESTION THAT THIS IS, IT'S
MORE EXPANSIVE THAN THIS,
BASICALLY. SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE WORK ON
THIS. LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING
THE BILL AND MOVE IT WHEN
APPROPRIATE. THANK YOU. ANY
FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS
FROM THE COMMITTEE? SEEING NONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MISS RIVAS,
FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP
FOR DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS,
HAPPY TO SUPPORT THE BILL. WOULD
YOU LIKE TO CLOSE? THANK YOU,
MR. CHAIR. I RESPECTFULLY ASK
FOR YOUR I VOTE. THANK YOU, WE
NEED A SECOND FOR THE MOTION
MADE BY MR. ALVAREZ. SECONDED.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL FILE. ITEM TWO, AB 1947.
THE MOTION IS TO PASS TO
APPROPRIATIONS. MURATSUCHI A
MURATSUCHI I LARA ADDIS I ADDIS
I ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ I BONTA.
HOOVER. HOOVER I MCCARTHY. FORO.
THE BILL IS OUT. THANK YOU,
THANK YOU. BEFORE WE GO TO THE
NEXT SIGN IN AND SIGN IN ORDER
FILE ITEM NUMBER ONE AB 1851.
MR. HOLDEN, I DO WANT TO, TAKE A
MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, ON
TODAY'S CONSENT CALENDAR WAS
FILED. ITEM NUMBER 17, ASSEMBLY
BILL 20 714 BY MR. WALLACE. A
BILL THAT, IS, CITED AS ZACKY'S
FOOD ALLERGY SAFETY TREATMENT
ACT. WELL, I WAS JUST INFORMED
THAT ZAKI IS IN THE AUDIENCE.
YES. WELCOME, ZAKI. TO THE STATE
CAPITOL. AND, YOU JUST, GOT A
BILL THAT IS NAMED AFTER YOU,
MOVING OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE, SO
CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. ALL
RIGHT, MR. HOLT, I YIELD TO ZAKI
EVERY TIME. I'D LIKE TO THANK
YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT ASSEMBLY
BILL 1851, WHICH WOULD CREATE A
PILOT PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL SIDE
LED TESTING. I APPRECIATE THE
COMMITTEE WORKING WITH OUR STAFF
AND THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE
BEEN PROPOSED. I'M HAPPY TO
ACCEPT THOSE AND LOOK FORWARD TO
MOVING FORWARD, UNDER WHAT I
BELIEVE ARE SOME GOOD DIRECTION
FROM THE COMMITTEE, LETTUCE IS A
DANGEROUS TOXIN. THERE IS NO
SAFE AMOUNT OF LEAD AND A
CHILD'S DRINKING WATER. EVEN LOW
LEVELS OF EXPOSURE CAN CAUSE
LEARNING AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS
FOR CHILDREN AND DAMAGE THEIR
ORGANS AND NERVOUS SYSTEMS. IN
2018, I AUTHORED A BILL THAT
TASKS THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES IN CONSULTATION WITH
THE STATE WATER BOARD, WITH
DEVELOPING REGULATIONS FOR THE
REGULAR TESTING OF LEAD IN THE
DRINKING WATER OF CHILD DAYCARE
CENTERS THROUGH THOSE
REGULATIONS, THE BILL TESTING
STANDARD FOR CHILDREN OR
CHILDCARE CENTERS IS SET AT FIVE
PARTS PER BILLION FOR AB 1851
BUILDS ON THAT IMPORTANT WORK BY
IMPLEMENTING A SCHOOL LED
TESTING PILOT PROGRAM DESIGNED
TO PRODUCE A REPORT AROUND
FEASIBILITY OF REQUIRING SCHOOLS
SELECTED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT
AND COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEMS TO
COLLABORATE ON COMPREHENSIVE
SAMPLING, PLAN TO TEST FOR LEAD
IN DRINKING WATER OUTLETS USING
A FIVE PART PER BILLION
THRESHOLD, A STANDARD USED IN
MANY OTHER STATES, INCLUDING
MARYLAND, MONTANA, AND
WASHINGTON. FAUCETS AND OUTLETS
THAT TEST HIGHER THAN THAT LED
THRESHOLD ARE REQUIRED TO BE
SHUT DOWN AND EITHER REPLACED OR
PROPERLY FILTERED. BECAUSE
TRANSPARENCY IS AN IMPORTANT
PART OF THIS PROCESS, SCHOOLS
MUST NOTIFY PARENTS IF OUTLETS
AT THEIR CHILD'S SCHOOL TESTS
ABOVE THE LEAD THRESHOLD. I'M
SURE YOU'LL AGREE OUR STUDENTS
ACCESS TO SAFE WATER SHOULDN'T
DEPEND ON INCOME LEVEL OR SKIN
COLOR. TESTIFYING IN SUPPORT OF
AB 1851 IS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF
CHILDREN NOW, NORA LIN AND
SENIOR ADVOCATE FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP
SUSAN LITTLE. I RESPECTFULLY ASK
FOR YOUR I VOTE. GOOD AFTERNOON,
MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS. MY NAME
IS NORA LIN AND I AM WITH
CHILDREN NOW. IT'S A STATEWIDE
POLICY, RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY
ORGANIZATION FOCUSING ON
CHILDREN'S WELL-BEING. THIS BILL
IMPLEMENTS A COMPREHENSIVE WATER
TESTING AND LEAD REMEDIATION
PILOT PROGRAM FOR STATE SCHOOLS
BUILT BEFORE 2010, BUILDING ON
WORK UNDERTAKEN PREVIOUSLY BY
MR. HOLDEN AND, MISS GONZALEZ IN
2017. TOO MANY CHILDREN ARE
FALLING THROUGH PREVENTION,
SAFETY NETS, LEAD POISONING,
SCREENING RATES FOR CHILDREN IN
MEDI-CAL ARE LOW. LESS THAN 27%
OF ELIGIBLE MEDI-CAL CHILDREN
RECEIVED BOTH OF THEIR REQUIRED
TESTS, WITH ONLY 45% OF BLACK
KIDS BEING SCREENED. A US EPA
ANALYSIS FOUND THAT COMMUNITIES
OF COLOR AND LOW INCOME
NEIGHBORHOODS ARE AT
DISPROPORTIONATE RISK OF LEAD
EXPOSURE IN DRINKING WATER.
EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
ARE ALSO AT RISK. LEAD EXPOSURE
IN ADULTS IS LINKED WITH AN
INCREASE IN MORTALITY OF 37% FOR
ALL CAUSES, 70% FOR CARDIOVASC
FULLER, AND 108% FOR HEART
DISEASE. WE KNOW THAT ONE SIZE
FITS ALL DOESN'T WORK FOR OUR
SCHOOLS. THE FLEXIBLE
REMEDIATION APPROACH IN 1851
ALLOWS FOR BOTH FAUCET
REPLACEMENT AND FILTER
INSTALLATION, BASED ON THE
SCHOOL'S NEEDS AND CAPACITY. Kò.
WE HAVE BEEN AND ARE CONTINUING
TO MEET WITH STATE AND FEDERAL
EPA EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE AND CHILDREN'S HEALTH
STAKEHOLDERS ON BEHALF OF
CALIFORNIA'S KIDS AND FAMILIES,
I ASK YOU TO SUPPORT AB 1851.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS SUSAN
LITTLE AND I WORK FOR THE
ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP. ONE
OF THE AB 1851 CO-SPONSORS IS
COMPREHENSIVE AND WELL
CONTROLLED LEAD TESTING IN THE
DRINKING WATER OF CALIFORNIA'S
LICENSED CHILD CARE CENTERS
FOUND THAT 1 IN 4 CENTERS, 1700
OUT OF 6500 CENTERS EVALUATED
HAD WATER LEAD LEVELS ABOVE THE
FIVE PART PER BILLION LIMIT, AND
MANY CENTERS HAD LEVELS FAR
ABOVE THIS THRESHOLD. 259
CENTERS UP AND DOWN THE STATE
FOUND LEAD LEVELS BETWEEN 50 AND
1000 PARTS PER BILLION. THAT IS,
10 TO 200 TIMES THE ALLOWABLE
AMOUNT, AND NINE CENTERS FOUND
LEAD ABOVE 1000 PARTS PER
BILLION, WITH ONE CENTER
DISCOVERING LEVELS OVER 11,000
PARTS PER BILLION. IN ADDITION,
VERY LIMITED LEAD TESTING AND
SCHOOL DRINKING WATER FOUND
ELEVATED LEAD ABOVE FIVE PARTS
PER BILLION IN THE WATER OF 18%
OF SCHOOL CAMPUSES. KEEP IN MIND
THAT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION STATES
THAT THERE IS NO SAFE LEVEL OF
LEAD EXPOSURE FOR CHILDREN AND
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF
PEDIATRICS RECOMMENDS THAT WATER
CHILDREN DRINK CONTAIN NO MORE
THAN ONE PART PER BILLION LEAD.
ALSO CONCERNING IS INFORMATION
RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC
CONTRACTOR FOR THAT LEAD TESTED
THE WATER AT ALMOST A THIRD OF
THE CHILD CARE CENTERS,
ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACTOR, THE
REPLACEMENT OF FAUCETS AND
FIXTURES DID NOT BRING LEAD
LEVELS BELOW FIVE PARTS PER
BILLION. IN 28% OF THE OUTLETS
REMEDIATED. SO AS WE WORK TO
REMOVE THE LEAD AND WATER THAT
CHILDREN DRINK, WE'RE FACED WITH
NOT ONLY SOLID DATA INDICATING
THAT LEAD IN CHILDREN'S WATER IN
CALIFORNIA IS AN URGENT PROBLEM,
BUT ALSO QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO
REMEDIATE THE LEAD AS QUICKLY
AND EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE,
WHILE BEING PROTECTIVE OF
CHILDREN'S HEALTH.
UNFORTUNATELY, PENDING FEDERAL
REGULATIONS ABOUT LEAD AND WATER
WILL NOT PROVIDE STATES MUCH
GUIDANCE ON HOW TO REDUCE LEAD
LEVELS IN SCHOOLS. AB 1851 SETS
UP A PILOT PROJECT TO ADDRESS
THE URGENT QUESTIONS AROUND LEAD
IN CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DRINKING
WATER. THE BILL ALSO SETS A
HEALTH PROTECTIVE GOAL OF ZERO
LEAD IN WATER. CHILDREN DRINK AT
SCHOOL AND CHILD CARE FACILITIES
AND WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE
SUPPORT THIS PROPOSAL. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PUBLIC
COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL.
GOOD AFTERNOON. WHITNEY FRANCIS
WITH THE WESTERN CENTER ON LAW
AND POVERTY IN SUPPORT. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS.
JESSICA MORAN WITH THE
CALIFORNIA DENTAL ASSOCIATION
AND SUPPORT. MITCH STEIGER WITH
CFT ALSO IN SUPPORT. SAVANNAH
JORGENSEN WITH THE LUTHERAN
OFFICE OF PUBLIC POLICY IN
SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS LEAH
JONES, ON BEHALF OF A VOICE FOR
CHOICE ADVOCACY IN FULL SUPPORT
AND ALSO NON TOXIC SCHOOLS IN
FULL SUPPORT. THANK YOU. ANY
FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
SUPPORT ANY WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL OR ANY
TWEENERS? PLEASE THE LETTER
CHAIR, JERRY DESMOND WITH
PLUMBING MANUFACTURERS
INTERNATIONAL, SUPPORT THE
LEGISLATION'S OBJECTIVES AND
HAVE WORKED WITH ASSEMBLY MEMBER
HOLDEN SO THAT THE FAUCETS ON
THE MARKET TODAY IN NO WAY CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO THE FIVE PARTS PER
BILLION WE ARE JUST WORKING WITH
THE AUTHOR AND PROPONENTS ON
AMENDMENTS TO STRUCTURE THE
TESTING AND THE REMEDIATION IN A
WAY THAT'S EFFECTIVE. THANK YOU,
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER ASSEMBLY
MEMBER? I JUST WANTED TO WEIGH
IN ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA
NURSES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND
JUSTICE, CLEAN EARTH FOR KIDS
AND FRIENDS COMMITTEE ON
LEGISLATION OF CALIFORNIA, AS
THEY'RE ALSO IN SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL? SEEING
NONE ANY BRINGING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS?
COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE.
SEEING NONE. MR. HOLDEN, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ONGOING
LEADERSHIP TO GET LEAD OUT OF
THE DRINKING WATER FOR OUR
SCHOOL CHILDREN. HAPPY TO
SUPPORT THE BILL. WOULD YOU LIKE
TO CLOSE? WELL, I WOULD JUST ASK
FOR YOUR AYE VOTE, BUT I'D ALSO
LIKE TO SAY APPRECIATION TO,
NORA LYNNE AND TO SUSAN LITTLE
FOR THEIR ADVOCACY, WHETHER IT'S
ON BILLS THAT I'VE WRITTEN, BUT
ON OTHERS WHO HAVE REALLY BEEN
FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT AND
THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL,
I'M SO HAPPY THAT THEY'RE
CONTINUING TO BE ADVOCATES FOR
US ON THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING
HERE. SO I THANK THEM AND I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR VOTE.
THANK YOU. WE NEED A MOTION AND
A SECOND. MADAM SECRETARY,
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL FILE. ITEM
ONE AB 1851. THE MOTION IS TO
PASS, AS AMENDED, TO
APPROPRIATIONS. MURATSUCHI Ã
MURATSUCHI I LARA ADDIS I ADDIS
I ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ I BONTA I
WANT TO I HOOVER I HOOVER I
MCCARTY. FIVE OH, THE BILL IS
OUT. THANK YOU. WAITING
PATIENTLY IS MR. LOWENTHAL. FILE
ITEM NUMBER 14, AB 2551. OH,
WAIT. IS IT 2351 I'M SORRY. AB
2351.
MR. CHAIR, DO I HAVE PERMISSION
TO USE PROPS? YES.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND
MEMBERS. I AM PLEASED TO PRESENT
AB 2351, WHICH CLARIFIES
EXISTING LAW REGARDING THE
AUTHORITY OF A SUPERINTENDENT OR
PRINCIPAL TO SUSPEND OR EXPEL A
PUPIL FOR ACTS SUCH AS BULLYING,
HARASSMENT, SEXUAL HARASSMENT,
INTIMIDATION, THREATS OF
VIOLENCE THAT OCCUR OUTSIDE OF
SCHOOL HOURS, PROVIDED THAT THE
CONDUCT WHEN ENGAGED IN OFF
CAMPUS IS SUFFICIENTLY SEVERE OR
PERVASIVE TO HAVE THE ACTUAL AND
REASONABLY EXPECTED PERSONNEL OR
PUPILS. BY CREATING AN
INTIMIDATING OR HOSTILE
EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. I WOULD
LIKE TO START BY ACCEPTING THE
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS, AND I'D
LIKE TO THANK THE CHAIR AND
COMMITTEE FOR THEIR VERY
THOUGHTFUL WORK ON THIS BILL.
TOPIC OF THIS BILL IS TRICKY.
THIS IS NOT ONE THAT I'M EXCITED
ABOUT PUTTING FORWARD. CAN BE
USED AS A HOT POTATO. IT DOES
INDEED QUESTION THE LIMITS OF
SPEECH AND EXPRESSION, AND IT IS
NOT A REPEAT. IT IS NOT INTENDED
TO INCREASE PUNITIVE ACTION
TOWARDS OUR YOUTH. IT'S NOT AN
ISSUE I TAKE LIGHTLY. SAME DATE
ADDRESSING A GAP THAT WE HAVE IN
THE SYSTEM, A GAP THAT'S
ELEVATED AND AMPLIFIED BY OUR
DIGITAL WORLD. AN AREA WHERE THE
VICTIMS ARE NOT PROTECTED AND
OFTEN CAN ONLY FIND REMEDY BY
HAVING TO LEAVE THEIR
ENVIRONMENT. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT
ISSUE THAT IS IMPACTING STUDENTS
ACROSS THE STATE, INCLUDING MY
OWN DAUGHTERS. BULLYING,
HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION
AMONGST PUBLIC PUPILS IN SCHOOL
IS NOT A NEW PHENOMENON. IT'S AN
AGE OLD PROBLEM THAT
ADMINISTRATORS, FACULTY, PARENTS
AND CHILDREN HAVE CONFRONTED AND
WHICH CONTINUES TO PERSIST YEAR
IN AND YEAR OUT IN OUR SCHOOLS.
HOWEVER, THE WAYS THESE ACTS ARE
BEING PERPETRATED HAVE SHIFTED
SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE AGE OLD
ARCHETYPE OF A BULLY ON THE
PLAYGROUND INTIMIDATING FEW
STUDENTS FOR THEIR LUNCH MONEY.
THE DIGITAL AGE HAS
SUBSTANTIALLY EXPANDED THE TIME,
THE PLACE, THE MANNER BY WHICH
STUDENTS COALESCE WITH EACH
OTHER AND IS THEREFORE
SUBSTANTIALLY EXPANDED. THE
TIME, THE PLACE, THE MANNER FOR
BULLYING, HARASSMENT AND
INTIMIDATION TO TAKE PLACE. ONLY
A DECADE AGO, SCHOOL BULLYING
ENDED ONCE YOU GOT HOME AND WERE
SAFE. TODAY MANY OF THESE
ACTIVITIES ARE NOW TAKING PLACE
ONLINE, OFF CAMPUS, IN THE
DIGITAL ETHER AND OUTSIDE
REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS. AND THERE
IS NOWHERE AND NO TIME THAT OUR
KIDS ARE TRULY SAFE. THE SHIFT
TO TIME, PLACE AND MANNER HAS
RESULTED IN PERPETRATORS
ENJOYING A CERTAIN LEVEL OF
IMMUNITY FROM PUNITIVE ACTION
FOR ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD BE
UNACCEPTABLE AND PUNISHABLE
SHOULD THEY HAVE OCCURRED ON
CAMPUS DURING REGULAR SCHOOL
HOURS. TO RESTATE ACTS OF
BULLYING, HARASSMENT,
INTIMIDATION BETWEEN PUPILS ARE
NOW TAKING PLACE 24 HOURS A DAY,
365 DAYS A YEAR, AND A PUPIL IS
BEING BULLIED AT SCHOOL CAN NO
LONGER SIMPLY GO HOME TO ESCAPE
THEIR OPPRESSOR. TODAY'S
SCHOOLYARD BULLY IS NOW
EMPOWERED TO CONTINUE THEIR
HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION VIA
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. TEXT
MESSAGES AND EMAIL. CIRCULATING
HARMFUL, HUMILIATING, HARASSING
AND INTIMIDATING CONTENT NOT
ONLY TO THE PUPIL THEY'RE
BULLYING, BUT TO A MUCH WIDER
AUDIENCE OF THE PUPILS PEERS.
THESE CIRCUMSTANCES CREATE AN
UNDENIABLY HOSTILE EDUCATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PUPILS WHO
ARE EXPERIENCING THIS TYPE OF
HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION.
THÀNH I'M GOING TO REFER YOU TO
MY OWN DAUGHTERS EXPERIENCE WITH
BULLYING AND HARASSMENT THAT
HAVE BEEN PERPETRATED BOTH
ONLINE AND THROUGH ACTIVITIES
THAT HAVE OCCURRED OFF CAMPUS.
REGULAR HOURS. I WANT TO DRAW
YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS HERE,
WHICH IS A SCREENSHOT OF A STORY
ON SNAPCHAT, MY GIRLS ARE AN
EIGHTH GRADE. SIXTH GRADE, AND
FOURTH GRADE. AND MIDDLE
SCHOOLS. WE ALL KNOW IS A VERY
CHALLENGING TIME WHERE
BOUNDARIES ARE BEING LEARNED,
THIS THIS STORY, IS OBVIOUSLY OF
A SWASTIKA DRAWN. WHAT? YOU
CANNOT SEE WHAT IS XED OUT WAS
MY DAUGHTER'S, HANDLE, WHICH WAS
TAGGED IN THIS STORY. SO THE
BULLYING ISN'T JUST DIRECTLY TO
HER, IT'S TO A WIDER NET AS WELL
. WE WENT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS OUTRAGED AND
WAS LIMITED IN WHAT THEY COULD
DO, BECAUSE THIS DID NOT RISE TO
THE LEVEL OF A HATE CRIME. WE
WENT TO THE SCHOOL, TO THE
PRINCIPAL, TEACHERS,
ADMINISTRATORS, BOARD MEMBERS,
SUPERINTENDENT, ALL OF WHOM WERE
OUTRAGED, AND IN THEIR DISTRICT,
THROUGH THEIR LEGAL
INTERPRETATION OF HOW THE LAW IS
WRITTEN RIGHT NOW, THEY WERE
ONLY ABLE TO USE RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE. NOW, IN OUR FAMILY, WE
ARE FIRM BELIEVERS IN
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND BELIEVE
THAT IT IT SHOULD BE THE WAY
THAT WE RESOLVE ALL CONFLICTS IN
A SCHOOL YARD CAPACITY AT EVERY
OPPORTUNITY. THE PROBLEM IS WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN THAT DOES NOT SOLVE
THE PROBLEM, WHEN IT IS
EXHAUSTIVE AND IT HASN'T CURED
IT? AND WHAT WE SEE AND WHAT WE
HAD TO CONSIDER AS A FAMILY IS
LEAVING THE SCHOOL. AND SO THE
VICTIMS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE
ACTUALLY PUNISHED IN THIS
SITUATION. STATED IN MY OPENING,
THERE IS A LACK OF CLARITY UNDER
EXISTING LAW REGARDING A
SUPERINTENDENT OR PRINCIPAL'S
AUTHORITY TO SUSPEND OR EXPEL
PEOPLE FOR ACTS SUCH AS BULLYING
OR HARASSMENT THAT MAY OCCUR OFF
CAMPUS AND AFTER REGULAR SCHOOL
HOURS, BUT WHICH CREATES A
HOSTILE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.
THIS LACK OF CLARITY IS LEADING
TO AN UNEQUAL APPLICATION OF THE
LAW AMONGST OUR DISTRICTS. SOME
SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS ARE
FEELING AS THOUGH THEIR HANDS
ARE TIED WHEN IT COMES TO
ADDRESSING BULLYING, AND
HARASSMENT THAT OCCURS OUTSIDE
OF SCHOOL HOURS AND OFF CAMPUS.
DESPITE WITNESSING THE EFFECTS,
THESE HARMFUL ACTIVITIES
BLEEDING INTO THE CLASSROOM AND
IMPACTING CAMPUS CLIMATE,
STUDENTS WERE ENGAGED IN
HARASSMENT. INTIMIDATION OF
THEIR FELLOW PUPILS MUST BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS,
REGARDLESS WHETHER THE ACT TAKES
PLACE ON CAMPUS OR DURING A
REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS, AND IT IS
ESSENTIAL THAT SUPERINTENDENTS
AND PRINCIPALS ARE EMPOWERED
WITH THE APPROPRIATE TOOLS TO
ADDRESS THESE ISSUES WHEN THEY
DO ARISE AND HAVE A FULL
UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR
JURISDICTION OVER ACTIVITIES
THAT HAVE AN IMPACT ON PUPILS IN
THEIR SCHOOLS. GOING BACK TO
THIS, PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS
TIME STAMPED AND YOU SEE THAT
IT'S TAKING PLACE AT 6 P.M,
ROUGHLY 6 P.M. IF THIS HAD
HAPPENED A FEW HOURS EARLY, THEY
WOULD HAVE THAT JURISDICTION
AUTHORITY ACCORDING TO THE LAW
SIMPLY BECAUSE IT HAPPENS AN
HOUR OR TWO LATER. THEY DO NOT.
SCHOOL IS OUR CHILDREN'S
WORKPLACE. IT SHOULD BE A SAFE
PLACE WHERE THEY CAN GO AND
LEARN THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO BE
PRODUCTIVE ADULTS. IN OUR OWN
WORKPLACES. WE CAN EXPECT AN
ENVIRONMENT FREE OF BULLYING,
INTIMIDATION, HARASSMENT AND
OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT CREATE A
HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT. AND IF
SOMEONE ENGAGES IN THESE
BEHAVIORS IN OFF HOURS AND
OUTSIDE OF WORK, WE CAN EXPECT
THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES FOR
THOSE ACTIONS. ADDITIONALLY WE
CAN EXPECT THAT IF WE GO OUT
WITH OUR COWORKERS AFTER HOURS
OR A TAGGED IN SOCIAL MEDIA
POSTS, THAT WILL NOT BE. WE WILL
NOT BE SUBJECTED TO BULLYING,
INTIMIDATION, HARASSMENT OR
THREATS BY OUR COWORKERS IN
THOSE EXCHANGES. IF WE ARE THE
INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE FOR
THOSE BEHAVIORS AND ACTIVITIES,
WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR
THEIR ACTIONS. OUR CHILDREN
SHOULD ENJOY THE SAME
PROTECTIONS AND ASSURANCES AT
THEIR OWN WORKPLACES FOR
BEHAVIOR THAT TAKES PLACE DURING
AND AFTER REGULAR HOURS. IF IT
IS GOING TO CREATE A HOSTILE
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM,
REGARDLESS OF THE BEHAVIOR
ACTIVITY TOOK PLACE ON OR OFF
CAMPUS. I WANT TO BE CLEAR. I
BELIEVE THAT SUSPENSION OR
EXPULSION SHOULD ALWAYS BE USED
AS MEASURES OF THE VERY, VERY
LAST RESORT. AFTER ALL, OTHER
INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN
EXHAUSTED AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY
SUPPORT. I'M AN ADVOCATE FOR
INTERVENTIONS THAT ARE LESS
PUNITIVE AND DISRUPTIVE TO
STUDENT ACADEMIC, AND PERSONAL
LIFE. MOREOVER I'M CONFIDENT
THAT STUDENT BEHAVIOR WILL
CHANGE, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT
WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT
BULLYING BEHAVIOR AND CREATING A
TOXIC LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IS
INTOLERABLE IN MY FAMILY'S CASE,
ONCE THOSE CHILDREN UNDERSTOOD
THAT NOTHING COULD HAPPEN TO
THEM, THEY CONTINUED. THEY
CONTINUED. I WELCOME
OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH
STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING THOSE IN
OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL, AND I
MEAN THAT ON ADDITIONAL
SOLUTIONS THAT EXPAND OTHER
INTERVENTIONS AND IMPLEMENT
EXISTING REMEDIES MORE
EFFECTIVELY. EXISTING LAW
RECOGNIZES THAT A SUSPENSION AND
EXPULSION SHOULD BE USED AS A
LAST RESORT. RESORT AND THAT
INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE SHOULD BE
THE FIRST STEPS TO ADDRESSING
BULLYING, HARASSMENT AND
INTIMIDATION. THÀNH AGAIN, I
SUPPORT THAT FULLY.
ADDITIONALLY, I SUPPORT EFFORTS
TO REDUCE SUSPENSIONS AND
EXPULSIONS AND HAVE VOTED FOR
LEGISLATION SUCH AS ASSEMBLY
MEMBER MCCARTHY'S AB 1165 FROM
LAST YEAR, WHICH UPHOLDS AND
PROMOTES THESE INTERVENTIONS,
AND AB 2351 DOES NOT SHIFT THIS
APPROACH. THIS BILL IS NOT
DESIGNED TO INCREASE SUSPENSIONS
OR OR EXPULSIONS. RATHER, IT'S
INTENDED JUST TO CLARIFY THE
EXISTING LAW AND ENSURE THAT
SUPERINTENDENTS AND PRINCIPALS
HAVE CLEAR CUT AUTHORITY AND
STATUTE TO TAKE THE ACTION THEY
DEEM APPROPRIATE FOR BEHAVIOR
AND ACTIONS THAT CREATE A
HOSTILE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
ON CAMPUS, SO THAT OUR CHILDREN
HAVE A SAFE AND PRODUCTIVE
ENVIRONMENT TO LEARN. MR. CHAIR,
I'M VERY PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY
OUR NEDRA JORDAN, VICE PRESIDENT
OF LEGISLATION FOR LONG BEACH
PTA, AND KOBE PISATI, VICE
PRESIDENT OF WASHINGTON UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF
EDUCATION. MR. PISATI IS
TESTIFYING ON HIS OWN BEHALF,
AND HIS REMARKS DO NOT REFLECT
THE POSITION OF THE BOARD. ALL
RIGHT. HELLO, AND THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME, SINCE WE ARE
INCREASINGLY SEEING THAT
ACTIVITIES AND BEHAVIORS OFF
CAMPUS, ESPECIALLY ONLINE, HAVE
A DIRECT AND PROFOUND IMPACT ON
OUR STUDENTS, THEIR ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE AND EMOTIONAL
WELL-BEING. WE ARE HERE TODAY TO
ASK YOU TO SUPPORT THIS BILL.
I'M GOING TO SHARE A STORY WITH
YOU. MY SON. HE IS 11 YEARS OLD.
HIS NAME IS MASON. MASON WAS
BEING BULLIED ONLINE AFTER
SCHOOL. MASON LOVES SCHOOL.
MASON DECIDED THAT HE DIDN'T
WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL ANYMORE.
AND SO WHEN I ASKED HIM WHY
DIDN'T HE WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL?
BECAUSE HE GETS UP AND GOES
BECAUSE HE'S THE ONLY CHILD IN
THE HOME, HE TOLD ME. HE SAID,
WELL, I JUST DON'T FEEL GOOD.
AND I SAID, LET'S GO BACK. WHY
DON'T YOU WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL?
AND IT WAS BECAUSE HE WAS BEING
BULLIED ONLINE AFTER SCHOOL. SO
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME, EVEN
THOUGH I WILL SAY THAT AT THE
SCHOOL THEY DID INTERVENE. WE
DID GET, THE KIDS STOPPED
BULLYING MASON. WE TALKED WITH
THE PARENTS, WHAT IF A CHILD
DOESN'T HAVE A PARENT TO
ADVOCATE FOR THEM? OR WHAT IF
WE, THE PARENTS JUST DON'T
INTERVENE? WELL, I WAS LUCKY
ENOUGH THAT THE PARENTS WERE
LIKE, OH, THANK YOU FOR LETTING
US KNOW WE WOULD LIKE TO
INTERVENE. SO THERE HAS TO BE
SOMETHING THAT THE PRINCIPAL OR
THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION CAN DO
BECAUSE, THE PRINCIPAL TOLD ME,
HE SAID, THERE'S NOTHING I CAN
DO ABOUT AFTER SCHOOL. WHY DON'T
YOU JUST HAVE THEM BLOCK HIM,
BLOCK THEM? AND SO WE DID THAT,
OF COURSE. BUT THEN THEY MADE
ANOTHER, ACCOUNT AND CAME IN AND
STILL BULLIED HIM. SO, IT WAS
FOR US. IF IT HADN'T BEEN
RESOLVED AT THE SCHOOL, THE
PROBLEM WOULD HAVE BEEN THEN
THAT WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO GO TO
THE DISTRICT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO
SAY THAT AB 2351 DOES NOT IMPOSE
NEW MANDATES ON SCHOOL
DISTRICTS. I WANTED TO MAKE THAT
CLEAR. INSTEAD AUTHORIZES THEM
TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION WHEN
STUDENTS ARE OFF CAMPUS
ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING ONLINE
CONDUCT, NEGATIVELY IMPACTS THE
SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS
KIND OF IMPORTANT FOR ESPECIALLY
FOR MASON, BECAUSE HAD WE NOT
INTERVENED WITH THE PARENTS, HAD
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE, THE
PRINCIPAL WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO DO ANYTHING. SO THIS
BILL PROVIDES THE NECESSARY
FLEXIBILITY AND AUTHORITY FOR
DISTRICTS TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT
ARE INCREASING, ARE INCREASING.
PART OF OUR STUDENTS DAILY
LIVES. AND SO THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING TO ME. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND
MEMBERS. MY NAME IS KOBE PEZZATI
AND I'M A WASHINGTON UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT TRUSTEE AND A
FATHER OF A DAUGHTER WHO HAS
SUFFERED FROM BULLYING DUE TO
HER IEP, I'M HERE TODAY IN
SUPPORT OF AB 2335 AS A SCHOOL
BOARD TRUSTEE. I'M DEEPLY
COMMITTED TO FOSTERING SAFE AND
SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, AND I
FELT MOVED TODAY TO TESTIFY IN
SUPPORT OF THIS IMPORTANT BILL.
YOU KNOW, GONE ARE THE DAYS WHEN
BULLYING WAS CONFINED TO A
SCHOOLYARD, AND IT WAS LIMITED
TO PHYSICAL ALTERCATIONS OR
TAUNTS DURING RECESS, IN TODAY'S
INTERCONNECTED WORLD, THE REACH
OF BULLYING REALLY KNOWS NO
BOUNDS ANYMORE, THE ADVENT OF
SOCIAL MEDIA, TEXTING AND EMAILS
ALLOWS PERPETRATORS, TO INFLICT
HARM ON THEIR PEERS AROUND THE
CLOCK AND TRANSCENDS THE
CONFINES OF THE CAMPUS AND
REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS. THIS SHIFT
IS NOT ONLY INTENSIFIED THE
TRAUMA EXPERIENCED, AND, AND, BY
THE VICTIMS, IT'S ALSO CREATED
SUCH AN INCREDIBLE CHALLENGE FOR
EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS TO
TASKED WITH MAINTAINING A SAFE
AND CONDUCIVE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT, THIS SUMMER IN OUR
SCHOOL DISTRICT, THERE WERE TWO
GIRLS BEATING UP A THIRD, WITH
AN IEP. ALL THREE GIRLS ATTENDED
THE SAME SCHOOL AND WERE IN THE
SAME GRADE. UNFORTUNATELY ASD
COULD NOT DO ANYTHING REGARDING
THE SITUATION BECAUSE THE
INCIDENT HAPPENED, DURING
NON-SCHOOL HOURS, THIS CAUSED
THE FAMILY, THE VICTIM'S FAMILY
TO FEEL SO UNCOMFORTABLE WITH
RETURNING BACK TO THE SCHOOL
THAT THEY NOT ONLY LEFT THE
SCHOOL, THEY LEFT THE DISTRICT.
CRUCIALLY, THIS LEGISLATION DOES
NOT MANDATE PUNITIVE, DOES NOT
MANDATE PUNITIVE MEASURES SUCH
AS A SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION,
BUT RATHER PROVIDES EDUCATORS
WITH THE DISCRETION TO RESPOND
APPROPRIATELY TO EACH UNIQUE
SITUATION BY CLARIFYING THE
JURISDICTION OF THE SCHOOL
AUTHORITIES OVER OFF CAMPUS
CONDUCT THAT IMPACTS THE SCHOOL
COMMUNITY. AB 2351 EQUIPS OUR
SCHOOLS WITH THE NECESSARY TOOLS
TO COMBAT BULLYING AND CREATE A
CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND
RESPECT. THANK YOU. PUBLIC
COMMENTS. IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL
. ANY WITNESSES AND OPPOSITION
TO THE BILL? PLEASE COME FORWARD
. HELLO, CHAIR AND MEMBERS. HOLD
ON. MY NAME IS RACHEL BHAGWAT.
I'M A LEGISLATIVE ADVOCATE AT
THE ACLU CALIFORNIA ACTION.
ALONG WITH TENS OF OTHER
ADVOCATES ACROSS THE STATE, ACLU
DOES OPPOSE AB 2351. I WANT TO
START BY THANKING THE ASSEMBLY
MEMBER FOR SHARING HIS FAMILY'S
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND ALSO
THOSE OF THE PRIMARY SUPPORT
WITNESSES ON THIS BILL, OUR
OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL DOES NOT
SIGNIFY ANYTHING ABOUT OUR
POSITION ON CYBERBULLYING OR
HATE CRIMES OR ANY OF THE
SITUATIONS LISTED, IT'S SIMPLY A
SITUATION OF WHETHER THIS IS THE
RIGHT APPROACH TO ADDRESS THIS
ISSUE. THE ADVOCATES AND
OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL DISAGREE
WITH THE ASSERTION THAT THIS
WOULD NOT EXPAND EXCLUSIONARY
DISCIPLINE IN THE STATE.
UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE
WAY THE EDUCATION CODE IS
WRITTEN AND SUSPENSION AND
EXPULSION CODE, THERE ARE
PORTIONS OF THIS CODE, INCLUDING
THE ONE THAT IS POTENTIALLY
BEING EXPANDED HERE, THAT ARE
VERY VULNERABLE TO BEING
INTERPRETED AND RACIALLY BIASED
AND, YOU KNOW, AND DISPARATE
WAYS, WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW,
THE, THE COUNSEL DIGEST, FOR
EXAMPLE, TALKS ABOUT MATERIAL
MATERIAL. SORRY MATERIALLY
DISRUPTING SCHOOLWORK AND
CLASSWORK. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
TERMS LIKE DISRUPTIVE AND
DISRUPTIVE THÀNH DEFIANCE, THESE
ARE THE SAME KINDS OF SUSPENSION
AND EXPULSION CATEGORIES THAT
WE'VE ACTUALLY SOUGHT AS A
LEGISLATURE. AND THIS COMMITTEE
TO REDUCE AND BRING IN, BECAUSE
WE KNOW THAT DATA, YOU KNOW,
DATA SHOWS THAT PERCEPTIONS OF
WHICH BEHAVIOR IS DISRUPTIVE AND
THREATENING ARE FULL OF IMPLICIT
AND EXPLICIT BIAS. SO WE OFFER
SIMPLY THAT IF THERE ARE
DISTRICTS IN THE STATE THAT ARE
NOT INTERPRETING OUR EXISTING
LAWS APPROPRIATELY TO BE
ADDRESSING HEINOUS BEHAVIOR, YOU
KNOW, IN IN SCHOOLS, THEN THERE
ARE OTHER APPROACHES THAT CAN BE
TAKEN TO ADDRESS THAT. WE DID
MEET WITH THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER'S
OFFICE. A NUMBER OF ADVOCATES
DID AND WOULD BE GLAD IF YOUR
OFFICE IS OPEN TO IT, TO BE
WORKING TOWARDS OTHER WAYS TO
ADDRESS THIS SITUATION WITHOUT
EXPANDING THE EXCLUSIONARY
DISCIPLINE CODES OF THE STATE,
BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT EXISTING
FEDERAL AND STATE LAW ALREADY
ALLOWS SCHOOLS TO REGULATE
STUDENT SPEECH THAT VIOLATES
RIGHTS TO THE EXTENT PERMISSIBLE
UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. I DO
WANT TO HIGHLIGHT JUST I BELIEVE
THE COMMITTEE, BROUGHT FORTH
SOME AMENDMENTS TO ADDRESS SOME
OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT CONCERNS
IN THIS BILL. WE HAVE NOT HAD A
CHANCE TO REVIEW THOSE
AMENDMENTS, BUT I DID JUST WANT
TO SHARE THAT IN GENERAL, IT'S
HARD TO IMAGINE A WAY THIS BILL
WOULDN'T HAVE FIRST AMENDMENT
CONCERNS, ONLY IN THE SENSE THAT
WE KNOW THIS LEGISLATURE HAS
TAKEN SIGNIFICANT ACTION IN THE
LAST SEVERAL YEARS TO PROTECT
STUDENT RIGHT TO EXPRESSION. BUT
WE REGULARLY ACLU'S INTAKES ARE
FULL OF FAMILIES AND STUDENTS
REACHING OUT WITH SCHOOLS AND
DISTRICTS ALREADY VIOLATING
FIRST AMENDMENT ON DUE PROCESS
RIGHTS, WE BELIEVE SIMPLY
BECAUSE SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS
DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT SCHOOLS
ARE ALLOWED TO REGULATE. AND,
YOU KNOW, OUR SORT OF NOT WE
HAVE NOT SEEN THE STATE BE ABLE
TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE GUIDANCE.
AND SO WE WORRY THAT EXPANDING
WHAT KIND OF SPEECH CAN BE
REGULATED EXPLICITLY IN LAW
INVITES ADDITIONAL, VIOLATIONS
THEREOF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
ANY FURTHER WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL? PLEASE
COME FORWARD. GOOD AFTERNOON,
MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS GREGORY
KRAMER ON BEHALF OF DISABILITY
RIGHTS CALIFORNIA, IN OPPOSITION
TO THE BILL. WITH YOUR
INDULGENCE, I HAVE AUTHORIZED
OPPOSITION FROM THE FOLLOWING
GROUPS. THE ALLIANCE FOR BOYS
AND MEN OF COLOR, THE ALLIANCE
FOR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS, BLACK
PARALLEL SCHOOL BOARD CANCELED
THE CONTRACT. ANTELOPE VALLEY
CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP, EQUITY
AND RESEARCH, CHILDREN'S RIGHTS
CLINIC AT SOUTHWESTERN LAW
SCHOOL, COLEMAN AND ADVOCATES
FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH. THE
DOLORES HUERTA FOUNDATION, EAST
BAY COMMUNITY LAW CENTER,
EMPOWERING MARGINALIZED ASIAN
COMMUNITIES, EQUAL JUSTICE
SOCIETY, PACIFIC JUVENILE
DEFENDER CENTER, PUBLIC
ADVOCATES, PUBLIC COUNSEL, THE
COLLECTIVE FOR LIBERATORY
LAWYERING, AND THE YOUTH JUSTICE
EDUCATION CLINIC AT LOYOLA.
LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER, ANY
PUBLIC COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION TO
THE BILL, SEEING NONE BRING IT
BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. MISS
BONTA. I WANT TO FIRST START OUT
BY, THANKING AND RECOGNIZING AND
ACKNOWLEDGING THE INTENT OF THE
AUTHOR BY BRINGING FORWARD THIS
LEGISLATION AND BY WAY OF JUST,
SHARING THAT I COMPLETELY
UNDERSTAND. AND THE INTENT,
SHARE WITH YOU THAT I ALSO HAD
MY SEVENTH GRADE DAUGHTER
COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED BECAUSE
SHE WAS CYBER BULLIED OVER THE
COURSE OF TIME AND FOUND MYSELF,
OUR FAMILY IN A SITUATION WHERE
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ESSENTIALLY
SAID BECAUSE IT WAS ONLINE AND
HAPPENED OUTSIDE OF THE PURVIEW
OF SCHOOL, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO
DO ANYTHING, AND, AND SO THE
EXACT, KIND OF FACT PATTERN THAT
YOU ARE OFFERING WITH YOUR, VERY
POIGNANT STORIES OF WHAT
HAPPENED TO YOUR CHILDREN
HAPPENED TO MINE AS WELL. SO I
FULLY UNDERSTAND THE INTENTION
OF THIS LEGISLATION, THE
CHALLENGE THAT I HAVE IS THE,
THE, THE REALITY OF PRACTICE IN
OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHEN IT
COMES TO GETTING INVOLVED IN, IN
SITUATIONS, BEYOND THEIR KIND OF
KNOWN SCOPE. SO I ALSO HAVE,
WORKED WITH MY OWN CHILDREN AND
WITH OTHER CHILDREN WHERE THEY
HAVE BEEN ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE
OF THIS SITUATION AND HAVE
ENGAGED IN ACTIVITY OFF CAMPUS.
THAT KIND OF ESSENTIALLY GOT
PULLED INTO THE PURVIEW OF THE
SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHERE RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE WAS NOT AN OPTION
BECAUSE IT IS NOT, REQUIRED
MEASURE OF, OF STUDENT
ENGAGEMENT AROUND ANY KIND OF,
NEGATIVE ACTION ON A SCHOOL
COMMUNITY. IT'S NOT WIDELY
AVAILABLE THERE ARE NOT PROGRAMS
IN REQUIRED BY EVERY SINGLE
SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ENGAGE IN, IN
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, WHERE THE
ONLY OPTIONS THAT SCHOOL
DISTRICTS HAVE ARE SUSPENSION
AND EXPULSION. AND THOSE KIDS
WHO FIND THEMSELVES AS THIS
LEGISLATION IS CURRENTLY
WRITTEN, WHO ARE OUTSIDE OF THE
SCHOOL PURVIEW. AND I JUST WANT
TO SAY THAT EACH OF YOU SHARED A
SPECIFIC EXAMPLE AROUND BULLYING
, RIGHT? THE SCOPE OF THIS
LEGISLATION, HOWEVER, REACHES
INTO STUDENT ACTIVITY THAT
INCLUDES CAUSING OR ATTEMPTING
TO CAUSE DAMAGE TO PRIVATE
PROPERTY, STEALING OR ATTEMPTING
TO STEAL PRIVATE PROPERTY,
POSSESSING OR USING TOBACCO
PRODUCTS CONTAINING TOBACCO OR
NICOTINE PRODUCTS, COMMITTING OR
ENGAGING IN HABITUAL PROFANITY
OR VULGARITY, UNLAWFULLY
POSSESSING DRUG PARAPHERNALIA,
DISRUPTING THROUGH WILLFUL BY
WILLFUL DEFIANCE. THE AUTHORITY
OF SUPERVISORS KNOWINGLY
RECEIVING STOLEN SCHOOL
PROPERTY. THESE ARE ALL THINGS
THAT ARE HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF
THE PURVIEW OF THE SCHOOL
CAMPUS. THE BEHAVIORS THAT
CHILDREN ARE ENGAGING IN THAT
ARE CERTAINLY CHALLENGING, BUT
BECAUSE OF THE, THE WAY THAT
THIS LEGISLATION IS WRITTEN,
DON'T MANDATE BUT CERTAINLY
AUTHORIZE TIES THE SCHOOL
AUTHORITIES TO SUSPEND OR EXPEL.
AND THAT, FOR ME IS THE
QUINTESSENTIAL DEFINITION OF
CONTRIBUTING TO THE SCHOOL TO
PRISON PIPELINE, BECAUSE WHAT
HAPPENS IS THAT KIDS WHO ARE
ENGAGED IN THESE PRACTICES, KIDS
WHO THEN GET CAUGHT UP IN A
SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T HAVE
THE ACTUAL WHEREWITHAL TO ENGAGE
IN RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AND
DOES CHOOSE TO SUSPEND OR EXPEL
BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOW THE
AUTHORITY, EVEN THOUGH THEY
AREN'T MANDATED TO DO SO, WILL
FIND THEMSELVES NOT RECEIVING AN
EDUCATION, EXPELLED FROM THEIR
SCHOOL COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE'VE
GIVEN THEM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AS
A POINT OF POLICY, THE ABILITY
TO REACH INTO THE LIVES OF
CHILDREN OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL
CAMPUS. AND THAT IS DEEPLY
PROBLEMATIC FOR ME. SO WHILE I
FERVENTLY, KIND OF FUNDAMENTALLY
LIKE AT A VISCERAL LEVEL,
UNDERSTANDS THE INTENTION OF
THIS LEGISLATION IN TERMS OF
TRYING TO ENSURE THAT OUR
CHILDREN ARE NOT HARMED BY THE
ACTIONS THAT HAPPEN NOW WITH THE
INTERNETS AND ALL THE THINGS THE
COUNTERBALANCING IMPACT OF WHAT
WILL HAPPEN TO CHILDREN BY
OFFERING SUCH A BROAD BRUSH, SET
OF ACTIVITIES THAT WILL IMPACT
CHILDREN IS EVEN MORE TROUBLING
TO ME. SO, YOU KNOW, TO THE
AUTHOR, IF YOU CAN KIND OF WORK
THROUGH THAT, IT'S DEEPLY,
CONCERNING TO ME THAT EVERY,
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND CRIMINAL
JUSTICE REFORM, GROUP, INCLUDING
THE ACLU ACTION SITTING HERE, IS
ALSO OPPOSED TO THIS BILL. SO I
JUST, I JUST I NEEDED TO JUST
HOPEFULLY GET YOUR REACTION
ABOUT THAT. BUT I, I'M DEEPLY
TROUBLED BY THIS LEGISLATION,
ALTHOUGH I FUNDAMENTALLY BELIEVE
THE INTENT. AND I CAN'T IMAGINE
A SCENARIO WHERE I'M ON A
DIFFERENT SIDE OF THE BILL FROM
MIA BONTA AND THE ACLU. IT'S A
SURREAL MOMENT FOR ME BECAUSE
I'M SO ALIGNED AND SO RESPECTFUL
OF THE WORK THAT YOUR
ORGANIZATION HAS DONE. IT'S A
VOICE THAT, THAT WE I DON'T KNOW
WHERE WE WOULD BE WITHOUT YOU,
AND I THINK THAT THE COMMENTS,
ASSEMBLY MEMBER THAT YOU PUT,
PUT FORWARD ARE, ARE THOUGHTFUL.
THE WAY THAT WE APPROACHED THIS
BILL WAS SIMPLY TO EXPAND THE
HOURS OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT
WERE, REASONS GRANTED. BUT I
THINK THAT YOU MAKE SOME VERY
IMPORTANT POINTS AND SO I THINK
AN APPROACH TO BIFURCATE
BULLYING AND SPECIFICALLY
DIGITAL BULLYING AND BULLYING
ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THAT ARE
PUTTING THE VICTIMS IN A
SITUATION WHERE THEY'RE NOT
PROTECTED AT ALL. AND, AND ALL
OF US. I THINK WHAT I, I HOPE
ALL OF US CAN ACKNOWLEDGE IS
THAT THERE IS A GAP RIGHT NOW
WHERE THERE IS NO BODY THAT CAN
OVERSEE ANY TYPE OF SIGNIFICANT
JUSTICE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS,
THAT IT DOESN'T RISE TO THE
LEVEL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IS
EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC. AND, YOU
KNOW, SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE
HAVE THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR
YOUTH, THE LEVELS OF ISSUES
AROUND MENTAL HEALTH AND WHAT
THEY'RE FACING RIGHT NOW ARE OFF
THE CHARTS. SO WHO IS OUR
VILLAGE TO ADDRESS THIS? WHO IS
IT? IDEALLY, IT'S PARENTS, BUT
WE CAN'T RELY ON THAT IN EVERY
SITUATION. IDEALLY IT'S THE
SCHOOLS AND THE ADMINISTRATORS
IN THE SCHOOLS, WITHIN REASON
AND WITHIN SCOPE OF WHAT SHOULD
BE ALLOWED SO THAT WE DON'T
CONTINUE A PIPELINE TO PRISON.
TO YOUR VERY, VERY IMPORTANT
POINT. AND ANYBODY WHO'S IN IN
THE EDUCATION COMMUNITY
UNDERSTANDS IN THIS SITUATION
THAT EVERY SITUATION IS UNIQUE,
EVERY ONE THE WHAT THE BULLYING
ACTUALLY IS, WHAT IS HAPPENING
WITH THIS, WITH THE
PERPETRATORS, WHAT IS GOING ON
WITH THE VICTIMS, WHAT IS GOING
ON WITH THE FAMILIES? IS IT
SENSITIVE TO THE COMMUNITY? THIS
IS EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO MY
COMMUNITY. AS A MATTER OF FACT,
THIS BILL IS A JEWISH CAUCUS
PRIORITY BILL, AND WHAT'S
HAPPENING? SO I WHAT MY
COMMITMENT TO YOU IS, IS TO
CONTINUE TO WORK FORWARD ON THIS
BILL, WITH ALL OF THE ISSUES
THAT YOU, YOU RAISED RIGHT NOW,
WHICH ARE VERY IMPORTANT ONES,
AND TO BE ABLE TO BIFURCATE
THOSE THINGS. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU, VICE CHAIR FLORA. THANK YOU
, MR. CHAIR. I JUST THANK MY
COLLEAGUE FOR BRINGING THIS
FORWARD. AND I WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THERE MAY
POTENTIALLY BE SOME CONCERNS
WITH CERTAIN COMMUNITIES. AND I
RESPECT THAT, ON A PERSONAL
NOTE, WE'VE DEALT WITH THIS, AND
IT'S PRETTY DEVASTATING WHEN YOU
SEE A KID BEING BULLIED AND THEN
YOUR KID HAS TO GO TO SCHOOL
WITH THE INDIVIDUAL, THAT'S
BOLLINGER, AND THERE'S NO
CONSEQUENCES, RIGHT? AND SO I
AGREE WITH YOU. PREFERABLY THIS
IS DONE AT HOME WITH PARENTS OR
MENTORS. RIGHT. BUT SOMETIMES
THAT'S NOT AN OPTION. BUT AT
SOME POINT WE HAVE TO LOOK OUT
FOR OUR KIDS TOO. AND I'M TWO
WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT. AND I
AND I KNOW I JUST I'LL JUST SAY
THIS. I JUST TRUST YOU ENOUGH TO
SORT OUT THE ISSUES WITH SOME OF
THE OPPOSITION, BECAUSE YOUR
HEART'S IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AND
I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THIS BILL.
MR. HOOVER, YEAH. I JUST WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS
FORWARD, YOU KNOW, AND I MY
HEART BREAKS FOR YOUR DAUGHTER.
I THINK, I APPRECIATE YOU
SHARING THAT STORY IN MY
COMMUNITY, WE HAVE LOST STUDENTS
WHO HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE,
RIGHT? AS A RESULT OF BULLYING,
PARTICULARLY CYBER BULLYING. AND
THE WAY THAT I VIEW THIS
LEGISLATION IS, YOU KNOW, NOT SO
MUCH THAT YOU'RE EXPANDING ON
ANYTHING, BUT YOU ARE SIMPLY
MODIFYING THE LAW THAT EXISTS
NOW TO TODAY'S NEW WORLD THAT WE
FACE WITH, YOU KNOW, THE
UBIQUITY OF SMARTPHONES AND
SOCIAL MEDIA. AND SO, SO, YOU
KNOW, I ACTUALLY I DO UNDERSTAND
WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THIS,
AND I, I THINK IT IS HONESTLY
RELATIVELY PRETTY TARGETED AT A
SPECIFIC ISSUE. AND SO, I'LL BE
SUPPORTING THE BILL TODAY. THANK
YOU. MR. ALVAREZ. I'M SORRY. DID
YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO MR.
HOOPER? I JUST AS AS A RESPONSE.
IT IS NOT TARGETED AT ALL. IF
YOU LOOK AT THE LEGISLATION,
THERE ARE MANY THINGS BEYOND
CYBERBULLYING THAT ARE CAPTURED
AS BEHAVIORS THAT ARE ARE WITHIN
THE SCOPE, ESSENTIALLY, FOR THE,
FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS TO BE
ABLE TO RESPOND TO. SO WITH ALL
DUE RESPECT, THIS IS NOT A
TARGETED BILL, WHICH IS PROBABLY
LARGELY WHY IT IS DEEPLY
PROBLEMATIC FOR ME. THANK YOU.
WHOEVER WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW?
I JUST I GUESS I SHOULD CLARIFY,
I GUESS, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S
EXPANDING, OR IT'S, IT'S
REFOCUSING WHAT ALREADY EXISTS,
YOU KNOW, ON, YOU KNOW, AN
EXTENDED NUMBER OF HOURS. I
GUESS THAT'S WHAT I MEANT, SO I
APOLOGIZE. THANK YOU FOR THE
RESPONSE. THANK YOU, MR.
ALVAREZ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
FOR, FIRST OF ALL, SHARING THE
PERSONAL STORIES, PARENT OF AN
EIGHTH GRADER MYSELF. AND SO
PLENTY OF STORIES, THAT HAPPENED
ON A DAILY BASIS. I THINK I
SHOULD START OFF BY SAYING I
ACTUALLY AM, NOT ENTIRELY SURE
HOW I FEEL ABOUT, THE
LEGISLATION BEFORE US, I THINK
THERE ARE EXCELLENT POINTS MADE
AS TO WHY IT SHOULD HAPPEN, BUT
I ALSO AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE
TRUE IMPLEMENTATION, YOU KNOW,
EVERY SCHOOL IS JUST VERY
DIFFERENT, AND EVERY SCHOOL HAS
VERY VARIOUS, AMOUNTS OF
RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN DEDICATE
, YOU KNOW, THE RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE MOVEMENT, IF PEOPLE ARE
BEING REALLY HONEST, HASN'T
REALLY WORKED BECAUSE IT HAS NOT
BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN A WAY THAT
IT SHOULD BE. AND SO TO BELIEVE
THAT WE CAN JUST RELY ON THAT TO
ADDRESS SOME OF THESE CONCERNS
IS REALLY NOT BEING HONEST ABOUT
OUR CURRENT SITUATION OF, OF, OF
BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUES THAT ARE BEING DEALT WITH
AT OUR SCHOOLS, SCHOOLS ARE
LOSING. WE'RE HEARING ABOUT ALL
THIS IN OUR BUDGET COMMITTEE,
RESOURCES TO HIRE MENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS, THOSE RESOURCES
ARE NOT GOING TO EXIST PROBABLY
NEXT YEAR, SO I'M I'M GENUINELY
VERY CONFLICTED ABOUT, ABOUT
THIS BILL. I ALSO AM NOT SURE
THAT SCHOOLS ARE THE RIGHT
ENTITY TO I WANT TO BE CAREFUL
NOT TO TRY TO STIGMATIZE OR
LABEL THIS, BUT TO ESSENTIALLY
POLICE THE BEHAVIOR OUT OF
SCHOOL HOURS. I I HAVE A I DON'T
I DON'T KNOW THAT SCHOOLS WANT
THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND THEN YOU
KNOW WHICH ONES WILL TAKE ON
THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND WHICH
ONES WON'T. AND YOU KNOW, WITH
THE SCHOOLS THAT MY KIDS GO TO,
WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, LOW INCOME
TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, IF
I WOULD WANT THEM TO ADDRESS
THIS BEHAVIOR. BUT TO BELIEVE
THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE
CAPACITY TO DO SO, I DON'T THINK
THEY DO. AND SO IT'S REALLY, I
MAY BE SPEAKING VERY MUCH RIGHT
NOW FROM FROM THE HEART. I'M NOT
ENTIRELY SURE THAT WE GET TO A
PLACE WHERE I KNOW YOU WANT TO
GET TO WITH YOUR LEGISLATION,
WHICH IS A GOOD PLACE FOR KIDS.
I KNOW THAT'S THE INTENT, FOR
SURE. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO
OFFER YOU TO FEEL THAT I CAN
HELP BUILD ON THIS IMPORTANT
CONVERSATION THAT YOU'VE
STARTED, TO HELP US GET THERE.
I'M KIND OF FEELING LIKE A
PARENT WHO DOESN'T REALLY LIKE
WHAT I DO IS WHAT, YOU KNOW,
WHAT WE CAN DO. WE ALL DO AS
PARENTS, WHAT WE CAN DO. AND IN
MY CASE, IT'S WE DON'T HAVE
DEVICES FOR OUR KIDS, BUT NOT
EVERYBODY CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE
THAT SITUATION BECAUSE PEOPLE
NEED TO BE COMMUNICATING WITH
THEIR KIDS OFTEN. AND SO, I'M
CONFLICTED. I DON'T KNOW, CHAU.
I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS
THE RIGHT APPROACH TO ACCOMPLISH
WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO
ACCOMPLISH. AND I'M CERTAINLY
APPRECIATIVE OF THE CONVERSATION
IN THE DIALOG THAT'S BEEN HAD TO
TRY AND GET ME TO UNDERSTAND,
WHY PERHAPS THIS IS THIS IS THE
RIGHT APPROACH, BUT I'M
DEFINITELY NOT THERE AT THE
MOMENT. OKAY. YES, I RESPOND,
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
CANDOR. ASSEMBLY MEMBER, I WANT
TO, RESTATE THAT THIS BILL DOES
NOT OBLIGATE ANY DISTRICT TO DO
ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN THEY'RE
DOING RIGHT NOW. IT IS SIMPLY AN
OPPORTUNITY. IF A DISTRICT HAS A
UNIQUE SITUATION THAT IS TRULY
IMPACTING WHAT'S GOING ON WITH A
STUDENT AND WRITTEN AS SUCH
RIGHT NOW, THAT IT'S JUST A
CONTINUATION OF SOMETHING, IF IT
WERE HAPPENING DURING SCHOOL
HOURS, IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT
THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT
THEY ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO
IT IF IT WERE HAPPENING
AFTERWARDS. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY
ZERO OBLIGATION ASSOCIATED WITH
THIS. AND FINALLY, I WOULD ASK
IF YOU ARE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE
BILL TODAY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO
WORK ON IT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK
THERE'S ANYBODY WHO'S POINTED
OUT HERE. I DON'T THINK THERE'S
ANYBODY HERE WHO HASN'T POINTED
OUT THAT THEIR OWN FAMILY
DOESN'T HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM
WITH THIS. PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN
LIVES HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM
THAT'S HAD SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS.
SO IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN
CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND
WORK ON THE BILL, WE SHOULD.
BEFORE I TURN TO MISS ADDIS, I,
I JUST WANTED, FOR THE SAKE OF
OUR DISCUSSION, MAKE SURE THAT
COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE AWARE THAT
UNDER THE CURRENT EDUCATION CODE
, AS INDICATED ON PAGE FOUR OF
THE ANALYSIS, THE CURRENT CODE
REQUIRES THAT BEFORE A
SUSPENSION CAN BE IMPOSED, A
SUSPENSION CAN BE IMPOSED ONLY
WHEN OTHER MEANS OF CORRECTION
FAIL TO BRING ABOUT PROPER
CONDUCT. AND MAY THE OTHER MEANS
MAY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED
TO, AND THEN THERE'S A LIST OF
ABOUT TEN, INCLUDING RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE. IT DOES NOT REQUIRE
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, BUT IT IS
ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT MAY BE
USED, BUT BUT THE CURRENT CODE
IS CLEAR THAT OTHER MEANS OF
CORRECTION, THAT A SUSPENSION
MAY ONLY BE IMPOSED WHEN OTHER
MEANS OF CORRECTION FAIL TO
BRING ABOUT THE PROPER CONDUCT.
MISS ADDIS AND MISS BAHTA. WELL,
THIS IS THIS IS SUPER TOUGH. I
CAN FEEL MY HEART, BEATING VERY
FAST BECAUSE IT'S AN INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT SUBJECT AND A TOUGH
SUBJECT. I WANT TO START FROM
THE CORE THAT OUR SCHOOLS EXIST
TO PROVIDE EDUCATION, BUT IN
ORDER TO DO THAT, WE HAVE TO
HAVE SAFE AND AFFIRMING
ENVIRONMENTS. CGRTS FOR EVERY
STUDENT, NOT JUST STUDENTS WHO
MAYBE HAVE HARASSED OTHERS ABOUT
STUDENTS WHO HAVE SURVIVED THAT
HARASSMENT AND I WANT TO TAKE
THIS BEYOND CYBER BULLYING AND
THIS IS THE PART THAT GETS MY
HEART BEATING QUICKLY. WE HAVE A
STUDENT IN OUR DISTRICT RIGHT
NOW WHO WAS FILMED, CONSENSUALLY
IN A SEX ACT AND THEN,
CONSENSUALLY, THAT FILM WAS
SPREAD AROUND AND THEN WAS USED
TO BULLY THAT STUDENT ON THE
SCHOOL BUS IN THE SCHOOL CAMPUS
TO THE POINT WHERE THAT STUDENT
STOPPED GOING TO SCHOOL HAPPENED
OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL HOURS, HANDS
WERE TIED, QUOTE UNQUOTE. AND I
WOULD SAY WE'VE FAILED TO
PROVIDE A SAFE AND AFFIRMING
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR THAT
STUDENT, I WILL ALSO SAY MY OWN
CHILD WAS PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED
BY SOMEBODY WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY
PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED ANOTHER
CHILD, NOT DURING SCHOOL HOURS
OFF CAMPUS. NOTHING WAS DONE.
WHEN MY CHILD WENT BACK, THEY
WERE VICTIM BLAMED. THEY LOST
THEIR FRIEND GROUP. THEY FACED
IMMENSE HARDSHIP AND DID FINISH
THE SCHOOL YEAR. BUT AGAIN, I
WOULD SAY WE FAILED TO OFFER A
SAFE AND AFFIRMING ENVIRONMENT
FOR THAT CHILD, AND I WOULD
OFFER THAT FOR THE PERPETRATOR
OF THAT VIOLENCE. IT WASN'T A
GOOD ENVIRONMENT EITHER. THEIR
BEHAVIOR WAS CONDONED AND THEY
WENT ON TO HAVE OTHER
DIFFICULTIES IN THEIR EDUCATION.
SO IN NOT ANSWERING THIS AND NOT
RISING TO THE CALL TO ANSWER
THIS BEHAVIOR, I THINK WE'RE
CAUSING ISSUES FOR ALL KIDDOS.
I'M VERY SENSITIVE AND I WANT TO
ABSOLUTELY RESPECT WHAT ASSEMBLY
MEMBER BONTA BROUGHT UP. THERE
ARE SOME THINGS IN HERE THAT I
WOULD AGREE, PROBABLY GO PAST
THE INTENTION OF WHAT WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT. AND I DO WANT TO
APPRECIATE YOU FOR LOOKING AT
THAT VERY SPECIFICALLY. AND THEN
I WANT TO COMMENT ALSO, BEING A
MEMBER OF THE JEWISH CAUCUS, YOU
MENTIONED THIS AS A JEWISH
CAUCUS PRIORITY BILL. THE REASON
THIS RISES TO THE LEVEL OF A
JEWISH CAUCUS PRIORITY BILL IS
THE RISE IN ANTI-SEMITISM AND
THE RISE IN ISLAMOPHOBIA THAT
WE'RE SEEING ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES.
SO, WHILE SOME PEOPLE WILL LOOK
AT THE SWASTIKA AND SAY, OH,
THAT'S JUST KIDS BEING KIDS,
THEY NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
THE HOLOCAUST. JUST, YOU KNOW,
WHATEVER. THAT'S NOT THE TRUTH
RIGHT NOW. THE TRUTH IS THERE'S
AN ABSOLUTE RISE IN HATE CRIMES
ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES, AND, AND
IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY, I
BELIEVE, TO PUT A STOP TO THAT.
I THINK THIS BILL PUTS US WELL
ON THE PATH TO TAKING ACTION
THAT IS NEW, THAT IS DIFFERENT.
I KNOW IT'S ONLY, DOING A MINOR
CHANGE OF CHANGING THE HOURS,
BUT I DO THINK IT CAN GO A LONG
WAY TO CREATING THOSE SAFE,
AFFIRMING ENVIRONMENTS. WITH
THAT, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THE BILL.
THANK YOU, MISS BONTA, I JUST.
MOTION'S MADE AND SECONDED IN
RESPONSE. SO TO ASSEMBLY MEMBER
ALVAREZ IN PARTICULAR, LIKE ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS
FOCUS IN ON IS WHAT IS GOING TO
BE THE ACTUAL K¾T OF THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF A BILL, OF ANY
LEGISLATION THAT WE PASS. AND I
DON'T THINK THAT PROVIDING AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL
SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION IS DOING
ANYTHING NEW. IT'S ACTUALLY JUST
DOING WHAT HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE.
THE, COLOGNE LANGUAGE THAT WE'VE
BEEN USING HERE AROUND EXTENSION
OF THE SCHOOL OF THE HOURS IS A
STUDENT GOES TO SCHOOL FROM 830
TO 330. THIS LEGISLATION, AS
IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN, ALLOWS
FOR THE BEHAVIOR OF THAT CHILD
FROM 330 UNTIL THE FOLLOWING
MORNING, 830, TO BE A PART OF
WHAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS HAVE THE
ABILITY TO REACH INTO, TO BE
ABLE TO SHAPE WHAT IS HAPPENING
FOR THAT CHILD OR CHILDREN
WITHIN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT.
THAT IS VERY BROAD. THE ITEMS
HERE THAT ARE INCLUDED ARE
INCREDIBLY BROAD. AND WHILE I
APPRECIATE CHAIR YOU OUTLINING
THE ALTERNATIVE METHODS THAT A
SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS THE ABILITY
TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF, IN
RESPONSE TO ANY OF THESE ACTIONS
AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, AS A
MOTHER OF THREE, AND AS A PERSON
WHO'S WORKED WITH OVER 20 SCHOOL
DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA, I CAN TELL YOU
RIGHT NOW THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS
ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO BE ABLE TO
DO WHAT THIS BILL IS ASKING,
WHICH IS, IN VERY PLAIN TERMS,
POLICE CHILDREN OUTSIDE OF THEIR
OF THE SCHOOL DAY. ASSEMBLY
MEMBER ALVAREZ YOU DIDN'T USE
THAT PHRASE, BUT I THINK IT'S
VERY APT. SO, AGAIN, I, I THINK
OFTEN AS LEGISLATORS, WE KIND OF
HAVE VISCERAL RESPONSES BECAUSE
WE HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES,
AND, AND WE ALL EXPRESSED HAVING
SOME VERSION OF THE SAME STORY
THAT ASSEMBLY MEMBER LOWENTHAL
SHARED. ME INCLUDED, I, I JUST
AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES ON THIS
FOR THE MAJORITY OF SCHOOL
CHILDREN. AND WE ARE NOT DOING
ANYTHING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL,
TO REINVENT A DIFFERENT APPROACH
TO BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS HARMS
THAT ARE COMMITTED, AND WE ARE
ACTUALLY JUST PLAYING INTO THE
VERY SYSTEM THAT HAS LED TO SO
MANY CHILDREN NOT HAVING THE
KIND OF QUALITY EDUCATION THAT
THEY DESERVE. AND WITH THAT, I
WILL LET THIS ONE GO. THERE'S A
MOTION AND A SECOND, MISS ADAMS,
IF I COULD JUST CLARIFY, WHEN I
TALK ABOUT WHAT'S NEW HERE, WHEN
I TALK ABOUT WHAT'S NEW HERE,
IT'S, NEW FOR SURVIVORS TO BE
FREE FROM HAVING TO FACE
PERPETRATORS ON A SCHOOL CAMPUS.
IF THE OPTION FOR SUSPENSION IS
THERE. AND I THINK WHEN WE THINK
ABOUT SURVIVORS AND WHAT THEY'VE
FACED AND CREATING SAFE AND
AFFIRMING ENVIRONMENTS ON SCHOOL
CAMPUSES, SURVIVORS HAVE TO KNOW
THAT THEY CAN GO BACK TO SCHOOL
AND NOT FACE THE PERPETRATOR.
DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY AFTER
DAY. THEY OFTEN NEED A BREAK.
AND THAT'S THE NEW AND DIFFERENT
PIECE OF THIS THAT I SEE IS THAT
WE CAN NOW SAY TO WE COULD NOW
SAY TO SURVIVORS, IF WE PASS,
AND I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH,
WITH THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER ON
NARROWING THIS, I DO THINK
THERE'S THINGS IN HERE THAT ARE
TOO BROAD, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT
FOR SURVIVORS TO HAVE A BREAK
FROM THAT KIND OF ABUSE. SO
THAT'S THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING
FROM ON THAT PIECE. BUT THANK
YOU FOR, I WANT TO THANK YOU
BECAUSE I LEARN A LOT FROM YOU
EVERY TIME. ALL RIGHT. MR.
ALVAREZ, I WANT TO ASK. HÌNH
MEDICAL, IN HOPES OF TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. SO
THE BILL, THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN
IS IT IS OPTIONAL FOR DISTRICTS
TO PARTICIPATE. SO IF MY
DISTRICT OPTS AND I DON'T KNOW,
HOW HOW IT WHAT EXACTLY THE
DISTRICT WOULD HAVE TO ACTION,
THEY'D HAVE TO TAKE TO OPT IN OR
NOT. BUT LET'S SAY, MY DISTRICT
DECIDES NOT TO OPT IN, AND MY
CHILD IS EXPERIENCING, YOU KNOW,
THAT TYPE OF ACTIVITY. THIS BILL
PASSES WILL THEN THEN WHAT WOULD
WOULD A SCHOOL DISTRICT THEN IF
THEY DECIDED TO NOT OPT IN, NOT
BE ABLE TO, USE THAT BEHAVIOR AS
A WAY TO CORRECT THE BEHAVIOR?
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THAT
CIRCUMSTANCE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
QUESTION. ASSEMBLY MEMBER, THERE
IS NO OPT IN OR OPT OUT
COMPONENT TO THIS BILL. IT IS
CLARIFYING THE LAW, THERE'S A AN
INTERPRETATION THAT'S TAKING
PLACE BY EACH DISTRICT
THROUGHOUT THE STATE RIGHT NOW,
THE LAW AS IT'S WRITTEN, AND
THERE ARE MANY DISTRICTS THAT
ARE TODAY OPTING IN TO USE YOUR
YOUR PHRASE, THEIR
INTERPRETATION AND THEY ARE THEY
ARE THEY'RE DOING THIS RIGHT NOW
. AND THEN THERE ARE OTHERS AND
THEIR INTERPRETATIONS ARE VERY
DIFFERENT. AND SO WHAT THIS IS
SIMPLY DOING IS CLARIFYING LAW
SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO MAKE
THOSE TYPES OF INTERPRETATIONS.
SO I YEP. SO FOR MORE CLARITY.
SO THEN DISTRICTS WOULD NOW BE
REQUIRED. NO, THERE'S NO
REQUIREMENT. THERE'S NO
REQUIREMENT RIGHT NOW FOR THEM
TO ADDRESS THIS. EVEN ON CAMPUS.
IT IS A CASE BY CASE BASIS. SO
NOW WE'RE REQUIRING THEM. SO
THEN IF IT DOES HAPPEN THERE'S
NO REQUIREMENT AT A DISTRICT
WHERE THEY ARE NOT I KNOW I USE
THE PHRASE OPTING IN AND THAT'S
NOT THE RIGHT PHRASE, BUT
ESSENTIALLY NOT PARTICIPATING OR
NOT NOT USING UTILIZE WHAT WOULD
HAPPEN IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE TO
THAT FAMILY WITH THE DISTRICT
JUST CONTINUING TO SAY, SORRY,
WE DON'T FOLLOW THAT STATE LAW,
IF I MAY. THANK YOU. SO AS A
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, UNLESS WE
HAVE AN AFFIRMATIVE
CLARIFICATION THAT SAYS WE
DEFINITELY HAVE THE ABILITY TO
DO THIS, WE MAY BE ENCOURAGED
NOT TO DO THAT FOR LIABILITY
SAKE. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE
ONE WAY OF LOOKING AT THIS. AND
THERE'S PROBABLY QUITE A FEW
DISTRICTS OUT THERE THAT WOULD
BE MORE HESITANT TO, TO, TO, IN
ENGAGE IN, IN, IN, YOU KNOW,
SOME SORT OF DISCIPLINE AFTER
HOURS, THEN THEN NOT. BUT I DO
KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME THAT DO
DO THAT. HAVING SPOKEN TO SOME
OF THEM AT THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
BOARDS ASSOCIATION, I JUST THINK
UNDER THIS, MR. CHAIR, AND I
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SPEAK A SECOND TIME. I THINK
ESPECIALLY NOW IN THE ROLE THAT
YOU SERVE ON THAT, COMMITTEE
WITH ME OF ACTIONS THE STATE HAS
TAKEN AND PROGRAMS AND
IMPLEMENTATION AND
IMPLEMENTATION IS REALLY
IMPORTANT. AND I JUST THERE'S A
LOT OF SOME OF MY HESITANCY IS
ON THAT, ON THE CLARIFICATION OF
WHAT EXACTLY IS BEING
IMPLEMENTED. IT'S CLEAR THAT
THERE'S SOME BEHAVIOR THAT IS
DEFINITELY, I AGREE WITH MISS
MONTOYA IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO BE
REVIEWING THAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR.
THERE'S OTHER BEHAVIOR THAT VERY
CLEARLY IS, AND SO I THINK
THAT'S THAT'S SORT OF WHERE I
FALL ON THIS TODAY. I CAN READ
THE TEA LEAVES. YOU HAVE ENOUGH
VOTES TO GET OUT OF THIS
COMMITTEE. SO YOU, YOU DON'T
DON'T NEED AN ADDITIONAL VOTE.
BUT I DO THINK, I'D LIKE TO
LEARN MORE TO BE ABLE TO HELP
YOU IN YOUR MISSION, WHICH IS TO
PROVIDE SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR
OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU,
ASSEMBLY MEMBER. AND YOU KNOW,
MY COMMITMENT TO YOU IS TO WORK
WITH YOU. IF YOU'LL HAVE IT ON
CLARIFYING THESE ASPECTS OF THE
SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS
ASSEMBLY MEMBER BONTA. IF YOU'RE
INTERESTED IN PROVIDING THAT
INPUT. SHOULD THIS PASS THROUGH
COMMITTEE TODAY. THANK YOU. I'D
LIKE TO TRY TO WRAP THIS UP, BUT
MR. HOOVER, I'LL BE BRIEF, I
JUST, IN READING THE BILL ON
PAGE SEVEN, YOU KNOW, I DO WANT
TO ACKNOWLEDGE ASSEMBLY MEMBER
BONTA'S COMMENTS THAT DID LIST
ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN
THE COMMITTEE ANALYSIS. BUT ON
PAGE SEVEN, IT DOES MAKE IT
CLEAR. AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW,
KNOW IF I ASSUME THIS WAS
INTENTIONAL, THAT IT MUST BE
SUFFICIENTLY SUFFICIENTLY SEVERE
OR PERVASIVE TO HAVE THE ACTUAL
AND REASONABLE EXPECTED EFFECT
OF MATERIALLY DISRUPTING CLASS
WORK, CREATING SUBSTANTIAL
DISORDER, ESSENTIALLY CREATING A
HOSTILE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.
AND SO THERE IS A STANDARD
STILL, I THINK, IN THIS BILL,
WHERE, WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT
GOING TO BE, SO BROAD THAT IT
CAN BE OVERUSED AND ABUSED BY
SCHOOL STAFF. AND SO I THINK FOR
THOSE REASONS, YOU KNOW, I'M
DEFINITELY COMFORTABLE
SUPPORTING IT TODAY. I'D LIKE TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IN THE INTEREST
OF TIME, I'D ALSO LIKE TO
REAFFIRM THAT WHAT THE ASSEMBLY
MEMBER HAD POINTED OUT IS, IS
WORTHY OF WORKING ON THE BILL,
EVEN FURTHER COMMITTED TO DO
THAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO
MY TWO BITS, I, FIRST OF ALL,
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR THIS,
VERY, ENGAGED, DISCUSSION,
PROBABLY THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL
DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD ON ANY
BILL. TODAY THUS FAR. I, I WANT
TO GIVE RESPECT TO, MISS BONTA
FOR HER. HER, APPROPRIATE
COMMENT THAT COMMENTS THAT WE
DON'T, WANT TO GO BACK, TO
POLICIES THAT THAT THAT, FURTHER
REINFORCE, ANY SCHOOL TO PRISON
PIPELINE. I KNOW MR. LOWENTHAL,
YOU ARE EQUALLY COMMITTED TO
THAT. LAST YEAR, THIS COMMITTEE
AND I SUPPORTED A BILL TO
ELIMINATE WILLFUL DEFIANCE, AS A
, INAPPROPRIATELY VAGUE,
JUSTIFICATION TO SUSPEND OR
EXPEL STUDENTS. AND SO I THINK
IT'S IN LINE WITH MISS BONTA'S
COMMENTS ABOUT PERHAPS WE CAN
CONTINUE TO WORK TO TIGHTEN UP,
THAT THE LANGUAGE SO THAT THERE
AREN'T ANY INAPPROPRIATELY VAGUE
, PROVISIONS OF THIS BILL THAT
COULD BE SUBJECT TO, TO, BIAS,
ALL THAT BEING SAID, I YOU KNOW,
I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT NOT
WANTING TO HAVE THE SCHOOL TO
PRISON PIPELINE, BUT WE ALSO
TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE, THE
IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT
EVERY STUDENT HAVE A SAFE
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND IT'S AN
OPTION. IT'S A TOOL. YOU KNOW,
THE BILL AUTHORIZES A STUDENT TO
BE SUSPENDED OR RECOMMENDED FOR
EXPULSION. ONLY UNDER AFTER
EXISTING CODE REQUIRES THAT A
SUSPENSION CAN BE IMPOSED WHEN
OTHER MEANS OF CORRECTION FAIL
TO BRING ABOUT PROPER CONDUCT.
AND SO I THINK THIS DEFINITELY
MERITS FURTHER DISCUSSION, BUT
IT IS OFFERING A OPTION, A TOOL,
NOT A MANDATE, NOT A REQUIREMENT
FOR DISTRICTS TO OPT IN, AND I
THINK NOT ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF
MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, NOT NOT
REINFORCING ANY SCHOOL TO PRISON
PIPELINE, BUT THAT WE'RE ALSO
TRYING TO STRIKE A BALANCE TO
PROTECT ALL STUDENTS, TO PROVIDE
A SAFE AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
FOR ALL STUDENTS, THAT THIS
GIVES A TOOL, THAT WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE, WE DESIGN
APPROPRIATELY. SO THAT WE,
ENSURE THAT ADMINISTRATORS CARRY
OUT THIS INCREDIBLE
RESPONSIBILITY IN A RESPONSIBLE
MANNER. SO FOR THOSE REASONS, I
WILL BE SUPPORTING THE BILL. YOU
HAVE THE LAST WORD VERY BRIEFLY.
I JUST WANT TO THANK, MR, MISTER
CHAIR AND THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
FOR THE VERY THOUGHTFUL
DISCUSSION. THIS IS WHAT WE
NEED. WE NEED DISCUSSION. WE
NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT
THIS, AND WE NEED TO BE CARING
ABOUT ALL OF OUR CHILDREN, THOSE
THAT ARE PERPETRATING THIS,
THOSE THAT ARE THE VICTIMS, ALL
OF THEM ARE WORTHY AND DESERVED
OF A OF A SAFE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT, THIS DOES COME FROM
A, FROM A PLACE OF, OF
CONSIDERING THE VICTIMS AND JUST
HEARING THESE STORIES. THERE'S
JUST TOO MANY OF THEM. IT'S
OVERWHELMING. IT'S IN EVERY
COMMUNITY OF ALL COLORS, OF ALL
SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS. IT'S
EVERYWHERE. AND THE TRUTH OF THE
MATTER IS, IS THAT OUR LANDSCAPE
HAS CHANGED. IT HAS. THE WAY WE
COALESCE IS DIFFERENT. THE HOURS
THAT WE OPERATE ARE DIFFERENT.
WHAT WE'RE REQUIRING OUR KIDS
AND THE WAY FOR THEM TO DO
PROJECTS TOGETHER IS DIFFERENT.
IT'S DIFFERENT. SO I HOPE THAT
WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS
TOGETHER. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO
HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND I
REALLY APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS
OF THE ACLU AND THE WORK THAT
YOU DO, AND HOPE THAT WE CAN
WORK WITH YOU AS WELL ON THIS
BILL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. ALL
RIGHT. WITH THAT, MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
FILE ITEM 14 AB 2351. THE MOTION
IS TO PASS, AS AMENDED, TO THE
JUDICIARY. MURATSUCHI. ALL
RIGHT. MURATSUCHI IF LARA Ã
LARA I ADDIS I ADDIS I ALVAREZ.
NOT VOTING. BONTA. NO. BONTA NO.
HOOVER. HOOVER I MCCARTY. 4 TO 1
ONE ABSTENTION. THE BILL IS OUT.
ALL RIGHT. WAITING PATIENTLY.
MR. CARILLO FILE ITEM NUMBER 11,
AB 2245. ALL SECOND.
YES, SIR. YES.
MR. YOU. IF YOU'D LIKE. YES,
PLEASE. GO FOR IT. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR. AND
MEMBERS, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU
FOR ALLOWING ME TO PRESENT
ASSEMBLY BILL 2245, THE CAREER
TECHNICAL EDUCATION, OR CTE, IS
BENEFICIAL TO PEOPLE FROM ALL
WALKS OF LIFE. PEOPLE MAY TAKE
K¾T CLASSES TO GET THEIR FOOT IN
THE DOOR OF A SPECIFIC VOCATION,
OR BUILD UPON AN EXISTING SKILL
SET. PEOPLE MAY TAKE CTE CLASSES
, TO DO THAT PURPOSE IN THEIR
EDUCATION AND UP TO THEIR CHOICE
IN SOME TIMES AT SOME EVENTS.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR
DISTRICTS LIKE MINE, WHICH ARE
OUTSIDE OF THE CITY CENTERS,
WHERE BUILDING A LOCAL WORKFORCE
IS IMPERATIVE TO JOB CREATION
AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE
REGION. GIVEN THE LIFE CHANGING
OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN BE
PROVIDED BY CTE, RETAINING THESE
WORKFORCE IS ESPECIALLY
IMPORTANT. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE
REMAINS GAPS IN THE RIGHTS
AFFORDED TO THESE CTE TEACHERS.
CURRENTLY, ONLY OLDER
TRADITIONAL CTE TEACHERS
EMPLOYED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT
MAY BE GRANTED PERMANENT STATUS
WHEN EMPLOYERS. WHEN EMPLOYEES
ARE ABLE TO BE GRANTED A
CLASSIFICATION OF PERMANENT,
THIS MEANS THEY ARE NO LONGER
EMPLOYED AT WILL AND ARE NO
LONGER AT THEIR INITIAL
PROBATION AND ABLE TO RECEIVE
DUE PROCESS. PERMANENCY ALLOWS
FOR BASIC LABOR RIGHTS SUCH AS
NOTICE OF DISCIPLINE OR LAYOFF
IN THEIR PROCEDURES FOR APPEAL.
IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT TEACHER
CANNOT BE TERMINATED FOR CAUSE
OR IF THEIR PROGRAM IS CANCELED
OR REDUCED. THOUGH THIS MAY SEEM
LIKE VERY BASIC PROTECTIONS,
SOMETHING ALL EMPLOYEES SHOULD
BE AFFORDED K¾T INSTRUCTORS
COULD TEACH AT REGIONAL
OCCUPATIONAL CENTERS AND
PROGRAMS. DO NOT HAVE THEM. THIS
CREATES A SITUATION WHERE THESE
TEACHERS HAVE NO CERTAINTY ABOUT
THEIR EMPLOYMENT, ARE DIFFICULT
TO RETAIN, AND RELUCTANT TO
BEGIN OR STAY WORKING. TO BE
CLEAR, THIS BILL DOES NOT
PREVENT EMPLOYERS FROM LAYING
OFF EMPLOYEES DUE TO CHANGES IN
FUNDING OR STUDENT NEEDS. IT
SIMPLY REQUIRES THEM TO FOLLOW
THE PROCESS WHEN THEY DO SO.
ADDITIONALLY, WHILE EXISTING LAW
REQUIRES MORE PERMANENT
EMPLOYEES TO BE LAID OFF FIRST,
THERE ARE SEVERAL EXCEPTIONS TO
THIS SENIORITY RULE. THESE
EXCEPTIONS ENSURE POSITIONS CAN
BE FILLED BY THE TEACHERS WITH
THE MOST APPROPRIATE
QUALIFICATIONS WHEN THEY LAY.
SENIOR EMPLOYEE HAS A SPECIFIC
QUALIFICATIONS OR COMPETENCIES
NECESSARY TO TEACH A SPECIFIC
CLASS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING K¾T
PROGRAMS, IT STARTS WITH
RETAINING AND PROTECTING THE K¾T
WORKFORCE. WHO IS THE SOLE
FOUNDATION OF THE DRIVING FORCE
TO HOW WE KEEP THESE PROGRAMS
AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS. WE NEED
TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT WITHOUT
TEACHERS, OUR STUDENTS ARE
UNABLE TO THRIVE AND ACCESS
HANDS ON TRAINING PROGRAMS. SOME
MIGHT SAY THAT THIS BILL WOULD
REDUCE CTE PROGRAMS, WHICH IS
NOT THE TRUE AND ANECDOTAL. IT'S
ONLY JUST A TRUE AND ANECDOTAL
ANECDOTAL STATEMENT. THIS
PROGRAMING WILL EVENTUALLY
BECOME AN APPEALING IF WE DON'T
ENSURE MORE TEACHERS CAN JOIN
THE PROFESSION AND HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST AND STAY.
IN THAT CASE, WE RISK LOSING
THESE PROGRAMS ALL TOGETHER.
JOINING ME TO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT
OF HB 2245 ARE TRISTAN BROWN,
LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR OF
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF
TEACHERS, AND DAVE ROWCLIFF, CTE
TEACHER AT MONTCLAIR HIGH
SCHOOL, CHAFFEY JOINT UNION HIGH
SCHOOL DISTRICT, I APOLOGIZE IN
ADVANCE FOR THE LACK OF EYE
CONTACT. I'M GOING TO TRY TO GO
AS FAST AS I CAN, GOOD
AFTERNOON. I'M DAVE ROWCLIFF. I
TEACH AUTOMOTIVE AT MONTCLAIR
HIGH SCHOOL IN MONTCLAIR,
CALIFORNIA. I HAVE THREE CTE
CREDENTIALS A BACHELOR'S IN
AUTOMOTIVE, A MASTER'S IN
TEACHING AUTOMOTIVE, AND THE
CLASSROOM EQUIVALENT OF TWO PHDS
IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION. I
HAVE PERMANENCE WITH THE CTE
CREDENTIAL SOLELY DUE TO THE
UNIQUE VISION OF THE DISTRICT. I
WORK FOR. I'VE BEEN A TEACHER
FOR 35 YEARS AND A MECHANIC FOR
45. I'M HERE TO ADDRESS AN ISSUE
THAT IS FUNDAMENTALLY INEQUITY
AND TEACHER QUALITY ISSUE. I
BELIEVE THAT THE PRESENT CODE
IS, IN THIS REGARD, EFFECTIVELY
SINGLES OUT CTE CREDENTIAL
HOLDERS FOR DISCRIMINATION,
WHICH SEVERELY NEGATIVELY
IMPACTS THE ABILITY OF SCHOOLS
TO OPTIMALLY RECRUIT THE HIGHEST
QUALITY TEACHERS THAT THEY THAT
THEY OTHERWISE COULD. BUT MOST
IMPORTANTLY, THIS SIGNIFICANTLY
NEGATIVELY IMPACTS STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT AND OUTCOMES,
PARTICULARLY IN OUR POPULATION
OF PARTICULARLY TRADITIONALLY,
MOST CHALLENGING AND UNDERSERVED
STUDENT GROUPS, INCLUDING AND
ESPECIALLY, STUDENTS OF COLOR.
THIS CARVE OUT IN THE CODE IS AN
ARTIFACT OF THE ANCIENT WAY THAT
CTE CLASSES AND PROGRAMS USED TO
BE FUNDED. THE FUNDING WAS WAS
LARGELY TRANSITORY, AND THUS
THERE WAS A PERCEIVED NEED TO
TREAT CTE TEACHERS DIFFERENTLY.
FUNDING TODAY, FOR THE MOST
PART, FOR CTE, IS STABLE AND
THUS THE NEED TO TREAT THE CTE
TEACHER EFFECTIVELY AS AN
EDUCATIONAL DAY LABORER AND, NO
LONGER EXISTS. THE DAY LABORER
ANALOGY IS APT. THE TYPICAL CTE
TEACHER, AFTER 30 YEARS OF
SUCCESSFUL TEACHING, HAS LESS
JOB SECURITY THAN A JANITOR WHO
WORKS IN THIS BUILDING FOR SIX
MONTHS. THE ED CODE MAKES CTE
CREDENTIAL HOLDERS AT WILL
EMPLOYEES EVERY DAY OF THEIR
CAREER. THE HIGHLY SKILLED
TEACHERS THAT THIS STATE CLAIMS
TO WANT FOR ITS CHILDREN, FOR
THE MOST PART, WILL NOT BE
WILLING TO LEAVE THEIR JOB
SECURITY OF THEIR PRESENT
POSITION IN AN INDUSTRY TO TAKE
THEIR CHANCES IN THE INSECURITY
OF NEVER KNOWING WHETHER THEY'LL
STILL HAVE THEIR TEACHING
POSITION TOMORROW AT WILL IS AT
WHIM. COULD I ASK YOU TO WRAP
UP, PLEASE? YEAH I'M SORRY. THE
CONSIDER THE COST SAVINGS OF A
DISTRICT GETTING RID OF HUNDREDS
OF TEACHERS WITHIN THREE YEARS
OF VISTA VESTING THEIR
RETIREMENT. I SAW IT HAPPEN AT
ONE OF THE MAJOR DISTRICTS
OPPOSING THIS BILL, ALL OF THE
NEGATIVE POSSIBILITIES, THE
CURRENT STATUS PERMITS ARE
ACTUALLY HAPPENING TO CTE
TEACHERS IN THE STATE TODAY. I
LOOK FORWARD TO ANSWERING ANY
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. THANK
YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR. AND MEMBERS CHRIS BROWN
OF CFT, UNION OF EDUCATORS AND
CLASSIFIED PROFESSIONALS. THIS
HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. WE
HAVE ACTUALLY HAD THIS POLICY
PASSED THROUGH THIS BODY
MULTIPLE TIMES AS PART OF OTHER
LEGISLATION THAT HAD OTHER
COMPONENTS, WHICH, THE BREAKS
OF, OF THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE WERE APPLIED. SO WE'VE
BROKEN UP OUR POLICIES INTO
SEPARATE BILLS AND THIS IS NOW
THE STANDALONE ONE TO PROVIDE
PERMANENT MONEY FOR CTE.
EDUCATORS WHO TEACH AT REGIONAL
OCCUPATIONAL CENTERS AND
PROGRAMS, PERMANENCY IS A TERMS
THAT MIGHT CONFUSE MANY. IT DOES
NOT MEAN YOU CANNOT LAY OFF
INDIVIDUALS. IT DOES NOT MEAN
YOU CAN'T TERMINATE INDIVIDUALS.
IT SIMPLY MEANS THAT THERE ARE
DUE PROCESS RIGHTS THAT THEN
TURN ON AFTER THEIR TWO YEAR
PROBATIONARY STATUS. THESE ARE
THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT MAKE IT
WORTH INVESTING IN THIS CAREER,
BECAUSE CURRENTLY, THESE
EDUCATORS HAVE NO IDEA IF
THEY'LL HAVE A JOB FROM ONE DAY
TO THE NEXT AND KNOW IF THEY'LL
BE ABLE TO COUNT ON GOING
THROUGH ALL THE STEPS TO HAVE
THEIR FIVE YEAR CAREER
CREDENTIAL EARNED AFTER THEY
HAVE THEIR INITIAL THREE YEAR
INDUSTRY SUBJECT MATTER
CREDENTIAL TIME LAPSE. IF
THEY'RE GOING TO INVEST ALL OF
THAT INTO THIS JOB, WE NEED TO
INVEST IN THEM AND MAKE SURE
THAT THEY KNOW THAT THERE ARE
THESE RIGHTS THAT STAY WITH
THEM. THIS IS REALLY ABOUT
HAVING HEADS UP WHEN THE PROGRAM
DOES CHANGE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A
FEW MONTHS OR WEEKS NOTICE OF
WHEN YOUR LAYOFF IS COMING,
BECAUSE YOU DO NEED TO PIVOT TO
WHATEVER THE NEW LABOR MARKET
IS. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO KEEP VCR
REPAIRMEN IN BUSINESS. WE DO
WANT OUR OPS TO BE AGILE, AND WE
DO BELIEVE CURRENT LAW ALLOWS
THEM TO DO THAT. YOU CAN OBTAIN
ENROLLMENT DATA EARLIER THAN WE
DO NOW, WHICH WOULD SOLVE A LOT
OF PROBLEMS. AND THE FUNDING IS
WRAPPED INTO THE LCFF. AND WE
KNOW WHAT THOSE FUNDS ARE YEAR
AFTER YEAR. SO PLANNING IS
POSSIBLE UNDER THESE
CONSTRAINTS. AND WE HOPE WE CAN
COUNT ON YOUR SUPPORT. AND I ASK
FOR YOUR I VOTE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I
UNFORTUNATELY HAVE BEEN SUMMONED
BY THE SPEAKER FOR A MEETING AND
SO, I WOULD LIKE TO, RECESS THIS
COMMITTEE FOR TEN MINUTES, SO
WE'LL BE BACK. YEAH. SO
ACTUALLY, TO BE SAFE, 445, WE
WILL BE RECONVENING AT 445.
OKAY. THANK YOU. SO NICE TO MEET
YOU, SIR. SO WE'RE WE'RE HAPPY
TO BE
.
HERE, WE'RE GOING TO REESTABLISH
A QUORUM, AND WE'RE GOING TO
KEEP EDUCATION MOVING. SO, MR.
CARILLO, I THINK WE WERE AT
WITNESSES IN SUPPORT, CORRECT?
YES THEY JUST SPOKE. YOU JUST
FINISHED UP. SO NAME AN
ORGANIZATION, PLEASE. FILE ITEM
FILE 11 AB 2245. SEEING NONE.
ANY WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION.
CONVINCED THEM ALL. OKAY
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO FILE
ITEM 11 2220 2245. WITNESSES IN
SUPPORT, AGAIN BECAUSE THEY WERE
ALONE. CAN I SEE UP THERE? TWO
MINUTES APIECE. GO AHEAD. OKAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR. AND
MR. VICE CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS JANET
SLOAN, REPRESENTING CROP, A
STATEWIDE MEMBERSHIP NETWORK OF
REGIONAL OCCUPATIONAL CENTERS
AND PROGRAMS. AS AN
ORGANIZATION, CROP HAS CONCERNS
WITH AB 2245 FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE
ARE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR
OUR STUDENTS. OUR PROGRAMS, AND
OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS. WHILE WE
FULLY SUPPORT AND VALUE OUR CTE
INSTRUCTORS, WE BELIEVE THAT AB
2245 PROVISION IN COMPUTING
SERVICE TOWARDS CLASSIFICATION
FOR PERMANENCY STATUS WOULD
HINDER OUR PROGRAMS ABILITY TO
REMAIN FLEXIBLE AND REACTIVE TO
STUDENT INTEREST AND LOCAL AND
STATE WORKFORCE NEEDS. I WANT TO
REITERATE THAT ROP FUNDING HAS
NOT BEEN DIRECT FUNDED SINCE
2011, SO WE DO HAVE TO RELY ON
COMPETITIVE GRANTS. SEE,
TEACHERS HOLD DESIGNATED SUBJECT
CREDENTIALS IN INDUSTRY SECTORS,
AND MUST HAVE OCCUPATIONAL
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE TO
QUALIFY FOR THE CREDENTIAL. THE
NATURE THE BROAD NATURE OF THESE
INDUSTRY SECTORS NECESSITATES
FLEXIBILITY IN HIRING PRACTICES,
AND THIS IS WHERE THIS IS
IMPORTANT. NEW CTE TEACHERS CAN
CURRENTLY TEACH WHILE BEING
ENROLLED IN A CREDENTIAL
PROGRAM. THEY HAVE THREE YEARS
TO CLEAR THAT CREDENTIAL, WHICH
EXCEEDS THE AMOUNT OF TIME A
DECISION MUST BE MADE FOR
PERMANENCY. UNLIKE SINGLE
SUBJECT OR MULTIPLE SUBJECT
CREDENTIAL TEACHERS, CTE
TEACHERS ARE GRANTED THEIR
PRELIMINARY CREDENTIAL BASED
UPON THEIR INDUSTRY WORK
EXPERIENCE, AND THEY DO NOT HAVE
ANY PREVIOUS TEACHING COURSEWORK
, NOR DO THEY HAVE A STUDENT
TEACHING EXPERIENCE IN THAT
THREE YEAR PERIOD. A PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN THE CREDENTIAL PROGRAM
AND THE HIRING ENTITY PROVIDES
SUPPORT AND TRAINING TO THOSE
PROFESSIONALS TO ENSURE THEIR
INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE IS DELIVERED
THROUGH COHERENT, STANDARDS
BASED CURRICULUM AND A SAFE AND
WELL MANAGED ENVIRONMENT. BY
MARCH 15TH, OF THE TEACHERS
COMPLETE CONSECUTIVE SECOND YEAR
NOTICES MUST BE GIVEN WITH THE
INTENT TO REELECT OR NOT REELECT
FOR THE NEXT SUCCEEDING SCHOOL
YEAR. WITH AB 2445, WE WILL BE
FORCED TO MAKE PREMATURE
DECISIONS PRIOR TO THE PROCESS
OF CLEARING THE CTE CREDENTIAL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. IF YOU CAN
WRAP UP YOUR THOUGHT, PERFECT.
NEXT ONE IS PLEASE. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR, VICE
CHAIR AND MEMBERS. MY NAME IS
JULIE DUNCAN AND I'M THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF TRI-VALLEY
ROP, REPRESENTING THE ROCK AND
THE CTE JPA COALITION MEMBERS.
CURRENT STATUTE ALLOWS OUR OPS
TO ADAPT SO THAT OUR CTE
PATHWAYS ALWAYS STAY CURRENT AND
RELEVANT TO LOCAL AND STATE
ECONOMIES. INDUSTRY CHANGES
AFFECT WHICH COURSES ARE OFFERED
AND NOT OFFERED EVERY YEAR BASED
ON LOCAL WORKFORCE NEEDS. OUR
TEACHERS COME FROM INDUSTRY.
THIS IS AT LEAST THEIR SECOND
CAREER WHERE THEY UNDERSTAND
WHEN THEY ARE HIRED, HOW ROPS
OPERATE. MOST OFTEN THAN NOT,
THEY CAN BE INDUSTRY PARTNERS
WE'VE WORKED WITH FOR YEARS WHO
DECIDE TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR
INDUSTRY. I AM ONE OF THOSE
PEOPLE I HAVE BEEN IN EDUCATION
FOR OVER 20 YEARS AS A TEACHER
AND AN ADMINISTRATOR. COMING
FROM INDUSTRY CREDENTIALING IS
DIFFERENT, AS JANET STATED, BUT
OUR TEACHERS DO MOVE, STEP AND
COLUMN EVERY YEAR WITH A CLEARED
CREDENTIAL. WE COUNT THEIR YEARS
OF EXPERIENCE IN INDUSTRY WITH
OUR SALARY SCHEDULES. I
CURRENTLY HAVE 50% OF MY STAFF
WITH OVER TEN YEARS OF SERVICE,
AND SOME ARE CLOSE TO 20 YEARS.
I AM NOT HERE TO OPPOSE TEACHERS
HAVING ACCESS TO DUE PROCESS. IN
THE LAYOFF PROCESS. IN FACT, WE
BELIEVE OUR TEACHERS ARE MORE
PART OF OUR ANNUAL ANNUAL MASTER
SCHEDULING PROCESS THAN MOST OF
OUR TRADITIONAL DISTRICTS.
BECAUSE WE ARE REGIONAL. THAT'S
IMPORTANT. WE WORK IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH DISTRICTS,
WHICH FOR SOME OF US CAN BE UP
TO TEN DISTRICTS IN 40 DIFFERENT
HIGH SCHOOL SITES WITH VARIOUS
BELL SCHEDULES THAT RANGE FROM
ONE HOUR COURSES OF SIX PERIODS
PER DAY, OR TWO HOUR BLOCKS FOR
THREE COURSES THAT ROTATE EVERY
DAY OR TWO BLOCK COURSES TWO
TIMES A DAY. THE DISTRICTS
PROVIDE US ENROLLMENT
REGISTRATION INFORMATION FAR
BEYOND MARCH 15TH AND THE MAY
15TH TIME FRAME, AND WE THEN DO
OUR BEST TO CREATE A MASTER
SCHEDULE THAT WORKS FOR BOTH THE
REGION AND THE TEACHERS AT
EITHER THE CENTER OR AT A HIGH
SCHOOL SITE THAT MEETS OUR
STUDENTS INTERESTS. WITHOUT THE
REGIONAL APPROACH AND LEVERAGING
RESOURCES, MANY OF THESE
PATHWAYS WOULDN'T EVEN EXIST.
THAT'S THE POINT OF THE REGION.
I BELIEVE THIS BILL IS TRYING TO
CREATE A SOLUTION TO ALLEVIATE
STRESS AND GIVE OUR INSTRUCTORS
A SENSE OF SECURITY. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. IF YOU COULD JUST
FINISH UP YOUR THOUGHT. YES, THE
MARCH 15TH DEADLINES IS THE
ISSUE WE DO NOT HAVE OUR NUMBERS
IN ORDER TO WE'LL HAVE TO PINK
SLIP. ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY EVERY
SINGLE YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. ANY OTHER WITNESSES
IN OPPOSITION? NAME AN
ORGANIZATION PLEASE. LEILANI
AGUINALDO ON BEHALF OF THE
RIVERSIDE COUNTY OFFICE OF
EDUCATION, AS WELL AS THE
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL
BUSINESS OFFICIALS. IN
OPPOSITION. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. LÀ ANGELA REED, ON BEHALF
OF THE SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS
ASSOCIATION, IN OPPOSITION,
WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE
INCREASE FUNDING AND THE
TIMELINES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. I KNOW WE HAD A
COUPLE MORE WITNESSES IN
SUPPORT. COME ON UP. THANK YOU.
KATIE HARDIMAN WITH THE
CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION,
A PROUD CO-SPONSOR OF THE BILL
AND IN STRONG SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE
ELSE IN SUPPORT? I KNOW THAT
PEOPLE WERE JUST TRYING TO GET
BACK IN, OKAY. SEEING NONE BRING
IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. ANY
QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE?
MR. ALVAREZ, STICKING TO THE
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO THE
AUTHOR AND TO ALL THE WITNESSES
STICKING TO THE THEME OF, WHICH
THIS COMMITTEE WILL HEAR QUITE
OFTEN ME ON IMPLEMENTATION,
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WE NEED
TO SPEND MORE TIME AS A BODY ON
UNDERSTANDING WHAT THIS WOULD
ACTUALLY, WHAT OUR WHAT OUR
IDEAS THAT WE ALL THINK ARE A
GREAT IDEAS WILL ACTUALLY, DO TO
OUR IMPLEMENTERS BACK IN OUR, IN
OUR HOME DISTRICTS, AND I THINK
I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND AND THE
AUTHOR'S, PERSPECTIVE FROM THE
DISTRICT, WHICH IS DIFFERENTLY
DIFFERENT THAN MINE, MUCH MORE
URBAN DISTRICT WHERE PERHAPS IT
MIGHT BE EASIER FOR, FOR US TO
IDENTIFY, THE PREPARED WORKFORCE
IN ORDER TO, TO, TO MAINTAIN THE
PROGRAMS AS ROBUST AS, AS THEY,
AS THOSE WHO IMPLEMENT THE
PROGRAMS AIM TO DO SO. BUT WE
HAD A HEARING. I KNOW MISS BONTA
WAS THERE. OUR CHAIR WAS THERE
NOT LONG AGO, MAYBE FOUR WEEKS
AGO ON CTE. AND ONE OF THE VERY
CONSISTENT THEMES THAT I HEARD
AND THAT I LEARNED WAS THAT
FUNDING IS ALWAYS AN UNKNOWN FOR
ROP PROGRAMS, FOR CTE PROGRAMS,
AND ONE IT WAS A MAKING OF OUR
OWN. THE LEGISLATURE AND
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE
CREATED MULTIPLE PROGRAMS WHERE
THOSE WHO ARE THE PROVIDERS HAVE
TO GO AND SEEK GRANTS IN ORDER
TO IMPLEMENT THESE PROGRAMS, AND
IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO
ADDRESS. PROBABLY NOT FOR THIS
DISCUSSION, BUT BUT I WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT'S A VERY
REAL THING. SO WE DO NOT HAVE,
AS WE DID BEFORE WHEN WE HAD
CATEGORICAL PROGRAMS, STEADY
FUNDING SET ASIDE FOR CTE, ROP.
AND SO WHAT WHAT I JUST WANT TO
BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT IS THAT IF
WE DECIDE TO DO THIS, I BELIEVE
AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM FROM
THE PROPONENTS, IF YOU DON'T
THINK THIS IS CORRECT, BUT THE
LAST STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE BY
THE OPPOSITION, THERE WOULD HAVE
TO BE NOTICES, AND FOR THE MARCH
15TH DEADLINE, BECAUSE A SCHOOLS
BUDGET VERY LIKELY MOST SCHOOL
DISTRICTS THAT I KNOW WILL NOT
BE APPROVED BY THEN, WHICH MEANS
ROP PROGRAMS DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH
FUNDING THEY HAVE, WHICH MEANS
THEY CAN'T APPROPRIATELY PLAN.
AND AGAIN, WE HEARD THAT TIME
AND TIME AGAIN FROM FOLKS
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE AT
OUR HEARING. AND SO I JUST LIKE
FOR THE, SUPPORTERS, SPONSORS TO
PROVIDE SOME, SOME FEEDBACK OR
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT IS WHAT'S,
IN FACT, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN,
JUST SO THAT WE ALL KNOW WHAT
WE'RE GETTING OURSELVES INTO AS
WE MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. SO REMEMBER. YES, I
MEAN, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE
TIMELINES FOR THE CURRENT LAYOFF
PROCESS, DON'T ALWAYS ALIGN WITH
WHEN THINGS LIKE THE CTE DOLLARS
ARRIVE TO AREAS, HOWEVER, THE
CIP PROGRAM RAIMES THEY WERE ALL
ROLLED INTO LCFF THAT. AND THEN
WHEN YOU HAVE A JPA OR COUNTY
OFFICE OF ED AND ALL THE OTHER,
WELL, THOSE ARE THE TWO MAIN
STYLES OF THE ROP PROGRAMS WITH
THIS ISSUE, YOU HAVE MANY
DISTRICTS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING
THEIR FUNDING INTO THIS, INTO
THIS POOL. RIGHT? RIGHT. THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS EVERY
YEAR. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IT
PASSES. PROLOG. THERE ARE WAYS
THAT YOU CAN SEE TRENDS. WE
UNDERSTAND THAT THE WHOLE POINT
OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO ADAPT TO
THE NEW LABOR FLAVORS OF THE
MONTH, MAKING A JOKE EARLIER
ABOUT VCR REPAIR. AND NOW CYBER
SECURITY WOULD BE A HOT TOPIC IN
SOME AREAS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT. I THINK
THAT YOU CAN, WITH SOME MORE
FLEXIBILITY WITH THESE
DISTRICTS, OBTAIN DATA EARLIER.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT REQUIRES
THE DATA TO GO THIS LATE, BUT
WE'RE ALSO OPEN TO HEARING OTHER
IDEAS FROM THESE MANAGERIAL
GROUPS AS TO HOW WE COULD MEET
THEM IN THE MIDDLE ON THIS TOPIC
. BUT BUT IT'S NOT REALLY DATA.
IT'S AN APPROPRIATION THAT THE
LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT MAKES IN
THEIR BUDGET ALLOCATION. THAT'S
WHICH DOESN'T HAPPEN UNTIL
TYPICALLY IT'S MAY SOMETIMES MAY
BE APRIL, BUT WHEN I YOU KNOW,
ALL OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS
IS TYPICALLY IN MAY AND SO IT'S
YEAH, YOU COULD HAVE DATA MAYBE
HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE STILL
ENROLLED AND GROWTH AND ALL
MAINLY DECLINING AT THIS POINT.
BUT, BUT I MEAN, I DID HEAR THAT
VERY CONSISTENTLY FROM PROVIDERS
THAT THAT THEY'RE AT THE WHIMS.
AND WHILE YES, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT, THE INTENT WAS FOR LCFF
TO CAPTURE THIS AND WE SHOULD.
RIGHT. WE DON'T DO IT ENOUGH. I
THINK YOU'RE DEFINITELY GREAT
ADVOCATES THAT WE NEED TO DO
MORE OF THAT. AND I AGREE WITH
THAT. BUT THIS BILL DOESN'T DO
THAT. IT DOESN'T GUARANTEE THAT
FUNDING TO THESE PROGRAMS, WHICH
AGAIN, I I'M ONE WHO THINKS WE
SHOULD MAKE IT MORE CONSISTENT,
BECAUSE IT'S DONE ON A DISTRICT
BY DISTRICT BASIS. SO I JUST
WANT TO AGAIN BE VERY
FORTHCOMING ABOUT
IMPLEMENTATION. AND MAYBE YOUR
LAST COMMENT WAS MAYBE THERE'S A
DIFFERENT WAY FORWARD TO HOW TO
IMPLEMENT THIS IN A WAY THAT'S
BECAUSE SOME OF THE WORST
STORIES I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE
WHO ENTER THE PROFESSION,
EDUCATORS, AND YOU KNOW THEM
BETTER THAN I, IS THE IDEA THAT
YOU GET PINK SLIP AND YOU DON'T
KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A
JOB THE NEXT YEAR, AND THAT'S
LIKE, WE ALWAYS WANT TO AVOID
THAT. RIGHT? AND SO IF WE'RE
GOING TO GET OURSELVES INTO A
SITUATION WHERE THE ONLY THING
LEGALLY JUST TO BE ABLE TO DO
THIS FORWARD IS TO ISSUE PINK
SLIPS, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S
ALSO LIKE SENDS A GOOD MESSAGE
THAT THIS IS THE PROFESSION YOU
WANT TO BE IN, BECAUSE YOU NEVER
KNOW WHETHER YOU HAVE A JOB OR
NOT. SO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO
RESPOND. YEAH, I WOULD SAY TO
THAT CURRENTLY EVERY DAY THEY
DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL HAVE A JOB
OR NOT, WE DID ASK OUR MEMBERS
IF THIS LED TO YOU GETTING PINK
SLIPPED EVERY SEASON. YOU KNOW,
SHOULD WE MODIFY THIS? THEY SAID
NO. THE DUE PROCESS RIGHTS, ON
BALANCE, ARE WORTH GOING THROUGH
A STRUGGLE AT FIRST TO CLEAR,
THEN GAIN CLARITY LATER ON AND
MOVE FORWARD. AND AGAIN, IF WE
CAN. WE'RE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN
IDEAS, TO RELAX THAT AND FIGURE
OUT NEW, NEW METHODS. BUT YOU
KNOW, WE HAVE JUST DONE THIS
WITH ADULT EDUCATION
IMPLEMENTATION WITHOUT ANY
ISSUES. AND WE HEARD A LOT OF
THE SAME FEEDBACK FROM THAT. YOU
KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THESE
ARE COMPLETELY BOTH APPLES TO
APPLES, BUT, IN TERMS OF
IMPLEMENTATION, IT WAS A LOT OF
THE SAME. CAN CAN I ASK THE,
MAYBE TO BOTH. YOU ARE HAVE BEEN
DOING THIS FOR 35 YEARS. I THINK
YOU SAID IN YOUR TESTIMONY,
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. WHAT
HAPPENS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO
YOU NOW, ARE YOU YOU DON'T
RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION OF A PINK
SLIP BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT A YOU'RE
A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE. IS THAT
WHAT YOU'RE CLASSIFIED AS? NO.
IN MY DISTRICT, THEY HAD THE
UNIQUE VISION OF REALIZING THAT
IF THEY WANTED TO KEEP A HIGHLY
QUALIFIED TEACHER LIKE ME, THEY
WOULD HAVE TO GIVE ME PERMANENT.
IS THAT THE CASE FOR EVERY ONE
OF YOUR CET TEACHERS OR JUST.
NO, THAT'S ONLY THE CASE IN MY
DISTRICT. I WAS GOING TO SAY
THERE'S A SIMILAR SITUATION WITH
FINAL ENROLLMENT NUMBERS AT A
HIGH SCHOOL. IF WE DON'T KNOW
WHAT THE FINAL ENROLLMENT
NUMBERS ARE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW
MANY MATH TEACHERS WILL TAKE. SO
IF THE ENROLLMENT IS DOWN, SOME
MATH TEACHER IS GOING TO GET CUT
OR THEY'RE GOING TO GET
REASSIGNED. RIGHT. AND HIS HIS
EXAMPLE ABOUT VCR, YOU KNOW,
I'VE GOT I'VE GOT A CONSTRUCTION
CREDENTIAL, I'M AN ELECTRICIAN.
BUT IF THEY DON'T WANT TO TEACH
ELECTRICIAN ANYMORE OR SAY
THERE'S NO MORE ELECTRICAL, THEY
CAN MAKE ME TEACH CONCRETE. THEY
CAN MAKE ME TEACH FRAMING. AND
IF I REFUSE OR SAY, I JUST DON'T
KNOW HOW TO DO IT, WITH ALL DUE
RESPECT WITH YOU WILL ALWAYS
KNOW MORE THAN I DO ON, YOU KNOW
ANOTHER TRADE ISN'T THOUGH THE
INTENT OF CTE OF PEOPLE LIKE
YOU, THAT YOU BRING IN THE MOST
QUALIFIED TO DO THAT. SO IF
YOU'RE NOT DOING ELECTRICAL FOR
WHATEVER REASON, MOVING YOU JUST
TO DO CONSTRUCTION, THE SPIRIT
OF PEOPLE WHO DO SIT, WHO I'VE
TALKED TO, THEY THEY ALL BELIEVE
IT SHOULD BE PEOPLE WHO ARE
EITHER HAVE BEEN PRACTITIONERS
AND ARE MOVING INTO THE
CLASSROOM. AND SO, AGAIN, YOU
PROBABLY WOULD BE QUALIFIED, BUT
THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN EVERY, IN
EVERY INSTANCE I THINK SO. WELL,
SURE. BUT THE PROBLEM IS YOU GOT
A WHOLE BUNCH OF MECHANICS. I
KNOW A BUNCH OF MECHANICS THAT
WORK AT MUNICIPALITIES. THEY'VE
BEEN THERE 20 YEARS. THEY HAVE
JOB SENIORITY. WHY WOULD THEY?
THEY'RE TERRIFIED TO LEAVE THAT
JOB WHERE THEY HAVE JOB SECURITY
TO COME INTO THE TEACHING
PROFESSION, WHERE THEY WOULD BE
BRILLIANT SUPERSTARS. BUT NOW
THEY'VE NOW THEY'RE DAY LABORERS
. THEY AREN'T GOING TO DO THAT.
AND AS A RESULT, THE QUALITY OF
INSTRUCTOR YOU GET IS PROBABLY
GOING TO BE. AND TO MY POINT
EARLIER, I'M JUST WONDERING IF
GIVING THEM A PINK SLIP, BECAUSE
THIS IS REALLY WHAT THIS LEADS
TO. I THINK FROM WHAT I'VE
HEARD, NO MATTER WHAT, DOES THAT
MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE? IT'S A JOB
SECURITY? IT WOULDN'T REALLY
WORK THAT WAY. FOR INSTANCE, HOW
MANY AUTOMOTIVE TEACHERS DO YOU
HAVE? 4 OR 5. THE NEW RULES
WOULD GIVE SENIORITY TO THE
OLDER ONES, SO THE ONLY ONES
THAT WOULD GET PINK SLIPS WOULD
BE THE EARLIEST. THE LATEST
HIRED. YEAH. TO THE TO THE FOLKS
WHO RUN THE PROGRAMS. I DON'T
KNOW IF YOU WANT TO PROVIDE ANY
RESPONSE TO ANY OF THE COMMENTS
OR QUESTIONS THAT I'VE MADE,
YES. WELL, FIRST, THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING UP THE DEDICATED
FUNDING THAT WAS PART OF WHAT I
WAS GOING TO SAY. WE DO NOT HAVE
DEDICATED FUNDING, WHEN LCFF
CAME ABOUT, A LOT OF THE K¾T AND
RCP PROGRAMS AROUND THE STATE
HAD TO CLOSE BECAUSE DISTRICTS
LOCALLY, AS THEY WERE ENTITLED
TO, MADE OTHER DECISIONS. AND SO
WITH THE ROPES THAT ARE AROUND,
WE WERE A BIG GROUP IN THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA. WE STILL DON'T
HAVE THAT DIRECT FUNDING. THE
DISTRICTS MAKE THE DECISION. WE
ARE BASICALLY FLAT FUNDED FROM
WHAT THEY RECEIVED, AND THEN WE
RELY ON K¾T AND STRONG WORKFORCE
GRANTS THAT ARE COMPETITIVE TO
KEEP OUR PROGRAMS GOING. SO I
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING
THAT POINT UP. AND IT'S TO THE
POINT ABOUT, DISTRICTS BEING
ABLE TO GET OUR NUMBERS EARLIER.
THERE'S JUST AGAIN, YOU'RE
WORKING WITH MULTIPLE DISTRICTS,
UP TO TEN, 40 DIFFERENT HIGH
SCHOOLS. THEIR REGISTRATION
PROCESS TIMELINES ARE FROM
JANUARY TO MARCH. AND THEN ONCE
YOU GET ALL THOSE NUMBERS, THEN
YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, CAN MY
ONE TEACHER GO FROM DUBLIN HIGH
SCHOOL TO LIVERMORE HIGH SCHOOL?
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO
GET THAT TEACHER THEIR FULL TIME
JOB. THEY MAY HAVE THE NUMBERS
FOR IT, BUT THEY PHYSICALLY
CAN'T GET THERE. IT IS A REALLY
BIG PUZZLE THAT IS NEVER GOING
TO BE DONE BEFORE MARCH 15TH AND
MAY 15TH, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH
THAT TEACHER ALL ALONG, LETTING
THEM KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT. AND
WITH THIS COMPETITIVE FUNDING,
WE STILL DON'T KNOW TO THAT.
ALSO, AT THAT POINT, WE APPLIED
FOR SOME OF THE DUAL ENROLLMENT
GRANTS THAT HAVE JUST BEEN PUT
OUT, AND THEY WERE DUE LAST
FRIDAY. WE WON'T EVEN KNOW UNTIL
APRIL IF WE GET THOSE. AND SO A
TEACHER THAT I HAVE, I HAVE AN
EXAMPLE RIGHT NOW WHERE HE'S A
1.0, BUT HE MIGHT BE A 0.80
BECAUSE HE PHYSICALLY CAN'T GET
TO THE OTHER HIGH SCHOOL WITH
THE NUMBERS THAT I HAVE, I'VE
ALREADY WE'VE BEEN TALKING AND
HE WOULD LOVE TO WORK ON THAT
DUAL ENROLLMENT PROJECT, BUT I
WON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL I GET THAT
GRANT. SO I CAN GIVE THAT
TEACHER THAT RELEASE PERIOD. IN
MY 13 YEARS AS A SUPERINTENDENT,
I HAVE NEVER LAID OFF A TEACHER.
AFTER MARCH 15TH AND THEIR FULL
ASSIGNMENT DUE TO THE LACK OF
THE NUMBERS, I HAVE PARTIALLY
DONE A SECTION AND TRIED TO FILL
IT WITH A TEACHER ON SPECIAL
ASSIGNMENT AND I HAVE TALKED TO
MY COLLEAGUES BEFORE. I MADE
THAT STATEMENT TODAY AND ASKED
THEM. OUT OF ALL THE
SUPERINTENDENTS I SPOKE WITH,
VERY FEW WHO HAVE ACTUALLY DONE
THAT. AND IN TALKING TO MY
TEACHERS ON MARCH 15TH, PINK
SLIP, A LOT OF THEM SAID, WHY?
THAT JUST GIVES ME MORE STRESS.
WHY WOULDN'T I JUST GO BACK TO
INDUSTRY? THEY FEEL PERMANENT
RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN
THERE 2015 YEARS. THANK YOU,
THANK YOU. WELL, I HAVE FULL
CONFIDENCE AFTER THE HEARING
THAT THE CHAIR, ORGANIZING OUR
SUBCOMMITTEE PARTICIPATED IN
THAT OUR ROP, FOLKS, THE
LEADERSHIP ARE JUST TREMENDOUS.
I MEAN, THEY MAKE MAGIC HAPPEN
WITH NOT A LOT OF RESOURCE.
THERE'S A LOT OF EDUCATORS DO,
BUT DEFINITELY THESE PROGRAMS
WITH WITH NO, NO REAL
CONSISTENCY, COMPLICATED
PROCESSES, I, I THINK I FEEL
STRONGLY THAT, THAT THEY WILL
FIGURE THIS OUT. I DO ENCOURAGE
AND ASK THAT, AS WAS STATED BY
THE SPONSORS, THAT THIS MIGHT
REQUIRE FURTHER, THINKING
THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION
PROCESS. AGAIN, WE HAVE GOOD
INTENTIONS IN OUR POLICY, BUT
WHEN IT GETS IMPLEMENTED, IT
GETS A LITTLE BIT MORE
COMPLICATED. AND I LIKE TO I
DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD BE.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I WHETHER IT'S
LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT DATE
MAYBE FOR THESE PROGRAMS MARCH
15TH MAYBE IS NOT ADEQUATE.
MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T DO MARCH 15TH
AT ALL. SOME PEOPLE HAVE AN
OPINION ON THAT, MAYBE IT'S
FOCUSING ON GETTING MORE,
CONSISTENT FUNDING TO THE CTE
PROGRAM SO THAT THEY CAN
ACTUALLY DO THIS. THAT'S
PROBABLY THE BEST THING WE COULD
DO, AND WE SHOULD PROBABLY TALK
ABOUT ACCOMPLISHING THAT WITH
THIS POLICY GOAL. THOSE WOULD BE
MY, MY SUGGESTED, MY SUGGESTED
APPROACH AS THIS MOVES FORWARD.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I SEE SOME
HANDS GOING UP, BUT I'M GOING TO
EXERCISE MY PREROGATIVE TO JUMP
THE LINE HERE. AND FIRST OF ALL,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR, FOR YOUR
PATIENCE. THE REASON WHY I
WANTED TO BE HERE FOR THIS
DISCUSSION BECAUSE, THE I, I'VE
BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WITH
STAFF, DISCUSSING THIS VERY
COMPLICATED. THIS IS MORE
COMPLICATED THAN IT APPEARS. AND
I APPRECIATE THE CHAIR OF OUR
BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE. YOU KNOW,
AFTER OUR, HEARING, ON CAREER
TECHNICAL EDUCATION, THAT YOU
FULLY APPRECIATE THE COMPLEXITY
OF THE SITUATION. THIS IS THIS
IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST, YOU
KNOW, WELL, LET ME START OFF BY
BY SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I'M
100% LABOR. YOU KNOW, I, I JUST
GOT ONE OF THOSE BOBBLEHEADS A
FEW WEEKS AGO FOR, FOR BEING
100% LABOR. BUT BUT THIS BILL IS
REALLY, YOU KNOW, TEARING ME
APART BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M
REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF
GIVING DUE PROCESS RIGHTS TO ALL
TEACHERS, WHICH, OF COURSE, I
WANT TO SUPPORT AS A MATTER OF
PRINCIPLE, EVERY TEACHER
DESERVES TO HAVE DUE PROCESS
RIGHTS, BUT BUT IF IT RISKS THE,
EXISTENCE OF THESE REGIONAL
OCCUPATION, REGIONAL CAREER
TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS,
THEN, YOU KNOW, I HAD A CHANCE
TO TALK WITH MR. CARILLO. THE
AUTHOR. I MEAN, HIS INTENT IS TO
SUPPORT MORE CTE PROGRAMS, SUCH
AS IN PALMDALE, TO SUPPORT MORE
SHEET METAL WORKERS, TO SUPPORT
HIS AEROSPACE INDUSTRY. BUT THIS
I AM CONCERNED, AS A FORMER
BOARD MEMBER OF A REGIONAL
OCCUPATIONAL CENTER THAT THIS
MAY UNDERMINE THE VIABILITY OF
THESE PROGRAMS PRECISELY
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WAS ON THE
BOARD OF THE RCP, SO I KNOW THAT
IT DOESN'T RECEIVE DIRECT
FUNDING. IT RELIES ON THE MEMBER
DISTRICTS GIVING THEIR FUNDING
TO THE REGIONAL PROGRAM, YOU
KNOW, WHERE THE NORMAL
INCLINATION IS THAT THE MEMBER
DISTRICTS WOULD WANT TO KEEP THE
MONEY FOR THEMSELVES. AND THEN
ON TOP OF THAT, THEY RELY ON
THESE THESE, THESE GRANTS, AND
SO, SO THE FUNDING IS ALREADY
MORE COMPLICATED THAN ADULT ED
PROGRAMS, IT, IT'S, AND THE
ESSENCE OF OUR CTE PROGRAMS IS
THAT FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO
ADJUST THE PROGRAMS TO THE LOCAL
WORKFORCE NEEDS OF THE
COMMUNITY. SO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF
A RCP AND, AND PALMDALE, YOU
KNOW, WAS NOT ABLE TO RECLASSIFY
A, A, YOU KNOW, A CLASS FROM
AUTO MECHANICS TO SHEET METAL,
YOU KNOW, THAT IS NOT MEETING
THE GOAL OF THE CTE PROGRAM. SO,
I JUST WANTED THE COMMITTEE TO
APPRECIATE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW,
I, I'M HOPING, YOU KNOW, I SET
THIS BILL FOR A HEARING BECAUSE
I DON'T WANT TO KILL THE BILL. I
WANTED THE CONVERSATION TO GO
FORWARD, BUT I'M HOPING THAT
THAT, YOU KNOW, MR. BROWN, YOU
SAID YOU DON'T WANT TO KILL THE
GOOSE, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU KNOW,
YOU KNOW, ONE HAS AN INTEREST IN
KILLING THESE RCP PROGRAMS,
MAYBE THE GOOSE IS THE WRONG
EXAMPLE, BUT, OR WRONG METAPHOR,
BUT, WE WANT THE GOAL SHOULD BE
TO PROVIDE DUE PROCESS
PROTECTIONS FOR ALL TEACHERS
WHILE AT THE SAME TIME NOT
THREATENING OR UNDERMINING THE
VIABILITY OF THESE REGIONAL CTE
PROGRAMS. AND THAT IS WHY I HAVE
A NON RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS
BILL. AND I PLAN ON ABSTAINING,
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH
THE COMMITTEE FOR WHATEVER IT'S
WORTH, I SAW MISS ADDIS, I SAW
MR. FLORA AND MR. MR. HOOVER.
OKAY MISS ADDIS, DID HE MOVE THE
BILL, MR. FLORA MOVED THE BILL,
AND I THINK YOU SECONDED. I
ALREADY SECONDED, YEAH. NO, I'LL
JUST SAY I SUPPORT THE REASON I
SUPPORT THE BILL WHEN I LOOK AT
THIS JUST TO SUPER SIMPLIFY IT,
SCHOOL DISTRICTS VALUE THESE
TEACHERS, CHILDREN VALUE THESE
PROGRAMS, AND YET THESE TEACHERS
DON'T HAVE A PATHWAY TO
PERMANENCY. AND SO AT ITS CORE,
PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL LIKE THEY
HAVE A PATHWAY TO PERMANENCY.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD OVER AND
OVER ACROSS MY CAREER IS THAT,
FOLKS LIKE YOURSELF WHO HAVE
THESE SPECIAL SKILLS WANT TO
KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE
SOME SECURITY AS THEY'VE HAD OUT
IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR SIMPLY
BECAUSE OF THEIR SKILLS, BUT THE
SYSTEM HASN'T ALLOWED THEM TO
HAVE THAT. SO THAT'S THAT'S WHY
I'M SUPPORTING IT. MISS HOOVER.
THANK YOU, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU
BRINGING THE BILL FORWARD. I'M
NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT
IT TODAY. I THINK, YOU KNOW, I
REALLY REMAIN CONCERNED ABOUT
THE IMPACT THAT IT'S GOING TO
HAVE ON TEACHERS THEMSELVES AND
PARTICULARLY NEW TEACHERS, I
KNOW MY TIME ON A SCHOOL BOARD,
MARCH 15TH WAS THE HARDEST TIME
OF THE YEAR BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO
MAKE SO MANY DIFFICULT DECISIONS
AS AN ADMINISTRATOR. AND, SO, SO
BECAUSE OF CALIFORNIA'S, YOU
KNOW, TWO YEAR DEADLINE AS A NEW
TEACHER, YOU REALLY ONLY HAVE 18
MONTHS TO PROVE YOURSELF IN YOUR
DISTRICT. AND IF FUNDING IS NOT
SECURED, IF FUNDING IS NOT SURE,
DISTRICTS OFTEN HAVE TO MAKE THE
HARD DECISION OF LETTING THESE
TEACHERS GO, EVEN IF THEY MAYBE
WANT TO KEEP THEM, AND SO I, I
JUST REMAIN CONCERNED THAT THIS
IS GOING TO CONTINUE AND REALLY
EXACERBATE SOME OF THOSE
CHALLENGES. AND SO FOR THOSE
REASONS, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO,
OPPOSE THE BILL TODAY. ANY
FURTHER COMMENTS? OKAY, I THINK
I'VE, STATED MY POSITION. SO,
YES, MR. CARRILLO, YOU HAVE THE
LAST WORD. YOU KNOW, IT IS
SOMETHING THAT, COULD BE THE
GATEWAY TO OPEN THE
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT POTENTIALLY
LOOKING AT THE FUNDING DATES, I
BELIEVE THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS
REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF
INVESTING IN CTE. AND IF WE
DON'T, HAVE STAFF THAT FEEL
COMFORTABLE, THAT HAVE THE
CERTAINTY THAT THEY WILL HAVE A
JOB NEXT YEAR, I THINK THAT
WE'RE SETTING THE CTE PROGRAMS
FOR FAILURE, I APPRECIATE THE
CONVERSATION. BUT AGAIN, I THINK
THAT THIS WILL BE OPEN WILL OPEN
THE CONVERSATION TO HAVING
THOSE, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE
DEADLINES, AND AGAIN, WITH THE
BIG PUSH THAT THE LEGISLATURE
HAS MADE TO PROVIDE MORE CTE
PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE,
NOT ONLY IN MY DISTRICT,
THROUGHOUT THE STATE, I THINK
THAT WE ARE SETTING OURSELVES TO
FAILURE BY NOT PROVIDING,
TEACHERS THAT, AGAIN, FEEL
COMFORTABLE, FEEL THAT THAT'S A
PROFESSION THAT THEY WANT TO BE
IN, LIKE WHAT WE HAVE HERE, EVEN
WITH NOT HAVING THAT CERTAINTY,
INVESTING IN CTE, SOMETHING THAT
WE TALKED ABOUT ALL THE TIME
LATELY, BUT AGAIN, WITHOUT
REALLY SUPPORTING, SHOWING THE
SUPPORT, FOR THE TRAINED STAFF,
TRAINED TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE, OPTIONS TO STUDENTS
THAT DON'T WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE
BECAUSE IT'S EXPENSIVE, BECAUSE
THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO GO TO
COLLEGE. THE, WORKFORCE THAT,
ARE IN THE TRADES ARE ABOUT TO
RETIRE A LOT OF THEM, AND WE
DON'T REALLY INVEST IN THE CTE
QUALIFIED AND PROTECTED STAFF. I
THINK THAT IT WILL BE A
CHALLENGE, FOR US TO PREPARE
GOOD QUALITY TEACHERS TO BE ABLE
TO TEACH THE NEW GENERATION IN
THE TRADES, I HEARD OF, GREAT
PROGRAMS DURING HIGH SCHOOL, BUT
THE ONES THAT YOU DO MECHANICS,
CARPENTRY, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT
PROVIDE KIDS AN OPPORTUNITY, AN
OPTION TO GET INTO THE TRADES
THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED, I JUST
WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT,
JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, TALK
ABOUT PROVIDING OPTIONS THROUGH
CTE, BUT AGAIN, REALIZING THE
DEADLINES CONCERN, MAYBE THIS
WILL BE THE TIME TO START THOSE
DISCUSSIONS SO THAT WE CAN TRULY
SUPPORT THE CTE PROGRAMS THAT WE
TALK ALL THE TIME ABOUT BEING
THE FUTURE OF THE WORKFORCE,
THAT WE NEED, WITH THAT, I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE
VOTE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU,
MADAM SECRETARY. PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL FILE. ITEM 11 AB 2245. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS TO
APPROPRIATIONS MURATSUCHI NOT
VOTING MURATSUCHI NOT VOTING.
LARA A LARA I ADDIS HI. ADDIS I
ALVAREZ ALVAREZ I BONTA I BONTA
I HOOVER. NO. HOOVER NO
MCCARTHY. ALL RIGHT, FOUR ZERO.
THE BILL IS OUT. THANK YOU. FOR
ONE. THE BILL IS OUT. ALL RIGHT.
NEXT WE HAVE FILE ITEM 23 AB
3088 BY MR. SALIH. I'M GOING TO
I'M GOING TO LET MISS WILSON GO.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. VERY
GENTLEMANLY OF YOU. YEAH, YEAH.
OKAY. DO YOU PROMISE TO THANK
YOU, MR. STALEY, THIS IS, MISS
WILSON HAS BEEN WAITING ALL DAY.
SO THIS IS FILE ITEM TEN, AB
2229, BY MISS WILSON. WELCOME.
THANK YOU. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE.
I DO HAVE SECOND. THANK YOU. AND
I HAVE A GROUP OF YOUTH WHO ARE
HERE TODAY AND WHO ACTUALLY HAVE
BEEN WAITING ALL DAY, AND
WATCHING YOU ALL WORK, AND YOU
HAVE GIVEN THEM A LESSON AND HOW
WE DO COMMITTEE. SO THANK YOU
FOR BEING AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE
TO ALL OF THEM IN THE BACK. OH,
THEY'RE YOUR WITNESSES. YEAH.
THEY'RE MY WITNESSES. AND
THEY'RE HERE. ALL RIGHT. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE EARLY
MOTION. AND SECOND, THANK YOU,
CHAIR AND MEMBERS, I'M PLEASED
TO PRESENT AB 2229. A BILL
DEVELOPED OUT OF OUR. THERE
OUGHT TO BE A LAW PROCESS THIS
FALL. WE SAW HUNDREDS OF
SUBMISSIONS, ALMOST 300 TO BE
EXACT. AND AFTER A THOROUGH
VETTING PROCESS, WE LANDED ON
THE BILL BEFORE YOU TODAY.
BEFORE I BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE TO
THANK THE COMMITTEE STAFF FOR
THEIR WORK ON THIS BILL AND
WOULD LIKE TO ACCEPT THE
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS. AB 2229
WOULD ALTER THE CURRENT HEALTH
CURRICULUM BY ADDING INFORMATION
THAT IS RELEVANT TO THE
MENSTRUAL CYCLE. IN 2016, THE
CALIFORNIA HEALTHY YOUNG ACT WAS
ENACTED TO REQUIRE MIDDLE AND
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO RECEIVE
COMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL HEALTH
EDUCATION, EMPHASIZING TOPICS
LIKE HIV PREVENTION, THÀNH,
ABSTINENCE, AND HEALTHY
RELATIONSHIPS. WHILE ENCOURAGING
COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS.
CURRENTLY IT DOES NOT STATE
EXPLICITLY STATE THAT
MENSTRUATION THÀNH HEALTH IS A
PART OF COMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL
HEALTH EDUCATION. THE LACK OF
EDUCATION PERPETUATES SOCIETAL
STIGMAS AND TABOOS SURROUNDING
MENSTRUATION, LEADING TO SHAME,
EMBARRASSMENT, AND POORER HEALTH
OUTCOMES. MENSTRUAL EDUCATION IS
IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WILL HELP
PUPILS UNDERSTAND AND THE
NATURALLY OCCURRING ROLE IT
PLAYS IN A HEALTHY BODY, AND
BREAK THE STIGMA SURROUNDING
MENSTRUATION. I WOULD LIKE TO
NOW INTRODUCE MY WITNESSES,
SHREYA. EXCUSE ME. SREENIVASAN,
STUDENT TRUSTEE FOR SOLANO
COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE
SOLANO COMMUNITY COLLEGE
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CLUB. AND
PLEASE NOTE, ALTHOUGH IT SAYS
COLLEGE, SHE IS AN EARLY CHILD,
EARLY COLLEGE, STUDENT. SO IN
HIGH SCHOOL, ATTENDING COLLEGE,
LILY STUKUS, A STUDENT LEADER
FOR THE FAIRFIELD-SUISUN UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT. THANK YOU. GOOD
EVENING, CHAIR MURATSUCHI AND
ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE
EDUCATION COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS
SRI SRINIVASAN, AND I'M A HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENT FROM FAIRFIELD,
CALIFORNIA. I'M TESTIFYING IN
SUPPORT OF AB 2229 LEGISLATION
THAT WOULD ENSURE STUDENTS
RECEIVE EDUCATION ON VITAL
MENSTRUAL HEALTH TOPICS,
INCLUDING THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE,
PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME, PAIN
MANAGEMENT, MENSTRUAL DISORDERS,
ADDRESSING THE TABOOS AND
STIGMAS OF SURROUNDING
MENSTRUATION IN THE ABSENCE OF
MANDATED MENSTRUAL EDUCATION
LEAVES MANY STUDENTS UNINFORMED
ABOUT ESSENTIAL ASPECTS OF THEIR
HEALTH, FROM MANAGING CRAMPS TO
RECOGNIZING DISORDERS AND
ACCESSING HYGIENE PRODUCTS. THIS
LACK OF PERIOD EDUCATION
ENDANGERS STUDENTS PHYSICAL AND
MENTAL WELL-BEING, AND ALSO
IMPACTS OUR ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE. A 2023 SURVEY
SHOWING THAT THREE FOURTHS OF
STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO SAY
THEY LEARN MORE IN SCHOOL ABOUT
THE ANATOMY OF A FROG THAN THE
ANATOMY OF A MENSTRUATING BODY.
DESPITE RECEIVING SEX EDUCATION
IN FIFTH, SEVENTH, AND NINTH
GRADE, I LACK KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
MENSTRUATION. WHEN I WAS 12
YEARS OLD, I LOST MY PERIOD FOR
THREE YEARS WITHOUT
UNDERSTANDING WHY SEEKING
ANSWERS ONLINE, I ENCOUNTERED A
DELUGE OF MISINFORMATION,
LEAVING ME OVERWHELMED AND
FRIGHTENED. MY PERSONAL JOURNEY
UNDERSCORES THE CRITICAL NEED
FOR LEGISLATION LIKE AB 2229
THROUGH OUR GRASSROOTS EFFORTS
OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, WE'VE
GARNERED SUPPORT FROM OVER 1000
YOUTH ACROSS CALIFORNIA. WE'VE
ENGAGED IN MEANINGFUL
DISCUSSIONS WITH STUDENTS,
HIGHLIGHTING THE NECESSITY FOR
EVERY STUDENT IN CALIFORNIA TO
RECEIVE COMPREHENSIVE MENSTRUAL
EDUCATION. MY PERIOD SHOULD HAVE
NEVER BEEN SHROUDED IN MYSTERY,
NOR SHOULD I HAVE SUFFERED IN
SILENCE DUE TO MISINFORMATION
AND SHAME. BY PASSING AB 2229,
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PROVIDE RELIEF AND EMPOWERMENT
TO THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS. PLEASE
VOTE YES ON AB 229. A CRUCIAL
STEP TOWARDS COMPREHENSIVE
MENSTRUAL HEALTH EDUCATION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR MORRELL
AND ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE
EDUCATION COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS
LILY STUKUS. I AM 16 YEARS OLD
AND A STUDENT AT EARLY COLLEGE
HIGH SCHOOL IN SOLANO COUNTY. I
AM SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF AB
2229, AN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE
SCHOOL. I WAS TAUGHT VIRTUALLY
NOTHING REGARDING MENSTRUAL
HEALTH. I THOUGHT PMS WAS WHAT
PEOPLE CALLED YOU WHEN YOU WERE
BEING DIFFICULT. I WAS TOLD THAT
TAMPONS MAKE YOU LOSE YOUR
VIRGINITY, AND IT TOOK ME ALMOST
A YEAR TO REALIZE THAT YOU COULD
PULL THE PLASTIC OFF OF A PAD TO
MAKE IT STICK. NOT UNTIL THIS
YEAR, WHEN BEGINNING TO
CONCEPTUALIZE AB 229, THAT I
LEARNED THE FACTS ABOUT ANY OF
THESE THINGS. I WAS NEVER TAUGHT
ANYTHING MORE THAN ANATOMY. WHEN
I GOT MY PERIOD, I WAS SCARED
AND CONFUSED AND FELT UTTERLY
UNPREPARED. I GUARANTEE I WOULD
NOT HAVE FELT THIS WAY IF I HAD
BEEN GIVEN THE COMPREHENSIVE OF
MENSTRUAL EDUCATION I NEEDED.
THIS IS WHY AB 229 IS SO
IMPORTANT. I DON'T WANT MY
LITTLE SISTER TO FEEL THE SAME
SHAME, EMBARRASSMENT AND
CONFUSION THAT I FELT WHEN I GOT
MY PERIOD. I BELIEVE THAT
CALIFORNIA STUDENTS DESERVE
BETTER. ALL STUDENTS IN
CALIFORNIA, REGARDLESS OF
GENDER, NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE
MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES AND
SYNDROMES, THE PHASES OF THE
MENSTRUAL CYCLE, HYGIENE
MANAGEMENT, LOCAL RESOURCE
CENTERS, AND ESPECIALLY HOW TO
DESTIGMATIZE MENSTRUATION. THE
LACK OF MENSTRUAL EDUCATION IN
CALIFORNIA DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE
LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE ME,
LIKE MY LITTLE SISTER, LIKE YOUR
CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.
INCREASED ACCESS TO
COMPREHENSIVE, STIGMA FREE,
MEDICALLY ACCURATE AND
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE MENSTRUAL
EDUCATION WOULD IMPROVE THE
LIVES AND HEALTH OF CURRENT AND
FUTURE STUDENTS. CALIFORNIA'S
STUDENTS NEED YOU. I IMPLORE YOU
TO VOTE YES ON AB 229. THANK
YOU, THANK YOU. PUBLIC COMMENTS
IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL. LUCY
SALCEDO CARTER WITH THE ALAMEDA
COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND
SUPPORT. GOOD EVENING, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS. KAREN STOUT HERE ON
BEHALF OF REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM
FOR ALL CALIFORNIA, WE'RE IN
STRONG SUPPORT. WE THANK THE
AUTHOR, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS,
TRISTAN BROWN, CFT HERE IN
SUPPORT. NGUYEN AFTAB OF EARLY
COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL IN SUPPORT.
GOOD EVENING, MARIAN SALMERON,
THE SECRETARY, ON BEHALF OF THE
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CLUB, WE
WANT YOUR RESPECTFUL SUPPORT FOR
AB 22229. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS
KAYLEE FULCHER. I'M A STUDENT AT
SOLANO COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND I
AM IN SUPPORT OF AB 229. THANK
YOU. HELLO. MY NAME IS NICO
CARDENAS AND I'M IN SUPPORT OF
AB 2229. MY NAME IS AARTHI
SHARMA AND I'M OFFICIALLY
REPRESENTING THE GLOBAL
NONPROFIT PERIOD. RESPECTFULLY
IN SUPPORT OF AB 2229. MY NAME
IS ABHISHEK GAUR. I SUPPORT THE
BILL FOR, ÁP 2229. ANA
FAIRFIELD-SUISUN UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD
TRUSTEE, AREA SIX. I'M HERE IN
SUPPORT OF MY BOSSES IN SUPPORT
OF THIS BILL. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. MY NAME IS PRABHA AND
HAVING PERSONALLY SUFFERED
THROUGH LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, I
RESPECTFULLY SUPPORT THIS BILL.
THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING CHAIR
AND MEMBERS. MY NAME IS
SRINIVASAN. ARUMUGAM AND I
REPRESENT LIKE NORTH BAY TAMIL
SCHOOL. I'M A BOARD MEMBER AND
PRINCIPAL OF THAT SCHOOL AND I
RESPECTFULLY SUPPORT LIKE AB
2229. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL
RIGHT. ANY WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL? ANY
PUBLIC COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION TO
THE BILL? BRINGING IT BACK TO
THE COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS?
COMMENTS SEEING NONE. MISS
BONTA, I WAS BUSY RECORDING THIS
VERY IMPORTANT MOMENT, BUT I
WANTED TO THANK THE AUTHOR AND
THE SPONSOR FOR BRINGING FORWARD
THIS FROM YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCE
AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT MEANS
TO HAVE, PERIOD EQUALITY AND
MENSTRUAL AWARENESS AT THIS
LEVEL. AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING
THE VERY PERSONAL STORIES FOR
EVERYBODY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR,
AND ENDURING A VERY LONG
OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO
REVIEW THIS LEGISLATION. BUT
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AND I'M
VERY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT
THIS BILL. AND THANK YOU FOR
YOUR WORK. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED.
OKAY MISS WILSON? YES THANK YOU
FOR LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF
YOUR, THE YOUTH IN YOUR
COMMUNITY, THANK YOU TO BOTH OF
YOU FOR YOUR EXCELLENT
TESTIMONY, YOU'RE MAKING A
DIFFERENCE BY BY SPEAKING OUT
AND THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS,
WORKING WITH YOUR ASSEMBLY
MEMBER. AND SO I WANT TO
CONGRATULATE YOU FOR AN
EXCELLENT JOB DONE. HAPPY TO
SUPPORT THE BILL. WOULD YOU LIKE
TO CLOSE? YES. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. MEMBERS, FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. TO MY WITNESSES IN
SUPPORT AS WELL AS MY SPONSOR,
AND EVEN THE LAST PERSON THAT
SPOKE UP IN ME TOO, WAS HER
FATHER, WHO IS AN EXCELLENT
DRIVER AND MADE SURE THAT SHE
GOT HERE SAFELY. AND TO ALL
THOSE THAT SIGNED ON AS ME, TO
THE YOUNG PEOPLE, WHAT'S REALLY
NEAT ABOUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW,
THAT THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW
PROGRAM IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT,
I THINK, AS LEGISLATORS TO
LISTEN TO OUR ANOTHER WAY TO
ENGAGE WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS.
BUT WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS
PARTICULAR STORY AND WHY IT ROSE
TO THE TOP WAS BECAUSE, AS
ASSEMBLY MEMBER BONTA NOTED,
THERE LIVED EXPERIENCE AT THEIR
AGE BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE THEIR
GOVERNMENT AND PETITION THEIR
GOVERNMENT AND SAYING SOMETHING
SHOULD CHANGE, AND THEN BEING
ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY AND
TESTIFYING AS SUCH AND WE LOOK
FORWARD TO GETTING THIS ACROSS
THE FINISH LINE. AND I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR VOTE.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MOTION'S
BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
BILL. ITEM TEN AB 2229. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS AS AMENDED, TO
APPROPRIATIONS. MURATSUCHI. ALL
RIGHT. MURATSUCHI I LARA I FLORA
I ADDIS I ADDIS I ALVAREZ
ALVAREZ I BONTA I HOOVER HOOVER
I MCCARTY. SIX ZERO THE BILL IS
OUT. CONGRATULATIONS THANK YOU
MR. EASILY ALL RIGHT. GOOD JOB.
LOOKS LIKE MR. STALEY MIGHT HAVE
SCORED SOME SOME, SOME POINTS
WITH, THAT THAT MOVE, BUT, THANK
YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, THIS IS
FILE ITEM 23 AB 30880. WHAT.
3038. OH, I'M SORRY, IT'S, 3038.
WHAT'S THAT? 3038. YEAH, YEAH.
OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. ALL
RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR. GOOD AFTERNOON,
COMMITTEE, I'M HERE TO PRESENT
ASSEMBLY BILL 3038, WHICH WILL
REQUIRE SPECIALLY TRAINED POLICE
OFFICERS, KNOWN AS SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICERS OR SROS, ON
EVERY K THROUGH 12 CAMPUS
SERVING MORE THAN 50 STUDENTS,
BY 2027. SINCE THE EARLY 2000,
THE UNITED STATES HAS
EXPERIENCED AN EPIDEMIC OF
SCHOOL SHOOTINGS AS INCIDENTS
HAVE RAPIDLY RISEN IN THE NUMBER
AND LETHALITY AND HOW LETHAL
THEY ARE. ACCORDING TO THE MOST
RECENT DATA AVAILABLE FROM THE
NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION
STATISTICS, THERE WERE 188
SCHOOL SHOOTINGS WITH AT LEAST
ONE CASUALTY DURING THE 2021
2022 SCHOOL YEAR. FROM 2018 TO
2023, CALIFORNIA ALONE
EXPERIENCED 96 SCHOOL SHOOTING
INCIDENCES BEYOND SCHOOL
SHOOTINGS, GENERAL PUBLIC SAFETY
ISSUES HAVE INCREASED IN THE
AFTERMATH OF COVID 19 AND THE
RETURN TO IN-PERSON SCHOOLING.
NATIONALLY, 38% OF SCHOOLS
SURVEYED REPORTED AN INCREASE IN
PHYSICAL ATTACKS OR FIGHTS
BETWEEN STUDENTS, ON SCHOOL AND
45% REPORTED INCREASED THREATS
OF PHYSICAL ATTACKS OR FIGHTS.
WHILE SOME SCHOOLS MAINTAIN
THEIR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT LIKE
LOS ANGELES UNIFIED OR CONTRACT
WITH OUTSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENTS,
TO STATION SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS ON CAMPUS. MORE THAN A
DOZEN MAJOR CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
DISTRICTS HAVE MOVED TO CUT SUCH
PROGRAMS. OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS
WHO INITIALLY CUT THE SRO
PROGRAMS REVERSED COURSE SHORTLY
AFTER, INCLUDING POMONA UNIFIED,
WHICH VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO BRING
BACK SROS AFTER A SHOOTING NEAR
POMONA HIGH SCHOOL, ONLY 14% OF
SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE WESTERN
US HAVE REPORTED HAVING AT LEAST
ONE FULL TIME SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICER IN 2022, BUT 87% OF
SCHOOLS WITH AN SRO REPORTED
THAT THESE OFFICERS HAVE HAD A
POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR SCHOOLS
AND COMMUNITY. NOTHING SHOULD BE
MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SAFETY
OF OUR SCHOOLS, AND NO STUDENT
SHOULD HAVE TO WORRY THAT THEY
WILL BE A VICTIM OF A SCHOOL
SHOOTING, OR ANOTHER VIOLENT
INCIDENT WHILE ON CAMPUS. SROS,
WHEN USED AND TRAINED PROPERLY,
ARE NOT ONLY A SAFETY MEASURE
AGAINST VIOLENT INCIDENCES, BUT
ALSO ACT AS A RESOURCE FOR
STUDENTS BUILDING COMMUNITY
POLICING PRINCIPLES INTO SCHOOL
CAMPUSES IS, I NOW WOULD LIKE TO
INTRODUCE MY WITNESSES HERE TO
TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL.
I HAVE JASON MOOK, PRESIDENT OF
THE LOS ANGELES POLICE
MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, AND GIL
GÓMEZ, PRESIDENT OF THE LOS
ANGELES SCHOOL POLICE OFFICERS
ASSOCIATION. I'LL GO. GOOD,
COMMITTEE MEMBERS. GOOD
AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR.
CHAIR. I'VE BEEN WITH THE LOS
ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
FOR THE LAST 31 YEARS AS A
POLICE OFFICER WORKING ON AND
OFF SCHOOL CAMPUSES. IN THAT
TIME, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF
DIFFERENT INCIDENTS. I'VE BEEN
ASSIGNED TO DIFFERENT SCHOOL
CAMPUSES. I'VE BEEN ASSIGNED TO
PATROL, WE'RE REALLY THERE TO
ADVOCATE FOR THESE KIDS WHEN
WE'RE ON CAMPUS, WE GOT DEFUNDED
BACK IN 2020 AND PULLED OFF
CAMPUSES. AND SINCE THAT TIME,
WE'VE SEEN A 200% SPIKE IN CRIME
ON CAMPUSES IN LA UNIFIED. AND
THESE ARE ROBBERIES, DRUG
OFFENSES, WEAPONS ON CAMPUS,
I'VE SEEN MORE EDGED WEAPON
ATTACKS THAN I'VE SEEN IN THE
LAST FIVE YEARS. IN MY 31 YEAR
CAREER, AND ASSAULTS ON STAFF
ARE WAY UP. THIS HAS TO STOP, WE
HAVE TO COME. THERE NEEDS TO BE
SOME SORT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT
SCHOOL SAFETY. AND THAT'S WHAT
THIS BILL DOES. IT BRINGS A
CONVERSATION ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY
AT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AND
AND KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE. WHEN
I WALKED IN HERE TODAY, I PASSED
NO MORE THAN SIX ARMED OFFICERS
AND HAD TO WALK THROUGH A METAL
DETECTOR. WHY ARE WE NOT
PROVIDING THE SAME SERVICES FOR
OUR KIDS? WE NEED TO PROTECT
THEM. THE THINGS THAT WE DO ON
CAMPUS, WE PROVIDE. WE HAVE PALS
AND PAMS PROGRAMS FOR THESE,
KIDS THAT WE PROVIDE, WE PROVIDE
AN EXPLORERS PROGRAM. WE SERVE
AS ROLE MODELS. I CAN'T TELL YOU
HOW MANY KIDS THROUGHOUT THE
LAST 31 YEARS THAT I'VE MENTORED
ON CAMPUS, AND THAT STILL KEEP
IN CONTACT WITH ME TODAY, IT'S
NOT PRISON TO PIPELINE OFFICERS
ON CAMPUS ARE NOT THAT WE'RE
THERE TO PROTECT STUDENTS,
STAFF, PARENTS, AND THE
COMMUNITY AT LARGE. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS GIL
GÓMEZ. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE
LA SCHOOL POLICE OFFICERS
ASSOCIATION. LIKE MY PARTNER
SAID, WE WERE DEFUNDED. A THIRD
OF OUR BUDGET, $25 MILLION, WAS
TAKEN FROM, OUR BUDGET AND GIVEN
TO ANOTHER PROGRAM IN THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT, AND AFTER AN ANALYSIS
OF EVERYTHING, THE BIGGEST ISSUE
WAS NOT REMOVING THE POLICE
OFFICERS FROM CAMPUS BECAUSE THE
POLICE OFFICERS WERE PREYING ON
STUDENTS AND STAFF TRYING TO
ARREST THEM. THE BIGGEST ISSUE
WAS STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS AND
DEANS AND TEACHERS HAD PROBLEMS
THEY COULD NOT AND WERE NOT
TRAINED TO HANDLE, PROBLEMS LIKE
VICTIMS REPORTING THAT THEY WERE
THE VICTIMS OF ROBBERIES, OF
VICTIMS REPORTING THEY WERE THE
VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE,
VICTIMS REPORTING THEY WERE THE
VICTIMS OF MANY VIOLENT CRIMES.
TEACHERS DID NOT SIGN UP TO DEAL
WITH CHILDREN WHO CHASE OTHER
CHILDREN AROUND SCHOOLS WITH
LOADED GUNS. THIS WAS A 13 YEAR
OLD LITTLE GIRL WHO HAD A HOST
OF ISSUES, AND OUR OFFICERS
RESPONDED EXTREMELY
APPROPRIATELY. ONCE WE HAD THE
YOUNG LADY, WE BROUGHT HER FOOD.
WE GOT A FEMALE COUNSELOR IN
THERE AND WE PLEADED FOR HER.
AND AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR SHE TOLD
US WHERE, THE GUN THAT SHE HAD
WAS FOUND. SHE WAS CHASING
ANOTHER STUDENT AROUND CAMPUS
WITH THIS LOADED GUN BECAUSE SHE
HAD HER OWN ISSUES. SHE GOT THE
PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP THAT SHE
NEEDED. AND DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY
SERVICES STEPPED IN AND HELPED
HER IN HER FAMILY. THIS IS A
PICTURE OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL WHERE
THERE WAS AN ADULT MALE, TRYING
TO LURE YOUNG LITTLE GIRLS OVER
TO HIS CAR. IT'S AN AK 47. A
WEAPON OF WAR, A SHOTGUN WITH A
PISTOL GRIP, A NON-CALIFORNIA
COMPLIANT SHOTGUN, HANDGUNS,
MULTIPLE, MAGAZINES AND EQUIPPED
TO CARRY HUNDREDS OF AMMUNITION.
AND THE MAGAZINES WERE EVEN
TAPED TOGETHER. SO ONCE 30
ROUNDS OF THE BULLETS WERE SHOT,
THEY COULD FLIP IT OVER AND
SHOOT ANOTHER 30 ROUNDS, COULD
ASK YOU TO TRY TO WRAP UP, WRAP
IT UP NOW. WE WERE REMOVED FROM
CAMPUS AND THE EDGE WEAPONS
ATTACKS ARE RIDICULOUS. OUR
OFFICERS ARE RESPONDING TO
MULTIPLE STABBINGS ON CAMPUS AND
THEY'RE NOT EVEN THERE AS A
DETERRENT ANYMORE. THEY'RE THERE
TO PUT ON MULTIPLE TOURNIQUET
CGRTS AND HELP TREAT THE
VICTIMS, I'M COMING WITH HAT IN
HAND. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SOLVE THIS.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ANSWER WAS
TO HIRE, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
THAT HIRE EX-CONVICTS, FORMERLY
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS OF 20
YEARS TO REPLACE US ON CAMPUS. I
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. PUBLIC COMMENTS
IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, PLEASE
COME FORWARD.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS.
RYAN SHERMAN WITH RIVERSIDE
SHERIFFS ASSOCIATION IN SUPPORT,
AS WELL AS, SUPPORT OF MONTEREY
COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFFS
ASSOCIATION, PLACER COUNTY
DEPUTY SHERIFFS AND POLICE.
OFFICER ASSOCIATIONS OF ARCADIA,
BURBANK, CLAREMONT, CORONA,
CULVER CITY, FULLERTON,
MURRIETA, NEWPORT BEACH, NOVATO,
POMONA, RIVERSIDE, SANTA ANA,
UPLAND, AND THE CALIFORNIA
COALITION OF SCHOOL SAFETY
PROFESSIONALS. ALL THIS POSE,
THEY ALL REPRESENT AND WORK WITH
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. SEEING
NO FURTHER WITNESSES, ANY,
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO THE
BILL, PLEASE COME FORWARD. DON'T
DON'T SIT THERE. I WOULD RATHER
STAND HERE, CAN I? YEAH DO YOU
WANT ME TO GO? I'LL GO. OKAY. GO
AHEAD. TALKED EARLIER. THANK
YOU. BEHIND THE SCENES
CONVERSATION, JEFF FRATUS,
PRESIDENT OF CFT, A UNION OF
EDUCATORS AND CLASSIFIED
PROFESSIONALS. I'M HERE IN
OPPOSITION TO AB 3038, JUST A
LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT
ME. I GREW UP IN THE CENTRAL
VALLEY, LOS BANOS, WHERE I
ATTAINED MY HUNTING LICENSE
THROUGH TRAINING AND
CERTIFICATION, LATER ATTENDED
WEST POINT. I'VE HAD MORE
TRAINING IN IN FIREARMS AND
WEAPONS THAN MOST EDUCATORS,
MOST PEOPLE IN OUR SCHOOLS OTHER
THAN SROS. MY POINT IS THAT I'VE
GROWN UP AND HAVE THIS
EXPERIENCE, AND I HAVE THE
PROPER UNDERSTANDING AND USE AND
PURPOSE OF FIREARMS AND WEAPONS,
WEAPONS OF WAR. I'M ALSO A HIGH
SCHOOL MATH TEACHER AND
BASKETBALL COACH BY TRADE. I WAS
IN THE CLASSROOM IN CALIFORNIA,
MIND YOU, WHEN COLUMBINE
HAPPENED EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR
AFTER ON THE ANNIVERSARY, WE HAD
ANXIETY ABOUT WHAT MIGHT OCCUR.
WE WOULD WE WOULD HOPE THAT
APRIL 20TH WOULD BE ON A WEEKEND
. BUT I KNOW ADDING GUNS TO OUR
SCHOOLS DOES NOT CREATE A SAFE
AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR
ANYONE, WHETHER THEY'RE AN
EDUCATOR OR A STUDENT OR A
PARENT. THAT'S WHY WE OPPOSE
THIS BILL, AND REQUIRING ARMED
SROS OR SECURITY GUARDS, THEY
DON'T BUILD THE ENVIRONMENT THAT
WE NEED FOR ALL STUDENTS,
STUDENTS THAT COME FROM
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE
HISTORICALLY BEEN TARGETED BY
ARMED POLICE OFFICERS, BLACK AND
BROWN STUDENTS, LGBTQ STUDENTS
AND OTHER STUDENTS THAT HAVE A
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND THAT HAVE
BEEN TARGETED DURING THE GROWTH
OF THIS COUNTRY. OF ARMED
OFFICERS IN OUR SCHOOLS, WE HAVE
SEEN A GROWTH OF SHOOTING IN OUR
SCHOOLS. LET ME JUST POINT OUT
THAT THERE WAS AN SRO ON CAMPUS
IN PARKLAND WHEN 17 PEOPLE DIED.
THERE WERE ARMED OFFICERS FOR
OVER AN HOUR UVALDI WHEN
STUDENTS CONTINUED TO BE SHOT
AND KILLED. THERE WAS, IN FACT
IN SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOL IN
TEXAS, WHERE THEY PRAISED THE
BRAVERY OF ARMED SROS, THAT
STOPPED A SHOOTING AFTER EIGHT
STUDENTS AND TWO STAFF MEMBERS
WERE KILLED. IT DID NOT STOP THE
SHOOTING. CAN I ASK YOU TO TRY
TO WRAP UP? SURE WHAT WE NEED IN
OUR SCHOOLS, OUR NURSES AND
COUNSELORS, WE DON'T NEED GUNS.
THIS IS NOT THE DIRECTION THAT
WE NEED TO DO. WE NEED COMMON
GUN SENSE LAWS. THAT'S WHAT WE
NEED TO VOTE ON. I ASK YOU TO
VOTE NO ON THIS BILL. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS
MALAIKA PARKER. I'M FROM THE
BLACK ORGANIZING PROJECT, AND I
JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING,
JUST BECAUSE I'M NERVOUS AND I
DON'T WANT TO FORGET TO SAY
THIS, THAT THE ACCOUNTING THAT
WE HEARD HERE ABOUT THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUNG
PEOPLE AND POLICE ON ON SITE IS
NOT IN CONNECTION WITH THE
ACTUAL LIVED EXPERIENCE OF MOST
BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN WHO
EXPERIENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES
A OVERPOLICING, A DEEP, DEEP
SENSE OF CRIMINALIZATION AND
JUST A LACK OF RESPECT FOR
CHILDREN BEHAVIOR. YES, CHILDREN
FIGHT SOMETIMES, AND IT IS A
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ADULTS TO
DE-ESCALATE AND TO HELP RESOLVE
AND GET US TO A PLACE WHERE
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE IN, IN GREATER
COMMUNITY THAT DOES NOT MEAN
THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE DEEPER
INTERACTIONS WITH POLICING THAT
DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY NEED TO
BE FEARFUL THAT EVERYTHING THAT
THEY DO AS CHILDREN WILL BE
TREATED AS A CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.
SO I WANT TO START THERE, I'M
HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE
BLACK ORGANIZING PROJECT AND
REPRESENTING BLACK STUDENTS,
PARENTS. AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
WHO JUST WHO JUST EXCUSE ME,
JUST THREE SHORT YEARS AGO, WON
THE ELIMINATION OF THE OAKLAND
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE
DEPARTMENT. THIS ONE WAS A STEP
IN THE DIRECTION OF CREATING
TRUE SAFETY IN SCHOOLS THROUGH
OUR COLLECTIVE LABOR, WE HAVE
WORKED TO IDENTIFY PRACTICES,
POLICIES, AND WAYS OF BEING WITH
CHILDREN THAT ARE FOCUSED ON
HOLISTIC PREVENTATIVE PRACTICES.
AS WE UNDERSTAND THAT NOT ONLY
DO MORE POLICE KEEP CHILDREN,
NOT KEEP CHILDREN SAFE, IT ALSO
RESULTS IN MORE HARM. IT
CREATES, DISCONNECTION FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE WHO ALREADY EXPERIENCED
POLICING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT BLACK AND
BROWN CHILDREN AND
NEURODIVERGENT CHILDREN ARE AT
RISK OF GREATER POLICING. WHEN
POLICE ARE ON SITE. WE ALSO KNOW
THAT SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS
ARE NOT APPROPRIATELY TRAINED TO
ENGAGE WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. PART
OF OUR PUSH IS TO ENSURE THAT
THERE ARE APPROPRIATE TRAINING
MECHANISMS FOR THE ADULTS THAT
ARE ON SITE AND FOR GREATER,
GREATER BUDGETING FOR MORE
ROBUST RESOURCES, FOR TRAINING
OF STAFF FOR MORE WELLNESS
PRACTITIONERS, AND FOR VIOLENCE
PREVENTION SERVICES. CAN I ASK
YOU TO WRAP UP? SURE. THIS BILL
AND OTHERS OF ITS KIND THREATEN
TO TREAT OUR CHILDREN AS FODDER
FOR AN UNJUST AND UNEVEN
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. I STAND
WITH BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES
ACROSS THE NATION, ASKING YOU TO
DO WHAT IS IN YOUR PURVIEW TODAY
AND EVERY DAY, NOT TO MOVE
FORWARD WITH LEGISLATION THAT
IS, THAT OFFERS HARMFUL
PRACTICES AND THAT REALLY TREATS
OUR CHILDREN, BLACK AND BROWN
CHILDREN AND CHILDREN LIVING IN
POVERTY AS AS A SIDELINE FOR
MAKING SOME PEOPLE FEEL SAFE. WE
WANT YOU ALL TO LOOK AT
LEGISLATION THAT ACTUALLY
ENCOMPASSES FULL WHOLENESS AND
WELLNESS IN SCHOOLS, THAT
ENGAGES EVERYONE, THAT DOESN'T
JEOPARDIZE SOME CHILDREN AT THE
BENEFIT OF OTHERS. THANK YOU,
THANK YOU. PUBLIC COMMENTS. IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL, PLEASE
COME FORWARD. HELLO, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS RACHEL BHAGWAT FROM ACLU
CALIFORNIA ACTION. IN OPPOSITION
TO THIS BILL, THERE'S A LARGE
NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSING
THIS, BUT WITH RESPECT, I'LL ADD
THE OPPOSITION OF DISABILITY
RIGHTS, CALIFORNIA PUBLIC
ADVOCATES, YOUTH JUSTICE
EDUCATION CLINIC AT LOYOLA LAW
SCHOOL, DOLORES HUERTA
FOUNDATION, THE COLLECTIVE FOR
LIBERATORY LAWYERING STUDENTS
DESERVE LOS ANGELES CANCEL THE
CONTRACT. ANTELOPE VALLEY CIVIL
RIGHTS EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT
CENTER, INDIGENOUS JUSTICE
FRESNO BARRIOS UNIDOS, SAN JOSE
UNIFIED EQUITY COALITION,
CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE FOR YOUTH
AND COMMUNITY JUSTICE, AND THE
ALLIANCE FOR BOYS OF MEN AT
ALLIANCE FOR BOYS AND MEN OF
COLOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
GOOD EVENING, CHRIS REIF, ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
BOARDS ASSOCIATION, IN
OPPOSITION. THANK YOU. SEEING NO
FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
OPPOSITION, LET ME BRING IT BACK
TO THE COMMITTEE. MR. HOOVER,
THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD
, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO START, I
GUESS, WITH MY CONCERNS WITH THE
BILL AND THEN FINISH UP WITH
SOME OF THE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT
THE BILL. YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE
OF THE, I THINK POINTS THE CCPA
MAKES IN THEIR LETTER IS THE
FUNDING ISSUE. AND SO THE WAY I
REALLY LOOK AT THIS IS, I THINK
THIS IS A GREAT ASPIRATION. I
THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO DO I
THINK, BUT UNLESS THE STATE'S
READY TO POUR A LOT OF MONEY
INTO FUNDING THIS PROGRAM, WHICH
I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE
ARE, OR IF WE HAVE THE
CAPABILITY TO DO THAT. YOU KNOW,
THAT'S WHERE MY CONCERN LIES. I
THINK IT HAS TO BE KEPT AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL, SIMPLY BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW, THESE ARE REALLY EXPENSIVE
PROGRAMS. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK
THERE'S NOW ONLY 19 SCHOOL
POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE,
CHEN REALLY SPEAKING, THOSE ARE
IN LARGER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, MY
FORMER SCHOOL DISTRICT IS A
STRONG SUPPORTER OF SROS, AND WE
STILL ONLY HAVE THE BUDGET FOR
ABOUT FOUR IN OUR SCHOOL
DISTRICT. AND WE COULD USE MANY
MORE, GRANTED, BUT WE JUST DON'T
HAVE THE DOLLARS TO DO THAT. SO
I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE ONE
THING THAT I WOULD FLAG. THAT
BEING SAID, I THINK, THIS BODY
AND THIS STATE NEEDS TO DO MORE
TO SUPPORT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS ON OUR CAMPUSES, THAT
ARE KEEPING OUR STUDENTS SAFE,
IN MY FORMER DISTRICT, WHEN WE
POLLED PARENTS ON THIS ISSUE,
OVER 70% OF PARENTS STRONGLY
SUPPORT SROS ON OUR CAMPUSES,
YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING TO
SEE SOME OF THE OPPOSITION HERE,
TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, BECAUSE
TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS IN
THOSE DISTRICTS OVERWHELMINGLY
SUPPORT HAVING SROS, THERE THERE
ARE NEARLY 400 INCIDENTS OF
VIOLENCE EVERY YEAR ON THE
CAMPUS OR ON THE IN THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT WHERE I CAME FROM. AND,
THAT PUTS STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
AT RISK. YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK
ABOUT OTHER APPROACHES, BUT AT
THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN
SOMETHING VIOLENT IS HAPPENING,
WE NEED SOMEONE TO RESPOND. AND
IT SHOULDN'T BE A TEACHER AND IT
SHOULDN'T BE AN ADMINISTRATOR,
AND YOU KNOW, THE OTHER POINT I
ALWAYS TRY TO MAKE IS WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN WE GET RID OF SROS
AND THEN VIOLENCE OCCURS. WHAT
DOES THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DO OR
WHAT DOES THE ADMINISTRATOR DO?
THEY CALL LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND
THEY RESPOND FROM OUTSIDE OF
THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT. WHY WOULD
WE NOT INSTEAD WANT SOMEONE THAT
IS BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH
THESE STUDENTS TO BE RESPONDING
TO THESE INCIDENTS, RATHER THAN
A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL THAT
HAS NO RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE
STUDENTS? AND SO I ALWAYS, YOU
KNOW, POSE THAT QUESTION TO THE
OPPOSITION, WHEN IT'S TALKED
ABOUT IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
VIOLENCE ACTUALLY OCCURS. IF YOU
GET RID OF SROS, WHAT IS
ACTUALLY GOING TO HAPPEN? I
PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT HAVING
SROS ON OUR CAMPUSES IS A REALLY
CRITICAL WAY TO BUILD POSITIVE
RELATIONSHIPS WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT, SOMETHING THAT WE
DON'T GET ENOUGH OF. AND THAT IS
THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO. IT IS AND
I'VE SEEN OUR SROS IN MY
COMMUNITY AT WORK. THEY LOVE
THESE KIDS. THEY'RE THERE TO
SUPPORT THESE KIDS. AND YES,
THEY'RE THERE TO KEEP THEM SAFE
AS WELL. AND SO I WILL BE
SUPPORTING THE BILL TODAY, AND
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THOSE
THINGS. THANKS. THANK YOU. ANY
OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE
COMMITTEE, MR. ALVAREZ? I'D MAKE
SOME COMMENTS, FIRST OF ALL,
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE
TOPIC. I THINK THERE ARE A LOT
OF I TO HEAR FROM TEACHERS AND
ADMINISTRATORS. WE HAVE TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT THEIR,
THEIR IS IF YOU ARE A PARENT OR
YOU EVER TALK TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE
KIDS IN SCHOOLS, THERE ARE
INCIDENTS THAT ARE INCREASING,
THAT HAS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED. BUT
I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERY INCIDENT
REQUIRES SOMEONE WITH A WEAPON
TO BE ON CAMPUS, BUT I ALSO AM
NOT SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES THERE
SHOULD BE NOBODY AVAILABLE,
BECAUSE THERE ARE INCIDENTS WHEN
YOU DO NEED TO HAVE, PEOPLE WHO
ARE APPROPRIATELY TRAINED AND
WHO, CAN RESPOND APPROPRIATELY.
AND SO I THINK THAT I'M NOT SURE
THAT THIS BILL ACTUALLY ANALYZES
THAT. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE,
ESPECIALLY FROM A BUDGETARY
PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S ALWAYS A
PERSPECTIVE I HAVE TO LOOK AT
GIVEN GIVEN MY ROLE HERE IN THE
ASSEMBLY, IS WHAT IS THE RIGHT
NUMBER. YOU KNOW, YOU WORK AT A
CITY, THERE ARE STANDARDS FOR
HOW MANY OFFICERS PER CAPITA TO
IN ORDER TO ENFORCE, YOU KNOW,
LAWS AND MAKE SURE THAT YOUR,
YOUR, YOUR CITY HAS THE RIGHT
PERSONNEL, AND I THINK IT WOULD
BE WORTHY OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT
THAT IS IN A SCHOOL SETTING. I
THINK THAT THAT IS INFORMATION
THAT I WOULD FIND OF INTEREST,
AND THAT PERHAPS THAT
INFORMATION CAN HELP ME MAKE A
MUCH BETTER DECISION ON THIS.
BUT GIVEN SORT OF JUST THIS
BLANKET, EVERY SCHOOL WITH MORE
THAN 50 KIDS, THAT JUST DOESN'T
SEEM LIKE IT'S, BEEN WELL
RECEIVED. AND IN TERMS OF
UNDERSTANDING WHAT WHAT WHAT IS
THAT AT WHAT NUMBER DO YOU HAVE
ENOUGH PEOPLE AVAILABLE? SO I
HEAR REALLY TWO DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVES FROM THE TWO SIDES.
IT'S LIKE WE NEED THEM
EVERYWHERE AND WE DON'T NEED
THEM ANYWHERE. AND THAT'S NOT
WHERE I'M AT. WE NEED SOME. WE
NEED TO KNOW WHERE THEY NEED TO
GO. AND I DON'T THINK THE BILL
ACTUALLY RESPONDS TO THAT NEED.
AND SO I WON'T BE SUPPORTIVE OF,
BUT AM INTERESTED IN HEARING HOW
DO WE GET TO THE RIGHT NUMBER?
AND I WOULD BE ABLE TO, ENGAGE
IN THAT CONVERSATION AND SUPPORT
SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
THANK YOU, MISS BONTA. I THINK,
THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE FOR
YOUR VERY APT ANALYSIS. AND I
WOULD POINT TO SEVERAL OF THE
EVIDENTIARY, COMPONENT POINTS
THAT YOU OFFER TO BE ABLE TO
DISAVOW US OF THE BELIEF THAT
CHILDREN ARE SAFER WHEN WE HAVE
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS ON
CAMPUS HERE ON PAGE SIX, REVIEWS
OF THE LITERATURE HAVE SUGGESTED
THAT THERE IS INSUFFICIENT
EVIDENCE FOR DRAWING A
DEFINITIVE CONCLUSION ABOUT THE
OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS OF SCHOOL
BASED LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS,
AND THERE IS NO CONCLUSIVE
EVIDENCE THAT THE PRESENCE OF
SCHOOL BASED LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS
A POSITIVE EFFECT ON STUDENT
PERCEPTIONS OF SAFETY IN THEIR
CLASSROOMS. GOES ON TO SAY THAT
THE STUDY, A DIFFERENT STUDY,
ALSO REPORTS THAT SROS INTENSIFY
THE USE OF SUSPENSIONS,
EXPULSIONS, POLICE REFERRALS,
AND THE ARREST OF STUDENTS. AND
CERTAINLY WE ALL KNOW IT TO BE
TRUE THAT THERE'S A
DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON BLACK
AND BROWN STUDENTS WHEN THERE
ARE, POLICE OFFICERS CAUSING A
HIGHER LEVEL OF POLICE
ENGAGEMENT AND INTERACTION WITH
CHILDREN. THAT IS, FOR ME,
SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE SPENT A
LOT OF TIME IN THIS LEGISLATURE
ACTUALLY FIGHTING AGAINST AT
THIS TIME. THIS LEGISLATION FOR
ME IS A STEP BACKWARDS, NOT A
STEP FORWARD IN ANY REGARD. AND
I WOULD LOOK TO HAVE US FOCUS ON
LEGISLATION THAT ACTUALLY
INCREASES OUR OPPORTUNITY TO
MAKE STUDENTS FEEL SAFER BY
DOING THINGS LIKE MAKING SURE
THAT THE PREVALENCE OF GUNS IS
REDUCED, SO WITH THAT, I WILL
NOT BE SUPPORTING THIS BILL.
THANK YOU, MISS ADAMS, FIRST, I
WANT TO THANK OUR WITNESS. I'M
SORRY I DIDN'T CATCH YOUR NAME,
BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF BRAVERY TO
COME AND SPEAK. AND I DON'T
THINK WE CAN HAVE THIS
CONVERSATION WITHOUT
ACKNOWLEDGING, WHAT SOME OF
THESE INTERACTIONS DO TO BLACK
AND BROWN COMMUNITIES. AND I
WANT TO APPRECIATE YOU. I
APPRECIATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER BONTA
FOR BEING CONSISTENT AND
REMINDING US OF THAT PIECE. ON A
PERSONAL LEVEL, I HAVE
INTERACTED WITH SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS, AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY
THANK YOU TO YOU, I HAVE HAD A
VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE AND I
DON'T SAY THIS TO UNDERMINE
WHAT'S BEEN SAID IN OTHER
COMMUNITIES, BUT I JUST WANT TO
SAY I KNOW THERE ARE POSITIVE
INTERACTIONS. I DON'T BELIEVE
MORE GUNS ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES IS
GOING TO HELP US, THOUGH I'M
SENSITIVE TO THE PREDICAMENT
THAT YOU JUST SAID YOU CAME HAT
IN HAND, AND I REALLY RELATE TO
THE FRUSTRATION OF FEELING LIKE
FUNDS ARE CUT AND THEN SCHOOLS
ARE GOING TO OTHER SOURCES TO DO
A JOB THAT YOU WERE ALREADY
DOING. I THINK THOSE ARE ALL,
ALL OF THIS VALID AT ITS CORE,
THOUGH, THIS IS BLANKET
LEGISLATION AND I DON'T THINK WE
HAVE A BLANKET PROBLEM. I THINK
THERE ARE ISSUES WHERE POSSIBLY
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS ARE
NEEDED. AND IN MY SITUATION,
ARMED OFFICERS WEREN'T NEEDED.
BUT HAVING AN OFFICER WAS VERY
BENEFICIAL. SO I DO. I RELATE TO
WHAT ASSEMBLY MEMBER ALVAREZ
SAID THAT WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK
AT THIS WITH A MUCH FINER POINT.
INSTEAD OF HAVING EVERY SCHOOL,
EVERY DISTRICT, EVERY COMMUNITY,
IT'S JUST NOT THE CASE. I DON'T
THINK THE DATA SHOWS IT'S THE
CASE, AND I DON'T THINK THE DATA
SHOWS THAT GUNS ON SCHOOL
CAMPUSES MAKE KIDS SAFE. AND WE
NEED TO HAVE THAT DEEPER
CONVERSATION THAT THE
LEGISLATURE HAS DUG INTO BEFORE
MY TIME OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN
BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES IS
VERY DETRIMENTAL AND VERY
DIFFERENT, SO IT'S SOLELY FOR
THOSE REASONS THAT I CAN'T
SUPPORT THIS, BUT, BUT WANT TO
REALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SERVICE AND APPRECIATE IT, YOU
KNOW, THERE ARE OFFICERS ON
CAMPUSES THAT DO A GOOD JOB, AND
I DON'T WANT TO UNDERMINE THAT
IN NOT SUPPORTING THIS BILL.
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS
FROM THE COMMITTEE SEEING NONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SALIH,
FOR, BRINGING THIS CONVERSATION,
TO THE LEGISLATURE, I WOULD
AGREE WITH MISS ADDIS THAT, YOU
KNOW, I AM AWARE OF POSITIVE
EXPERIENCES WITH SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS. THE SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICER AT MY DAUGHTER'S PUBLIC
HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, MAKES
EFFORTS TO GET TO KNOW THE
STUDENTS, DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS.
A TRUE EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW,
WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER COMMUNITY
BASED POLICING. YOU KNOW,
PREVENTING PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY
GET OUT OF HAND. AND SO I THINK
THERE IS A ROLE IN A PLACE FOR
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS. YOU
KNOW, AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK
WE'VE HAD A CONSISTENT THEME,
MR. SALIH, THAT, YOU KNOW, I
WOULD CITE THE OFTEN, YOU KNOW,
THE PRINCIPAL OFTEN ATTRIBUTED
TO CONSERVATIVES THAT WE SHOULD
HAVE LOCAL CONTROL ON THIS, THAT
IT SHOULD BE UP TO LOCAL SCHOOL
DISTRICTS TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW,
WHETHER THEY WANT SCHOOL, ARMED
SCHOOL DISTRICT, OFFICERS OR NOT
, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS OR
NOT. AND SO FOR THAT REASON, I
WILL NOT BE VOTING FOR YOUR
BILL. BUT YOU HAVE THE FINAL
WORD. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, WITH
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I THINK
THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN IS A
NATIONAL ISSUE. IT'S NOT A LOCAL
ISSUE. AND THE REASON I PROPOSE
THIS BILL AND PROPOSED THAT AN
OFFICER BE PRESENT ON EVERY
CAMPUS IS BECAUSE I'VE GIVEN
THIS A LOT OF THOUGHT. WHEN
THERE'S ANOTHER SCHOOL SHOOTING,
I'M NOT GOING TO BE THE ONE
WHO'S JUST OFFERS THOUGHTS AND
PRAYERS. I'M SOMEONE WHO'S GOING
TO HAVE OFFERED A SOLUTION THAT
WILL HAVE AT LEAST GIVEN THIS
KIDS A CHANCE TO SURVIVE. WHEN I
LOOK AT THE SHOOTING, FOR
EXAMPLE, IN NASHVILLE, WHERE
ARMED GUN PERSON CAME IN AND
STARTED SHOOTING, IT TOOK THE
POLICE 11 MINUTES TO GET THERE.
SIX PEOPLE DIED IN THAT TIME. AS
SOON AS THE POLICE GOT THERE,
THEY WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE AND
KILL THE SHOOTER, PREVENTING
THEM FROM KILLING OTHER STUDENTS
. THIS IS THE REALITY THAT WE
LIVE IN. GUNS ARE NEVER GOING
AWAY. WE HAVE THE SECOND
AMENDMENT IN THE UNITED STATES,
AND WE'RE NEVER GETTING RID OF
GUNS. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO
GIVE OUR OUR KIDS A CHANCE TO
SURVIVE WHEN AN OUTSIDE THREAT
COMES ON CAMPUS? AND I WOULD SAY
IF THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT
ARMED OFFICERS PROVIDE ANY FORM
OF SAFETY, WHY DO WE HAVE ARMED
SERGEANTS IN THE CAPITAL? WHY
DON'T YOU GUYS VOTE TO GET RID
OF OUR ARMED SERGEANTS? IT'S
JUST NOT. I'M SORRY, BUT I DON'T
BELIEVE IT'S A VERY GENUINE
ARGUMENT. POLICE OFFICERS WHO
ARE TRAINED, ESPECIALLY SROS,
WHO ARE SPECIFICALLY TRAINED TO
INTERACT WITH STUDENTS, ARE THE
SAFEST PEOPLE TO HAVE ON CAMPUS,
AND THEY'RE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO
HAVE THE ABILITY TO ENGAGE AND
STOP A DEADLY THREAT THAT FACES
A TEACHER, ADMINISTRATOR OR A
STUDENT. THAT'S WHY I INTRODUCED
THIS BILL. AND TO THE
OPPOSITION, WHO SAYS THAT THESE
OFFICERS CREATE A DANGEROUS OR
HARMFUL ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS
. SO I SAID GUNS DID NOT THE.
OKAY, WELL, THE OFFICERS WITH
THE GUNS I WOULD SAY, IS THIS A
BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR A
STUDENT? SO I JUST I DON'T I
DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE
CONCERNS ABOUT BLACK AND BROWN
KIDS, YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED
ABOUT THE BLACK AND BROWN KIDS
WHO ARE GETTING HURT ON CAMPUS,
NOT JUST THE ONES OFFENDING. I
CARE DEEPLY ABOUT ALL KIDS. SO
FOR THAT, MR. CHAIR, I HOPE THE
COMMITTEE WILL RECONSIDER AND DO
SOMETHING ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE AND
SCHOOL SHOOTINGS. WHAT'S THE
COMMITTEE'S SOLUTION? I'VE BEEN
OFFERED NO AMENDMENTS AND
THERE'S BEEN NO ENGAGEMENT. SO
WITH THAT, I RESPECTFULLY
REQUEST THAT THE COMMITTEE VOTE
AYE ON THIS BILL. THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR. THANK YOU, WE NEED A
MOTION AND A SECOND. SECOND.
OKAY, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL. FILE ITEM 23, AB
3038. THE MOTION IS DUE PASSED
TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
MURATSUCHI NØ MURATSUCHI NØ LARA
LARA I ADDIS. NO. ADDIS. NO.
ALVAREZ. NO. ALVAREZ NO. BONTA.
NO. NO. HOOVER HOOVER I MCCARTY.
2 TO 4. THE MEASURE FAILS. THANK
YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. ALL
RIGHT, MR. HOOVER. MR. HOOVER.
NO, NO, NO. OH, NO, WE DO HAVE
TIME. GABRIEL. OH. I'M SORRY.
YES? MR. GABRIEL HAS BEEN
SITTING. SHE'LL STILL MAKE IT.
OKAY OKAY. I THOUGHT SHE NEEDED
TO LEAVE AT 630. YEAH OKAY. SO
YOU'RE GOING TO GO BEFORE. ARE
WE UP? YES, THANK YOU, MR.
GABRIEL. FILE ITEM 13, AB 2316.
BILL. SECOND. YES I KNOW. THIS
YOU, TANYA? OH, QUITE A EXPOSURE
TO THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE.
YEAH, YEAH, IT REALLY HAS BEEN.
YEAH, YEAH. ALL RIGHT, MR.
GABRIEL, THE FLOOR IS YOURS,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR.
AND COLLEAGUES, I GATHER IT'S
BEEN A LONG AFTERNOON FOR ALL OF
YOU, SO I'M GOING TO BE
RELATIVELY BRIEF, BUT HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR ENGAGE
ON ANY OF THE SUBJECTS IN WHICH
YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION. AND
LET ME JUST START BY ACCEPTING
THE COMMITTEE'S PROPOSED
AMENDMENTS. I WANT TO THANK YOU,
MR. CHAIR, AND THE STAFF, FOR
THE THOUGHTFUL FEEDBACK AND
AMENDMENTS AND, YOU KNOW,
COMPLIMENTS TO THE STAFF ON THE
EXCELLENT ANALYSIS. I REALLY
APPRECIATE IT. I AM PLEASED
TODAY TO PRESENT AB 2316, WHICH
WOULD PROHIBIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
FROM SERVING FOODS CONTAINING
SEVERAL HARMFUL CHEMICALS THAT
HAVE BEEN LINKED TO SERIOUS
HARMS, INCLUDING CANCER,
HYPERACTIVITY AND
NEUROBEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS IN
CHILDREN. WE KNOW THESE
CHEMICALS ARE UNSAFE BECAUSE OF
RESEARCH DONE BY THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA IN 2021, A CALIFORNIA
COMMISSIONED RESEARCH RELEASED
BY THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY THAT CONCLUDED
CONSUMPTION OF SYNTHETIC FOOD
DYES CAN RESULT IN HYPERACTIVITY
AND OTHER NEUROBEHAVIORAL
PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN. THE REPORT
NOTED. THE DRAMATIC INCREASE IN
ADHD IN AMERICAN CHILDREN, AND
NOTED THAT THE FDA APPROVAL FOR
THESE DYES WAS BASED ON STUDIES
THAT WERE 35 TO 70 YEARS OLD AND
NOT EVEN DESIGNED TO DETECT
THESE ISSUES IN CHILDREN. THAT'S
WHY THE EUROPEAN UNION AND MANY
OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE BANNED,
RESTRICTED OR REQUIRED THESE
COLORING AGENTS TO MEET STRICT
LABELING REQUIREMENTS. LIKEWISE,
TITANIUM DIOXIDE AS A COLORING
AGENT OFTEN FOUND IN SUNSCREENS,
COSMETICS, PAINTS AND PLASTICS,
AND THAT IS PROBABLY ON THE
PAINT ON THIS WALL HAS BEEN
BANNED IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
SINCE 2022 FROM ALL FOOD, NOT
JUST FOODS, IN SCHOOLS, BECAUSE
OF STUDIES SHOWING ITS HARM TO
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, DNA AND
CHROMOSOMES. LIKEWISE AS THE EU
SEVERELY RESTRICTS OR
SPECIFICALLY REQUIRES SYNTHETIC
DYES TO CARRY A WARNING LABEL ON
A PRODUCT, NOTING THAT THEY CAN
CAUSE HARM TO HEART. KIDS ON A
PERSONAL LEVEL, AS A PARENT, AND
AS SOMEONE WHO WHO STRUGGLED
WITH ADHD AND AS A FATHER OF A
CHILD WHO HAS STRUGGLED WITH
ADHD, I FIND IT UNACCEPTABLE
THAT WE ALLOW OUR SCHOOLS TO
SERVE FOODS WITH ADDITIVES THAT
WE KNOW ARE CAUSING HARM TO OUR
CHILDREN, AND WE KNOW WILL
INTERFERE WITH THEIR ABILITY TO
LEARN. AND I WILL SAY, FOR THOSE
OF US THAT HAVE EVER WATCHED A
CHILD STRUGGLE, THAT IS A
DIFFICULT THING TO DO. WE SPENT
SIGNIFICANT TIME AND RESOURCES
ON INTERVENTIONS TO HELP OUR
KIDS SUCCEED. IT IS THEN
SELF-DEFEATING TO PROVIDE THEM
WITH SUPPORT AND THERAPY IN THE
MORNING AND THEN AT AT LUNCH,
EXPOSE THEM TO CHEMICALS THAT
ARE GOING TO MAKE THEIR
CHALLENGES HARDER. WE KNOW THAT
IF ONE KID IN A CLASS STRUGGLES
WITH BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, IT CAN
IMPACT THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
FOR ALL STUDENTS IN THAT CLASS.
LET ME BE CLEAR. THIS BILL WILL
NOT RESULT IN A BAN. IT'S NOT
GOING TO RESULT IN ANY PRODUCTS
OR FOODS COMING OFF THE SHELF.
WE ARE HOPING THAT ONE OF TWO
THINGS WILL HAPPEN. EITHER THESE
COMPANIES ARE GOING TO MAKE
MINOR MODIFICATIONS TO THEIR
RECIPES. BY THE WAY, THE SAME
MODIFICATIONS THAT THEY'VE
ALREADY MADE TO THEIR PRODUCTS
IN EUROPE AND SO MANY OTHER
COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, OR
SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL HAVE THE
OPTION TO SWITCH TO AN
ALTERNATIVE PRODUCT THAT MAY BE
SWITCHING FROM ONE BRAND OF
APPLESAUCE TO ANOTHER. THAT MAY
BE SWITCHING FROM SOMETHING LIKE
CHEETOS TO LAY'S POTATO CHIPS.
BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY,
MANY ALTERNATIVES OUT THERE. I'M
PROUD THAT THIS BILL IS
SUPPORTED BY A BROAD COALITION
OF LABOR, CONSUMER PROTECTION,
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CANCER
PREVENTION ORGANIZATIONS. AND
I'M VERY PLEASED TODAY TO HAVE
WITH ME TO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF
THE BILL, SCOTT FABER, THE
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, GOVERNMENT
AFFAIRS AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL
WORKING GROUP, AND KRISTIN
ZEALOT, THE SENIOR MANAGER FOR
K-12 NUTRITION STANDARDS AT EAT
REAL. THANK YOU AND RESPECTFULLY
REQUEST AN I VOTE. THANK YOU.
PLEASE PROCEED. ALL RIGHT. THANK
YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. WE STRONGLY
SUPPORT AB 2316. THESE DYES WERE
LAST APPROVED BY THE FDA 40 TO
50 YEARS AGO. LONG BEFORE
STUDIES COULD DETECT THEIR
EFFECTS ON BEHAVIOR. THE
OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE NOW SHOWS
THAT THE THESE DYES ARE MAKING
IT HARDER FOR SOME OF OUR KIDS
TO LEARN, ESPECIALLY OUR KIDS
WITH ADHD. CAL EPA'S
UNPRECEDENTED STUDY LOOKED AT
HUMAN STUDIES OF WHAT HAPPENS TO
KIDS WHEN THEY EAT DYES, AND
ANIMAL STUDIES OF WHAT HAPPENS
TO THEIR BRAINS, AND
CALIFORNIA'S STATE SCIENTISTS
CONCLUSIVELY DETERMINED THAT
SOME KIDS SUFFER FROM BEHAVIORAL
EFFECTS, INCLUDING HYPERACTIVITY
, AND THAT THESE DYES CHANGED
THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR BRAINS
AND HOW THE CHEMICALS IN THEIR
BRAINS TRANSMIT SIGNALS. EVEN
THE FDA, RELYING ON OUTDATED
SCIENCE FROM THE 1950S,
ACKNOWLEDGED IN 2011 THAT SOME
KIDS COULD BE IMPACTED BY THESE
DYES. THE BAD NEWS IS THE FDA
HAS NOT FLAGGED THESE CHEMICALS
FOR RECONSIDERATION AND HAS NOT
ASKED CONGRESS FOR ANY
ADDITIONAL MONEY TO CONDUCT
THESE REVIEWS. THE GOOD NEWS IS
THAT WE KNOW THESE COMPANIES CAN
PRODUCE FOODS WITHOUT THESE
DYES. AFTER OTHER COUNTRIES
PASSED LAWS TO REQUIRE WARNINGS
ON WARNINGS ON ON THESE ON
FOODS. WITH THESE DYES,
COMPANIES QUICKLY REPLACED THE
SYNTHETIC DYES IN PRODUCTS LIKE
THESE FROOT LOOPS MADE IN THE
UNITED STATES WITH NATURAL
COLORS, THESE FROOT LOOPS MADE
FOR CONSUMPTION IN CANADA, TOO.
THE SAME COMPANY, THE SAME
PRODUCT ONE HAS SYNTHETIC COLORS
LINKED TO HYPERACTIVITY. ONE
DOES NOT, BUT THE EVEN BETTER
NEWS IS THAT WE DON'T NEED TO
REFORMULATE SCHOOL FOODS TO
OFFER OUR KIDS FOODS WITHOUT
DYES. THE VAST, VAST MAJORITY OF
FOODS OFFERED IN OUR SCHOOLS DO
NOT HAVE THESE COLORS. OF THE
MORE THAN 10,000 FOODS OFFERED
THROUGH THE LUNCH LINE, ONLY
ABOUT 400 OR SO HAVE ONE OR MORE
OF THESE COLORS. WE'RE GOING TO
ASK YOU TO WRAP UP. YES SIR. OF
THE 1600 FOODS OFFERED THROUGH
THE A LA CARTE LINE, ONLY ABOUT
40 OR SO HAVE THESE COLORS PRIOR
TO JOINING EWG, I WORKED FOR THE
GROCERY MANUFACTURERS
ASSOCIATION. I WAS THEIR HEAD OF
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS. WE ALL KNOW
WHAT THE INDUSTRY WILL TELL YOU
THAT THE FDA WILL COVER THIS,
THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SCIENCE,
THAT OUR SCHOOL FOOD
PROFESSIONALS CAN'T DO THIS.
THERE'S A MOUNTAIN OF EVIDENCE
THAT THESE DYES ARE HARMING OUR
KIDS. THE FDA HAS EXITED THE
FIELD AND NO ONE WILL WORK
HARDER TO PROTECT OUR KIDS THAN
OUR SCHOOL FOOD PROFESSIONALS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD
EVENING, ASSEMBLY MEMBERS. MY
NAME IS CHRIS ANCELOT AND I'M
THE SENIOR MANAGER OF K THROUGH
12 NUTRITION AND STANDARDS FOR
NONPROFIT HEALTH ORGANIZATION
EAT REAL. I AM ALSO A MOM OF A
THREE YEAR OLD WHO IS SOON GOING
TO BE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SO I'M
VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS
ISSUE. I HAVE OVER TEN YEARS OF
EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH SCHOOL
FOOD PROFESSIONALS HERE IN
CALIFORNIA, WHO ARE TIRELESSLY
WORKING TO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS
HAVE ACCESS TO MEALS THAT
SUPPORT THE HEALTH AND THEIR
ABILITY TO LEARN. I AM HERE
TODAY IN STRONG SUPPORT OF AB
2316. AS I SEE THIS LEGISLATION
A VITAL STEP TOWARDS PROTECTING
THE HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN AND
THEIR ABILITY TO THRIVE. SCHOOL
DISTRICTS ARE ALREADY REMOVING
THESE DYES ON THEIR OWN
VOLITION, AND THEY'RE DOING THIS
WITHOUT MAJOR CHALLENGES. AS I
HAVE WITNESSED THIS FIRSTHAND
WITH THE 14 SCHOOL DISTRICTS
THAT ARE IN WORKING WITH EAT
REAL, OUR NONPROFIT, AND I'VE
ACTUALLY SEEN POSITIVE EFFECTS
ON THESE PROGRAMS AS THEY'VE
MOVED TO REMOVE, REMOVE THESE
FOOD DYES FROM THEIR MEAL
PROGRAMS. THIS BILL WOULD ONLY
IMPACT A SMALL SUBSET OF
PRODUCTS CURRENTLY BEING SOLD.
AND AS STATED, DISTRICTS HAVE
ALTERNATIVES THAT THEY CAN
CHOOSE FROM TO MEET THE FEDERAL
SCHOOL MEAL REQUIREMENTS. THERE
IS ALSO AMPLE EVIDENCE THAT THE
FOOD MANUFACTURERS CAN
REFORMULATE THESE PRODUCTS TO
REMOVE THE DYES, AS DEMONSTRATED
FROM THE FOOD MANUFACTURERS.
PARDON ME, THAT FOOD FOOD
MANUFACTURERS CAN REMOVE THESE
DYES, AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE
EXAMPLE TODAY AND ALSO BY
CONSUMER DEMAND IN THE PRIVATE
SECTOR. SO WE KNOW THAT IT'S
POSSIBLE. I SEE THIS AS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR INNOVATION AND
BUILDING TRANSPARENCY IN THE
FOOD THAT WE SERVE IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS. FINALLY, PARENTS AND
CAREGIVERS SUPPORT THIS BILL. AS
I UNDERSTAND THE DIRECT IMPACT,
THE BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES HAVE
ON THE ABILITY FOR CHILDREN TO
LEARN AND THRIVE, THIS BILL WILL
ENSURE THAT THE MEALS THAT ARE
SERVED TO STUDENTS DURING THE
SCHOOL DAY WILL NOURISH THEM
WITHOUT THE RISK FOR HARMFUL
SIDE EFFECTS. AS A NUTRITION
PROFESSIONAL AND AS A MOM, I
BELIEVE PRIORITIZING STUDENT
HEALTH IS PARAMOUNT. WHILE
FOCUSING ON REAL FOOD
INGREDIENTS THAT ARE CRITICAL
FOR THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
OF OUR CHILDREN. THE ONLY COLORS
THAT I WANT TO SEE ON MY
CHILDREN'S PLATES ARE THE REAL
VIBRANT COLORS OF REAL WHOLE
FOODS. LET'S PRIORITIZE STUDENT
HEALTH AND PASS THIS BILL. THANK
YOU, THANK YOU. PUBLIC COMMENTS
IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, PLEASE
COME FORWARD. I'LL MOVE THE BILL
SECOND. YES SIR. MATT LEGATE, ON
BEHALF OF SEIU CALIFORNIA IN
SUPPORT. SUSAN LITTLE HERE
REPRESENT ING NOT ONLY EWG BUT
ALSO CONSUMER REPORTS,
CALIFORNIA NURSES FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND JUSTICE
FOR FAMILIES, ADVOCATING FOR
CHEMICAL, TOXICS AND CHEMICAL
AND TOXIC SAFETY. FRIENDS
COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATION SAN
FRANCISCO BAY PHYSICIANS FOR
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, CENTER
FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, AND A
HOST OF OTHER HEALTH AND
ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC
INTEREST ORGANIZATIONS. THANK
YOU, THANK YOU. ANY WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL? PLEASE
COME FORWARD. SO, WIENER, SO,
LEE, ANGELA REED ON BEHALF OF
THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL NUTRITION
ASSOCIATION, THESE ARE THE 2700
FOOD SERVICE DIRECTORS ACROSS
THE STATE. AND WE HAVE SOME.
WHILE WE APPRECIATE THE INTENT
OF THE BILL, HAVE SOME CONCERNS,
ONE OF WHICH IS ADDRESSED IN THE
ANALYSIS WITH REGARD TO
EXEMPTING THE USDA, WHICH IS WHO
REGULATES US, THE USDA
COMMODITIES FOOD. SO IF YOU'RE
TAKING THAT A MINUTE, WE REALLY
APPRECIATE IT. SECOND, THOUGH,
IS THE TIMELINE. WHILE WE
APPRECIATE WHAT THE ANALYSIS
LAYS OUT, OUR DISTRICTS ARE
BUYING AND ORDERING THEIR FOOD
RIGHT NOW FOR NEXT YEAR. SO THE
TIMELINE IS A LITTLE SHORT. WE
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
YOU. AUTHOR. YOUR STAFF HAS BEEN
FANTASTIC, AND WE LOOK FORWARD
TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. BUT THE
CURRENT TIMELINE IS A BIG
PROBLEM. THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
THANK YOU, MR. ALBIANI. HI
DENNIS ALBIANI ON BEHALF OF THE
CONSUMER BRANDS ASSOCIATION AND
THE AMERICAN BEVERAGE
ASSOCIATION, I THINK THERE'S A
COUPLE ISSUES THAT THAT THAT
SHOULD BE ADDRESSED WITH THIS
BILL, THE FOLKS TALKED,
PRIMARILY AND ONLY ABOUT THE
SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAM. SO
THAT'S ONE AREA OF CONVERSATION.
AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
OBVIOUSLY THE FDA HAS APPROVED
THESE THESE, DYES AS WELL AS
TITANIUM DIOXIDE AND IS
REVIEWING THEM AND NUMEROUS
ENTITIES ACROSS THE WORLD HAVE
CONTINUED TO REVIEW THEM AND
DEEM THEM SAFE. AND THAT'S A
STANDARD THAT HAS BEEN
ESTABLISHED. WHAT, IN THE SCHOOL
NUTRITION PROGRAM. SO PART OF
THE BILL AND ALL THE, ALL THE
TESTIMONY WAS ABOUT SCHOOL
NUTRITION PROGRAM, BUT IF YOU
READ SECTION ONE OF THE BILL, IT
SAYS, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER
SECTION OF LAW, THIS IS NOT ONLY
ABOUT THE SCHOOL NUTRITION
PROGRAM, IT'S ALSO ABOUT, FRIDAY
NIGHT FOOTBALL GAMES. IT'S ABOUT
FOOD SOLD AND, DONE ANYTIME,
AFTER SCHOOL, ON SCHOOL GROUNDS,
FUNDRAISERS, ALL THOSE, ALL
THOSE ISSUES. SO I THINK THOSE
ARE ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED IS WHAT IS THE BILL?
WHAT'S THE ATTENTION OF THE
AUTHOR? WE'VE TALKED TO STAFF.
AND BE FRANK, THEY WEREN'T CLEAR
WHAT WHAT THE ATTENTION WAS. SO
I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD BEFORE
THIS BILL MOVES OUT OF THIS
COMMITTEE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE AND
WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON. IF IT'S
SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAM, THAT'S
ONE ELEMENT, AND WE CAN TALK
THROUGH THAT AND GO ON THAT. IF
IT'S BEYOND THE SCHOOL NUTRITION
PROGRAM AND IT'S, YOU KNOW,
POPSICLES AND THINGS SERVED
AFTER THE 30 MINUTES AFTER
SCHOOL AND, AND THOSE AREAS. AND
THEN IF IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
SNACK BARS AT, AT FOOTBALL
GAMES, THAT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT
BILL THAN WHAT WAS TESTIFIED ON
HERE. AND IF THAT'S THE ISSUE,
THEN IT'S INTERESTING. THEN
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY
IT WAS DRAFTED WITH SECTION ONE
EVEN IN THE BILL, BECAUSE
SECTION 235 TALKS ABOUT THE
SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAM. SO WE
COULD GET CLARITY ON THAT AND
UNDERSTAND HOW THE BILLS, WHAT
YOU YOU KNOW, WHAT THE INTENTION
IS WITH. WELL, I'LL CONTINUE, SO
THEY'VE BEEN DEEMED SAFE THE,
THE BILL, THE SCHOOL NUTRITION
PROGRAM. IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS
WILL REDUCE THE AMOUNT. I'M NOT
AN ALARMIST TO SAY NOBODY'S
GOING TO REFORMULATE IN THOSE
AREAS, BUT IT WILL REDUCE CHOICE
CLEARLY AND WE DISCUSSED THIS
WITH THE CONSULTANT. IF THERE'S,
YOU KNOW, SIX PRODUCTS THAT A
SCHOOL NUTRITIONIST CAN CAN
SELECT FROM. RIGHT NOW, THERE'S
SOME COMPANIES WILL NOT
REFORMULATE. THEY MAY LEAVE THE
CALIFORNIA MARKET. AND, AND THEN
YOU'VE GOT 4 OR 3. SO YOU HAVE
LESS CHOICE FOR THE SCHOOL
NUTRITIONIST. SECOND, WHAT THAT
LEADS TO IS LESS COMPETITION.
LESS COMPETITION LIKELY MEANS
HIGHER PRICES, FOR THE SCHOOL
PROGRAMS AS WELL. SO AND AS WELL
AS THE COST OF REFORMULATING. SO
THAT'S GOING TO BE SOME COST
PRESSURE ON THE PROGRAMS AS YOU
HAVE LESS CHOICE. I THINK THAT'S
WELL ESTABLISHED IN IN THE
MARKET ECONOMICS. THE NEXT PART
IS, AS WE CLARIFY, I DON'T WANT
TO GO TOO MUCH IN IF WE DON'T
UNDERSTAND, IF IT'S JUST ABOUT
THE SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAM,
THEN I'LL LEAVE THOSE OTHER
COMMENTS THAT WE DISCUSSED, WITH
THE CONSULTANT, OFF AT THIS
POINT. SO WITH THAT, I'LL
CONCLUDE. MR. GABRIEL, DO YOU
WANT TO ADDRESS THE. IT'S MY
UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU HAVE
ACCEPTED THE AMENDMENT,
CLARIFYING THAT THE EXISTING
EXEMPTION FOR FUNDRAISING EVENTS
SHALL APPLY TO THIS MEASURE.
THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT
AFTER SCHOOL? WHAT? SO DOES THAT
INCLUDE AT 4:00 IN THE AFTERNOON
AT A SNACK BAR THAT THEY HAVE OR
ANY OF THOSE KIND OF THINGS?
YEAH. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I WILL
SAY, AND I'M LOOKING FOR THE,
THE, THE LANGUAGE RIGHT HERE,
BUT IT WAS SPECIFICALLY TO
ADDRESS THE CONCERN THAT YOU ALL
RAISED ABOUT THAT. SO THE POINT
HERE IS TO APPLY TO BREAKFAST
AND LUNCH THAT ARE SERVED TO
KIDS AT SCHOOL. THE FOOTBALL
GAME ON FRIDAY NIGHT, A COUPLE
HOURS AFTER SCHOOL HAS ENDED.
THIS WILL NOT APPLY. OKAY. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU, ANY PUBLIC
COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION TO THE
BILL? PLEASE COME FORWARD, MR.
CHAIRMAN. RANDY HALF OF THE
AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL, OUR
CONCERNS AS OUTLINED BY MR.
ALBIANI. THANK YOU. CHAIR
MEMBERS. DEAN TALLEY WITH THE
CALIFORNIA MANUFACTURERS AND
TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATIONS OPPOSE.
FROM THE COMMENTS FROM MY
COLLEAGUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
MARGIE SAMSON, ADVISORS, ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA LEAGUE
OF FOOD PRODUCERS AND RESPECTFUL
OPPOSITION. THANK YOU. OKAY,
SEEING NO FURTHER PUBLIC
COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION, BRING IT
BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, MR.
ALVAREZ. YEAH, THANK YOU. I'D
LIKE TO GET A SAMPLE OF THE
FROOT LOOPS TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY TASTE THE SAME. ESPECIALLY
BECAUSE IT'S AFTER SIX. THE
NONTOXIC ONES. YEAH, YEAH, WE'LL
DO A BLIND TASTE TEST AFTER
COMMITTING. WE'LL SEE IF THAT'S
A GOOD EXPERIMENT, I WOULD JUST
SAY, I THINK I THINK WE CLEARED
UP THE OPPOSITION, WHICH
APPRECIATE THE TESTIMONY. THAT'S
WHY WE HAVE COMMITTEE. SO I
BELIEVE THAT'S BEEN ADDRESSED.
SO THOSE CONCERNS ARE ADDRESSED,
I DON'T NEED TO TELL THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE
THAT, THERE ARE COST PRESSURES
ON OUR FOOD PROGRAMS. WE'VE HAD
THIS CONVERSATION AT OUR
SUBCOMMITTEE, THAT'S THE ONLY
CONCERN I KNOW. I'VE EXPRESSED
THAT TO YOU. SO WE JUST WANT TO,
AS WE GO FORWARD, IDENTIFY WHAT
THOSE COST PRESSURES COULD BE,
AND REALLY, THE CONVERSATION
THAT THAT SUBCOMMITTEE WAS, WE
NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AS
CALIFORNIANS OF GETTING MORE,
RESOURCES FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF MATCH. SO
THAT'S THE ONLY CONCERN THAT I
HAVE AS WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS
COLLECTIVELY, OUR BUDGET
SHORTFALL, BUT BUT OTHERWISE,
GIVEN THE RESPONSE TO THE
OPPOSITION, BE SUPPORTIVE. THANK
YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MISS
BONTA. OH. I'M SORRY, VICE
CHAIR, FLORA. THEN, MISS BONTA,
I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT
THE, THE TIMING, THE
IMPLEMENTATION TIMING RAISED BY
BY, BY THE OPPOSITION COMMENT AT
VERY FAIR SCHOOL DISTRICTS NEED
TO BE ABLE TO PLAN, PARTICULARLY
IN THESE PARTICULAR TIMES. SO
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED, CHANGING
THE. WE HAVE. AND I JUST WANT TO
APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS OF THE
WIENER ABOUT THE TIMING AND ALSO
ABOUT THE OTHER THE COMMODITIES
ISSUES. WE ARE VERY INTERESTED
IN HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS
WITH THEM. WE WANT TO GET TO A
BILL THAT'S ULTIMATELY WORKABLE
FOR EVERYBODY. WE'RE NOT TRYING
TO PUT PEOPLE IN AN IMPOSSIBLE
SITUATION. SO WE WILL DEFINITELY
HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH
THEM. I THINK, AS SOME OF YOU
REMEMBER, WE DID THE CALIFORNIA
FOOD SAFETY ACT LAST YEAR. WE
ENDED UP AT THE END OF THE AT
THE END OF THE PROCESS WITH A
REALLY STRONG BILL, BUT ALSO ONE
THAT HAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT THAT
REMOVED HUGE A HUGE AMOUNTS OF
OPPOSITION. AND THAT'S OUR
INTENTION TO DO WITH THIS. YOU
KNOW, IT'S OUR FIRST COMMITTEE.
SO WE HAVEN'T HAD A HAD A CHANCE
TO HAVE ALL THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU WE WILL
WORK ON ALL OF THOSE TO MAKE
SURE THAT FOLKS FEEL GOOD ABOUT
THOSE ISSUES. THANK YOU. VICE
CHAIR FLORA. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, MR. CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO
SAY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US
FORWARD. AND THIS IS NOT A BILL
THAT I ACTUALLY THOUGHT I WAS
GOING TO SUPPORT, IT JUST ISN'T.
I THINK YOU HAD THIS BILL LAST
YEAR, AND I'M NOT SURE I WAS
WITH YOU ON THAT ONE, BUT IT IS
INTERESTING. AND WHEN I THOUGHT
ABOUT IT MORE YESTERDAY WHEN WE
TALKED, I DO HAVE A DAUGHTER
THAT HAS SOME LEARNING
DISABILITIES, AND TO THIS DAY,
WE HAVEN'T EXACTLY PINPOINTED
WHY. RIGHT? AND I AM SURE AS
HECK NOT SAYING IT'S THIS. I'M
JUST SAYING WE DON'T KNOW. AND
SO I THINK THERE'S A
CONVERSATION IT NEEDS TO BE HAD.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU. I
MEAN, WORKING THROUGH THE
COMMITTEE'S, GETTING THIS BILL
TO THE FLOOR, AND THE AMENDMENTS
THAT YOU, I'M SURE WILL PROBABLY
WORK THROUGH, BUT WE'LL TAKE
ANOTHER LOOK ON THE FLOOR. BUT I
AM I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT
TODAY, EVEN THOUGH MY RUFFLES, I
JUST CHECKED, ARE NO LONGER
GOOD. SO NOW I'M FREAKING OUT
ABOUT THE RUFFLES. BUT WE'LL
SORT THROUGH THAT LATER. BUT I
DO APPRECIATE THE CONCEPT AND
THE THOUGHT AND, LIKE I SAID,
THERE'S A LOT OF LEARNING
DISABILITIES OUT THERE THAT
CANNOT BE TRACED TO SOMETHING,
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE
NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT. YEAH.
THANK YOU. MR. HOOVER. THANK
YOU. I JUST WANT TO THANK THE
AUTHOR FOR BRINGING THIS
FORWARD. I AM GOING TO SEE THIS
IN THE STM. AND SO I'M GOING TO
WITHHOLD MY VOTE TODAY. I'M
GOING TO LAY OFF. BUT, I THINK
YOU'VE DONE A LOT. I REALLY
APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE
AMENDMENTS. YOU'VE ALREADY
TAKEN. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS
TIMING ISSUE GET ADDRESSED AS
WELL FOR THE NUTRITION PROGRAMS.
I THINK THAT'S, A REALLY
IMPORTANT THING FOR ME, BUT, YOU
KNOW, I, I DO THINK I WOULD SAY
IF MY WIFE WAS SITTING THERE,
SHE'D PROBABLY BE LIKE, HEY,
VOTE FOR THIS, YOU KNOW? SO BUT
BUT I BUT I THINK YOU'RE REALLY,
YOU'RE GETTING AT SOMETHING
IMPORTANT. AND IF WE CAN GET TO
A PLACE WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S AS
WORKABLE AS WE CAN GET IT,
DEFINITELY WOULD BE HAPPY TO
SUPPORT IT IN THE FUTURE. SO.
THANKS. YOU THANK YOU. MR.
GABRIEL. WILL YOU COMMIT TO
WORKING WITH THE COMMITTEE STAFF
ON THE IMPLEMENTATION?
IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE?
CONCERNS RAISED? ABSOLUTELY.
OKAY. AND IF WE LEARN THAT
FEDERAL COMMODITY FOODS CONTAIN,
AT THESE ADDITIVES, WILL YOU
COMMIT TO EXCLUDING COMMODITY
FOODS AS THE BILL MOVES FORWARD?
YEAH, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY HAPPY TO
HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. OKAY,
OTHERWISE WE'LL WE'LL NEED TO
SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU, WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY
TO SUPPORT THE BILL FOR TODAY.
THANK YOU. WOULD YOU LIKE TO
CLOSE? YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR. AND I
JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE ALL THE
THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS FROM
COLLEAGUES, LET ME LET ME JUST
SAY SOME MEMBER ALVAREZ, I, YOU
AND I PROBABLY SHARE THE
CONCERNS ABOUT COST AND ANY TYPE
OF COST PRESSURES. SIMILARLY, WE
WILL NOT LET THIS BILL INCREASE
COSTS. I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF
REASONS THAT WE THINK ACTUALLY
THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO IS
STARTING WITH THE FACT THAT MORE
THAN 95% OF THE FOODS SERVED IN
SCHOOLS DON'T CONTAIN THESE
CHEMICALS, AND I ALSO THINK THAT
THERE'S A WORLD IN WHICH THIS
COULD POTENTIALLY BE, REVENUE
POSITIVE TO THE STATE. SO I
THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE MONEY
THAT WE EXPEND. AND I LOOK AT
THIS THROUGH THE PERSPECTIVE OF
MY SON WITH AN IEP, ALL OF THE
MONEY THAT WE EXPEND ON
CHILDREN, RIGHT. WHETHER IT'S
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN
CLASSROOM SUPPORT, PULL OUT
SUPPORT. AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR
SOME NUMBER OF THOSE CHILDREN,
WHAT IS LIKELY GOING ON IS THAT
THEY'RE GETTING ALL THAT THERAPY
AND SUPPORT, AND N THEY'RE
EATING SOMETHING AT LUNCH THAT
THEY DON'T. AND THEY AND THEIR
FAMILIES DON'T UNDERSTAND IS
MAKING ALL OF THEIR CHALLENGES
MUCH HARDER. AND I HAD THIS
DISCUSSION THE OTHER DAY WITH A
FRIEND OF MINE FROM COLLEGE, AND
HE ALSO HAS A SON WITH ADHD, AND
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE
CHALLENGES OF RAISING A CHILD
WITH ADHD. AND HE SAID, YOU
KNOW, THEY WERE THEY WERE LUCKY.
THEY FIGURED OUT THAT BLUE FOOD
DYE, BLUE FOOD COLORING IS ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT IS A TRIGGER
FOR THEIR CHILD. AND SO I'VE
BEEN ABLE TO ELIMINATE THAT FROM
THE DIET AND THE IMPROVEMENT
THAT THEY HAVE SEEN, IN THEIR
CHILD HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS. SO I
YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT. WE WILL
WORK ON THAT. AND I'M NOT GOING
TO LET THIS BECOME SOMETHING
THAT THAT CREATES COST PRESSURE,
MR. FLORA, I JUST WANT TO THANK
YOU, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR
SUPPORT TODAY. AS YOU KNOW, I
FEEL VERY, VERY STRONGLY THAT
ISSUES OF FOOD SAFETY SHOULD NOT
BE PARTIZAN ISSUES. AND WE HAVE
A LEGACY OF THAT IN CALIFORNIA.
YOU KNOW, UNDER GOVERNOR
SCHWARZENEGGER MOVING FORWARD TO
MOVE AHEAD OF SOME OF THE
FEDERAL STANDARDS HERE FOR FOOD
THAT IS SERVED IN OUR SCHOOLS TO
MAKE SURE THAT OUR KIDS, NOT
ONLY ARE GETTING SAFE AND
HEALTHY FOOD, BUT AT A MINIMUM
ARE NOT GETTING FOOD THAT IS
DANGEROUS FOR THEM. RIGHT? THIS
IS NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT HEALTHY
EATING. THIS IS ABOUT CHEMICALS
THAT WE KNOW FROM RESEARCH ARE
CAUSING HARM TO OUR CHILDREN. SO
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE
VOTE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
THE CONVERSATION. YOU, AS WELL,
ASSEMBLY MEMBER HOOVER, FOR YOUR
OPEN MIND, AND WITH THAT, I
WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR
AYE VOTE. THANK YOU. MOTION'S
BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
PYLE. ITEM 13 AB 2316. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS AS AMENDED TO
ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY MURATSUCHI.
ALL RIGHT MURATSUCHI I LARA I
LARA I ADDIS I ADDIS I ALVAREZ
ALVAREZ I BONTA EYE TO EYE
HOOVER HOOVER NOT VOTING
MCCARTHY. FIVE VOTES. THE BILL
IS OUT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU, WE I HAVE A BILL TO
PRESENT TO ACCOMMODATE A WITNESS
WHO NEEDS TO CATCH A FLIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. HOOVER.
I NORMALLY I WOULD GO TO THE
END, AND SO THAT IS FILE ITEM
NUMBER 12, AB2268. AND I WOULD
LIKE TO TURN THE GAVEL OVER TO
OUR VICE CHAIR. I WANT TO TRY.
AND THEN HE'LL SIT DOWN.
TASTE RIGHT NOW. HIS WIFE'S
BIRTHDAY. YEAH. THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR. THANK YOU. READY? WHEN
YOU ARE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
THIS, BILL, I'M PRESENTING
ASSEMBLY BILL 2268, WHICH SEEKS
TO EXEMPT STUDENTS IN THE IN
TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN FROM
BEING ADMINISTERED THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENTS
FOR CALIFORNIA SHORTHAND LPAC,
YOU WILL HEAR FROM EDUCATORS ON
WHY THIS TEST, AS WE'RE, RAPIDLY
RAMPING OUT, YOU KNOW, RAMPING
UP FOR UNIVERSAL TRANSITIONAL
KINDERGARTEN THÀNH, WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROPERLY
IDENTIFYING OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE
LEARNERS. THIS CURRENT TEST IS
NOT A DEVELOPMENTALLY
APPROPRIATE FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS.
AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR
EDUCATORS TO EXPLAIN WHY THIS
IS, THE TC STUDENTS SHOULD BE
EXEMPTED FROM THE LPAC, WITH ME
IN SUPPORT ARE PATRICIA LOZANO,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EARLY EDU
CALIFORNIA. AND CATHERINE
BERMUDEZ, A LITERACY COACH AT
AMNESTY ELEMENTARY IN PAJARO
VALLEY JOINT UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
FIRST WITNESS TWO MINUTES IS A
BIPARTISAN FIRST AND SECOND HAVE
BEEN MADE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY
TODAY. MY NAME IS PATRICIA
LOZANO AND THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF EARLY AGE
CALIFORNIA. I HAVE BEEN A
CHAMPION FOR 25 YEARS WORKING
WITH LITTLE KIDS AND AS AN
ENGLISH LEARNER MYSELF. NO THE
COMPLEXITIES OF LEARNING MORE
THAN ONE LANGUAGE. SO WHAT WE
WANT TO REALLY EMPHASIZE IS THAT
WE WANT TO FIND AN ASSESSMENT
THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR FOUR
YEAR OLDS. WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE
LPAC IS THAT IT WAS NOT DESIGNED
FOR YOUNG FOUR YEAR OLDS. SO,
YOU KNOW, AS A TEACHER MYSELF
AND AS A RESEARCHER, I KNOW THE
IMPORTANCE OF FINDING THE RIGHT
TOOL BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT WE
STILL NEED THE SUPPORTS, WE
STILL NEED THE FUNDING, BUT THE
LPAC IS NOT APPROPRIATE. SO NOW
THIS BILL, WHAT IT'S TRYING TO
FIND A SOLUTION. WE WANT TO FIND
THE RIGHT ASSESSMENT. WE WANT TO
UNDERSTAND HOW FOUR YEAR OLDS
ARE LEARNING LANGUAGES. SO WE
DON'T WANT TO CLASSIFY TOO MANY
KIDS AS ENGLISH LEARNERS WHEN
THEY ARE NOT. SO THIS IS WHY WE
ARE ASKING YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
TO FIND THE SOLUTION. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT WITNESS PLEASE. HELLO.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
TESTIFY. I'M CATHERINE BERMUDEZ,
A TEACHER AT AMESTI ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL IN WATSONVILLE. I'VE BEEN
A TEACHER FOR 13 YEARS, AND I'VE
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY MYSELF TO
ADMINISTER THE LPAC FOR FOUR
YEARS TO STUDENTS IN FIFTH
GRADE, INCLUDING THE
INDIVIDUALLY ADMINISTERED
SPEAKING SECTION, UNIVERSAL
TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN HAS
BEEN AMAZING IN GETTING YOUNGER
CHILDREN INTO CLASSROOMS,
INCLUDING MY SON GABE, WHO IS AN
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER. I URGE
YOU TO SUPPORT AB 2268. THIS
ISSUE IS ABOUT FIRST IMPRESSIONS
AND FAIR SHOTS. EVERY DAY OF TK
IS A RELATIVELY GIANT PERCENTAGE
OF YOUNG STUDENTS. PERCEPTION OF
WHAT SCHOOL IS AND WHO THEY ARE.
ONE DAY, GAIL'S TEACHER SHOWED
HIM HOW TO MAKE A MAGNIFYING
GLASS WITH HIS FINGERS AND
SQUINT WITH ONE EYE, AND SHE
TOLD HIM, YOU ARE A LETTER
DETECTIVE, AND THAT STUCK WITH
HIM FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
WHEN WE WALKED AROUND THE STORE,
HE WAS A LETTER DETECTIVE. DO
YOU SEE HOW POWERFUL THAT IS AS
A PARENT? IT FELT AMAZING, LIKE
A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION AND A
FAIR SHOT. EARLY THAT SPRING, HE
TOOK THE LPAC. HE WAS MEETING
ALL THE TK STANDARDS ON HIS
WINTER REPORT CARD. HE WAS STILL
LEARNING TO HOLD A PENCIL AND
FORM LETTERS. AND NOW I AM SURE
THAT NO ONE EXPLICITLY TOLD HIM
YOU ARE NOT A WRITER, BUT THAT'S
WHAT STUCK WITH HIM FOR THE REST
OF THE YEAR. BECAUSE WHEN MY
FOUR YEAR OLD TOOK THE
KINDERGARTEN ALPAC A TESTER WHO
HE'D NEVER MET BEFORE, ASKED HIM
TO WRITE A STORY AND HE KNEW
ENOUGH ABOUT BEING A LETTER
DETECTIVE TO KNOW THAT HE
FAILED. HE COULDN'T WRITE THE
MESSING SOUND, AND HE DEFINITELY
COULDN'T WRITE AN ENTIRE WORD IN
ENGLISH. AND THAT WAS HIS
NARRATIVE FOR THE REST OF THE
YEAR. HE'S NOT A WRITER. DO YOU
SEE HOW POWERFUL THAT IS? I'M
TELLING YOU AS CLEARLY AS I CAN,
THAT THE RESULTS OF THIS
INAPPROPRIATE AND INVALID TEST
DID NOT SERVE ME AS A PARENT.
GAIL. GETTING AN OVERALL ONE
MADE ME A TEACHER PANIC FOR NO
REASONS. I HAVE A MASTER'S
DEGREE IN THE PEDAGOGY OF SECOND
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, AND I
STILL FELT LIKE I HAD FAILED TO
PREPARE MY SON WHEN IN REALITY,
THE TESTING INFRASTRUCTURE HAD
FAILED HIM. RAISING STRONG
BILINGUAL CHILDREN WILL KEEP
CALIFORNIA AN ECONOMIC
POWERHOUSE AND A CULTURAL
LIGHTHOUSE, STARTING THE LPAC IN
KINDERGARTEN, NOT TRANSITIONAL
KINDERGARTEN, IS A CRUCIAL STEP
I URGE YOU TO TAKE TODAY. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I
ENCOURAGE YOUR SUPPORT OF AB
2268. YOU MUST BE A TEACHER.
THAT WAS RIGHT ON TIME. WELL
DONE. ALL RIGHT, WITNESSES IN
SUPPORT. CHRISTINA SALAZAR WITH
CALIFORNIA TOGETHER. PROUD
CO-SPONSOR. GOOD EVENING.
JENNIFER BAKER WITH THE
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION FOR
BILINGUAL, CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION FOR BILINGUAL
EDUCATION, ONE OF THE BILL'S
CO-SPONSORS IS WELL, PROUDLY IN
SUPPORT. MITCH STEIGER, WITH CFT
ALSO IN SUPPORT. GOOD EVENING,
PATTY HERRERA, ON BEHALF OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATORS AND THE FRESNO
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IN
SUPPORT. PAMELA GIBBS,
REPRESENTING THE LOS ANGELES
COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION IN
SUPPORT OF THE BILL AND ALSO
AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK FOR THE
OFFICE OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IN
SUPPORT OF THE BILL. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. ANYONE IN OPPOSITION
SEEING NONE, BRING IT BACK TO
THE COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS
FROM THE COMMITTEE? MR. ALVAREZ?
NO QUESTIONS. JUST THANK YOU FOR
THE WORK. AS A, ENGLISH LEARNER
MYSELF AND A FATHER OF TWO,
ENGLISH LEARNERS WHO ARE NOW
DUAL BILITERATE, I REALLY
APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, TESTING AT THAT
LEVEL IS JUST IT'S JUST HARD TO
IMAGINE WITH A KID WHO, IS
BARELY LIKE YOU SAID, LEARNING
TO PICK UP A PENCIL SOMETIMES.
AND SO APPRECIATE THE
THOUGHTFULNESS. AND FROM THE
COALITION AND FROM THE AUTHOR.
THANK YOU. SO OAN ADUS. I'LL
JUST ADD ON BRIEFLY, RIGHT. BILL
RIGHT. TIME FOR OUR KIDDOS. AND
I NORMALLY I WOULD WANT MORE
INFORMATION RATHER THAN LESS,
BUT I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE
APPROPRIATE WAY TO GET THIS
INFORMATION FROM THESE CHILDREN
AT THAT AGE. SO I APPRECIATE YOU
BRINGING IT FORWARD BEFORE TC IS
WIDELY AVAILABLE OR REQUIRED.
MMHM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE
COMMITTEE SEEING NONE. MR. CHAIR
, WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLOSE
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AYE VOTE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM
SECRETARY. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
BILL. ITEM 12 AB 2268. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS TO THE FLOOR.
MURATSUCHI Ã MURATSUCHI I LARA
I LARA I ADDIS I ADDIS I ALVAREZ
ALVAREZ I BONTA. HOOVER HIGH.
HOOVER I MCCARTY. BILLS OUT WITH
FIVE ZERO. MR. HOOVER I THINK
YOU'RE UP NEXT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
COME ON UP. I JUST. ALL RIGHT,
MR. HOOVER, YOU HAVE TWO BILLS.
DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE? ON
WHICH ONE, I'D LIKE TO DO 30
1/41 BECAUSE I HAVE A WITNESS
THAT. OKAY, SO THAT IS FILE ITEM
25. GOT TO GET HIM OUT OF HERE.
SHE WANTS YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER
AFTER THIS. YEAH, I HAVE TO CALL
HIS WIFE AND APOLOGIZE AFTER
THIS. OKAY AB 3140. MR. HOOVER,
THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND
MEMBERS, I APPRECIATE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AB 3140.
I WANT TO START BY ACCEPTING THE
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS AND WANT TO
THANK COMMITTEE STAFF FOR
WORKING CLOSELY WITH MY OFFICE
ON THIS THIS IS A DISTRICT BILL
THAT WOULD STREAMLINE THE
PROCESS FOR LOCAL SCHOOL
DISTRICT REORGANIZATIONS BY
REQUIRING THE STATE BOARD OF
EDUCATION TO APPROVE A PETITION
OF REORGANIZATION WITHIN 24
MONTHS. A STUDY WAS RECENTLY
FUNDED IN MY DISTRICT BY CITY OF
FOLSOM, RANCHO CORDOVA, AND THE
FOLSOM CORDOVA UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT REGARDING A POTENTIAL
REORGANIZATION FOR FC USD THAT
WOULD GIVE BOTH CITIES THEIR OWN
SCHOOL DISTRICT, THERE'S A LOT
OF REASONS WHY THIS IS BEING
PUSHED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, BUT
AT THE END OF THE DAY, SINCE THE
DISTRICT WAS ESTABLISHED IN
1949, FC USD HAS UNDERGONE
CONSIDERABLE GROWTH AND THE
CHANGING NEEDS IN EACH CITY HAVE
MADE IT HARDER TO SERVE ITS
DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATION.
UNDER CURRENT LAW, PROPOSAL FOR
REORGANIZED THÀNH MUST FIRST GO
TO THE COUNTY COMMITTEE ON
SCHOOL DISTRICT ORGANIZATION.
WITHIN STATUTE, THEY ARE
REQUIRED TO APPROVE OR DENY THE
PROPOSAL WITHIN 120 DAYS OF THE
FIRST PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN
EXPEDITIOUSLY TRANSMIT THE
PETITION TO SB WITH ITS
RECOMMENDATION. UNFORTUNATELY
WHILE THE COUNTY HAS A SPECIFIED
NUMBER OF DAYS IN THE PROCESS IN
STATUTE TO ACT, NO SUCH TIMELINE
EXISTS FOR SB, SOME. SO
SOMETIMES THE STATE PROCESS CAN
TAKE MANY YEARS TO COMPLETE,
WHICH CAN DELAY A REORGANIZATION
PROCESS THAT IS NEEDED IN THE
COMMUNITY. I WANT TO BE CLEAR
THAT NOTHING IN MY BILL REQUIRES
OR MOVES FORWARD. ANY SORT OF
REORGANIZATION. THÀNH. THIS IS A
LOCAL DECISION THAT WILL FOLLOW
A LOCAL PROCESS. HOWEVER, IN THE
EVENT THAT LOCAL LEADERS,
INCLUDING THE FOLKS WITH ME
TONIGHT, DO DECIDE TO MOVE THIS
PROPOSAL FORWARD, AB 3140 WILL
SIMPLY REQUIRE SB TO TAKE ACTION
WITHIN A CERTAIN TIME FRAME, I
ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT
WHILE I DID AGREE TO REMOVE SOME
OTHER PORTIONS THAT I HAD IN THE
BILL WHICH SOUGHT TO ADDRESS
SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT
WE'RE HAVING LOCALLY, I DO LOOK
FORWARD TO CONTINUING
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMITTEE
AS WELL AS SB, THAT WE'RE GOING
TO BE HAVING IN THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS TO SEE IF WE CAN ADDRESS
THOSE IN THE FUTURE, WITH THAT,
I HAVE RANCHO CORDOVA CITY
COUNCIL MEMBER GATEWOOD WITH ME,
AS WELL AS FCSD BOARD MEMBER JEN
LLORET TO SHARE THEIR
PERSPECTIVE FROM THE LOCAL LEVEL
, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE
ASSEMBLY, I ADDRESS YOU HERE
TODAY AS A DEMOCRATIC CITY
COUNCILMAN OF THE CITY OF RANCHO
CORDOVA. IS RENOWNED FOR ITS
BLUE COLLAR ETHOS AND COMMUNITY
SOLIDARITY. YET BENEATH OUR
PRIDE, WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH AN
EDUCATIONAL CRISIS, MARKED BY
DISPARITY BETWEEN THE CITY AND
FOLSOM. WE CANNOT BE OVERLOOKED.
OUR RESOLVE, HOWEVER, REMAINS
UNSHAKEN, EVIDENCED BY THE
COLLECTIVE RANCHO FOLSOM AND THE
CORDOVA SCHOOL DISTRICT. AS THE
CHANGE OF THIS ASSEMBLY BILL
EMBODIES. CONSIDER THIS CONSIDER
THE SYMBOL OF A YOUTH'S PRIDE
THE NUMBER ON HIS BASEBALL
UNIFORM FALLING OFF AS HE ROUNDS
SECOND BASE DUE TO THE FACT THAT
IT WAS CONNECTED WITH DUCT TAPE,
OR OUR RATE ROOM WHERE WE WERE
PROMISED NEW EQUIPMENT, UNVEILED
HAND-ME-DOWN FROM THE FOLSOM
SCHOOL TO THE RANCHO CORDOVA
SCHOOL UNTIL THE COMMUNITY AND
AN AMAZING CITIZEN GROUP WAS
ABLE TO PUT $200,000 TOGETHER TO
REBUILD THE WEIGHT ROOM
CHALLENGE EXTEND FURTHER THAN
JUST THE CLASSROOM. LACKING
HEAT, COMPELLING OUR TEACHERS TO
DISTRIBUTE CLOTHING TO OUR POOR
STUDENTS TO WARM THEM BECAUSE
HEAT HADN'T BEEN RETURNED TO OUR
SCHOOL THE ENTIRE SCHOOL FOR
FIVE MONTHS. THESE AREN'T MERE
STORIES. THESE ARE REALITY.
UNDERSCORING THE URGENCY OF THE
REORGANIZATION OF THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT, ASSEMBLY BILL 3140
OFFERS A PATH ENABLING THE
CREATION OF TWO SCHOOL
DISTRICTS, THE RANCHO CORDOVA
AND FOLSOM ALIGN FOR THE
MUNICIPALITY BOUNDARIES.
LEGISLATION REPRESENTS NOT JUST
ADMINISTRATIVE SHIFT TO ITS
COMMITMENT, ENSURING A VERY THE
EVER CHANGING RANCHO CORDOVA
SCHOOL FORMS BY SUPPORTING THIS
BILL, WE ADVOCATE THE FUTURE OF
OUR SCHOOLS. MIRRORS THE
RESILIENCE AND DIVERSITY OF MY
CITY, WHERE THE EDUCATIONAL
EQUITY IS REALIZED AND WHERE
RANCHO CORDOVA DIRECTLY
ADDRESSES THE NATURE AND
NURTURES THE SCHOOL'S NEEDS. I
URGE YOU TO SUPPORT BILL 3140
AND BRIDGE THE DIVIDE THAT
FOSTERS EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
WHERE EVERY STUDENT, REGARDLESS
OF ZIP CODE, HAS A CHANCE TO
EXCEL. THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING
THE FUTURE OF THE CHILDREN OF
RANCHO CORDOVA AND OUR
COMMUNITY. TOGETHER, WE CAN
REDEFINE EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
IN MY CITY. THANK YOU, HONORABLE
MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY. I'M
HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY AS BOTH A
TRUSTEE FOR FOLSOM CORDOVA
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND A
PARENT OF FOUR STUDENTS WHO
ATTEND RANCHO CORDOVA SCHOOLS, I
BRING TO YOU THE FOREFRONT NOT
JUST THE NUMBERS, BUT THE
STORIES AND THE FUTURES THEY
REPRESENT. IN OUR DISTRICT, WE
HOUSE 2985 STUDENTS STARTING
SHADOW OUR ACHIEVEMENTS WITH
7742 OF THESE BRIGHT MINDS IN
RANCHO CORDOVA, WHERE A QUARTER
ARE MASTERING A NEW LANGUAGE AND
AN OVERWHELMING 71% COME FROM
LOW INCOME FAMILIES, THE
CONTRAST TO FOLSOM SUCCESS
STORIES IS STARK AND UNSETTLING.
CONSIDER THE DISPARITY IN IN
FOLSOM, A TOWN FLOURISHING WITH
NEW EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURES
LIKE A $60 MILLION ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL WITH OVER 90% OF STUDENTS
AT SOME OF OUR ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS EXCELLING IN OUR MATH
STANDARDS. CONTRAST THIS WITH
RANCHO CORDOVA, WHERE ABOUT ONLY
30% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE MEETING
THOSE SAME STANDARDS WHERE
STUDENTS SHIVER THROUGH LESSONS
IN A SCHOOL LACKING BASIC HEAT
DUE TO OUTDATED FACILITIES. AND
MAJORITY OF OUR SCHOOLS HAVE
BEEN BUILT IN THE 1960S AND 70S,
WITH LITTLE REMODELING DONE TO
THOSE FACILITIES. OUR PLEA IS
NOT JUST FOR EQUITY, BUT IT'S
FOR THE TANGIBLE. IT'S FOR THE
HOPE AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT
EVERY CHILD DESERVES. REGARDLESS
OF THEIR ZIP CODE. RANCHO
CORDOVA'S YOUTH FACED BARRIERS
THAT NO CHILD SHOULD SEEK IN
SEEKING QUALITY EDUCATION.
BARRIERS OF GEOGRAPHY, OF
RESOURCES AND OF ACCESS. DURING
OUR PROCESS OF THE STUDY, WE
WERE TOLD THAT, WELL, OUR
STUDENTS NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE
ACCESS TO GREAT EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH WOULD
REQUIRE THEM TO DRIVE TO FOLSOM,
WHICH IS 20 MINUTES AWAY. SO HOW
DO WE TELL A SINGLE PARENT WHO'S
WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS THAT IN
ORDER FOR THEM TO ACCESS QUALITY
EDUCATION, THAT THEY HAVE TO
DRIVE 20 MINUTES AWAY? WHY ARE
THOSE NOT SAME OPPORTUNITIES
OFFERED AT THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL IN
THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD? SCHOOL
ASSEMBLY BILL 3140 ISN'T JUST
LEGISLATION, IT'S A BEACON OF
HOPE. IT PROMISES THE CREATION
OF A SEPARATE DISTRICT, A CHANGE
THAT COULD UNLOCK A CRUCIAL
FUNDING AND RESOURCES, TAILORING
SUPPORT TO WHERE IT'S MOST
NEEDED. THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT
LOGISTICS. IT'S ABOUT LEVELING
THE PLAYING FIELD FOR EVERY
STUDENT. AS A RANCHO CORDOVA
STUDENTS AT 70, WE WOULD BE WE
WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE
CONCENTRATION GRANT FUNDING BY
BEING WITH THE CITY OF FOLSOM
AND THOSE STUDENTS THERE. WE
ONLY HAVE 20, AND WE CANNOT GET
THAT ADDITIONAL ACCESS TO THE
FUNDING THAT WE SO DESPERATELY
NEED TO SUPPORT OUR UNDERSERVED
STUDENTS. WE ASK YOU TO WRAP UP,
PLEASE, WE'VE SEEN THE STUDIES
AND WE KNOW THE CHALLENGES. YET
THE IDEA THAT RANCHO CORDOVA IS
CHILDREN MUST TRAVERSE DISTANCES
FOR OPPORTUNITIES READILY
AVAILABLE TO THEIR FOLSOM PEERS
IS A GLARING INJUSTICE. OUR
CURRENT STRUCTURE FAILS TO SERVE
ALL OF ITS STUDENTS AND
EQUITABLY, EQUITABLY AND EVIDENT
IN THE HEARTBREAKING CHOICE THAT
SOME FAMILIES MUST MAKE BETWEEN
EDUCATION AND SUSTENANCE. I URGE
YOU, HONORABLE MEMBERS, TO
SUPPORT AB 3140. LET US TOGETHER
TURN THE PAGE TOWARDS THE
CHAPTER WHERE EVERY STUDENT AT
FOLSOM CORDOVA UNIFIED HAS
EXCELLENT ACCESS TO THE
EXCELLENT EDUCATION THEY
RIGHTFULLY DESERVE. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS
IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL? PLEASE
COME FORWARD SEEING NONE ANY
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO THE
BILL, PLEASE COME FORWARD SEEING
NONE. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL, PLEASE
COME FORWARD. SEEING NONE. BRING
IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. ANY
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? CAN EITHER
CHAIR OR AUTHOR. CAN YOU JUST
CLARIFY WHAT THE AMENDMENTS DO?
YEAH. SO THE AMENDMENTS I'M,
ACCEPTING TODAY PRETTY MUCH TAKE
MOST OF THE CURRENT CONTENT OUT
OF THE BILL AS IT RELATES TO THE
ACTUAL PROCESS FOR, APPROVING,
A, A PETITION AND IT WOULD
SIMPLY BE BASICALLY ONE LINE AND
REQUIRE THAT THE STATE BOARD OF
EDUCATION TO RESPOND, TO MAKE A
DECISION ON A PETITION WITHIN
TWO YEARS. SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S
NO TIMELINE IN STATUTE FOR THE
STATE BOARD, AND IT TAKES THREE,
FOUR, SOMETIMES EVEN FIVE YEARS
TO MAKE A DECISION. THIS BILL
JUST ALLOWS OUR COMMUNITY,
SHOULD THEY DECIDE TO MOVE
FORWARD, WITH WITH A MORE
STREAMLINED TIMELINE ON THAT.
OKAY. SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS
OR QUESTIONS, MR. HOOVER, HAPPY
TO SUPPORT YOUR BILL, WOULD YOU
LIKE TO, CLOSE? SURE. JUST
REALLY QUICKLY, TO PUT A LITTLE
CONTEXT ON THIS, THIS IS A VERY
UNIQUE SITUATION BECAUSE AS OUR
DISTRICT IS MADE UP OF TWO
CITIES, WE HAVE, BECAUSE OF THE
CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
WHEN WE WENT TO DISTRICTS, IT
ACTUALLY MADE RANCHO CORDOVA A
PERMANENT TWO BOARD,
REPRESENTATION ON OUR SCHOOL
BOARD. AND THREE FOR FOLSOM. SO
THEY'RE UNDERREPRESENTED IN ITS
CURRENT MAKEUP. AND THEY ALSO
ARE ONE OF THE ONLY DISTRICTS IN
THE ENTIRE COUNTY THAT DOESN'T
GET CONCENTRATED GRANT DOLLARS,
AS JEN MENTIONED. AND SO THIS
CHANGE WOULD GIVE THEM THE
RESOURCES THEY NEED TO REALLY
IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR THEIR
STUDENTS. AND SO I WOULD REALLY
APPRECIATE THIS BILL TO KEEP
THAT CONVERSATION MOVING FORWARD
. ALL RIGHT, DO WE HAVE A
MOTION? MOTION AND SECOND,
SECOND, SECOND, MADAM SECRETARY,
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. FILE ITEM
25 AB 3140. THE MOTION IS TO
PASS AS AMENDED, TO
APPROPRIATIONS. MURATSUCHI Ã
MURATSUCHI I LARA LARA I ADDIS.
ADDIS I ALVAREZ I ALVAREZ I
BONTA I WANT TO I HOOVER I
HOOVER I MCCARTY I ALL RIGHT
SEVEN ZERO THE BILL IS OUT.
THANK YOU. NEXT THANK YOU. NEXT
WE HAVE FILE ITEM 26 AB 3216.
ALL RIGHT. SECOND. THANK YOU. I
WILL CUT MY COMMENTS DOWN A BIT.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND
MEMBERS APPRECIATE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS
BILL, I WANT TO THANK THE CHAIR
FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE
DONE IN THE PAST ON THIS ISSUE,
AND FOR YOUR JOINT AUTHORSHIP.
AB 3216 BUILDS ON LEGISLATION
FROM 2019 BY REQUIRING SCHOOL
DISTRICTS IN CALIFORNIA TO ADOPT
A POLICY NO LATER THAN JULY 1ST,
2026, THAT LIMITS OR PROHIBITS
THE USE OF SMARTPHONE BY
STUDENTS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY,
UNDER CURRENT LAW, SCHOOL
DISTRICTS ARE AUTHORIZED TO DO
THIS. AND MANY HAVE DONE SO WITH
RESOUNDING SUCCESS, WE ONE OF
THOSE DISTRICTS IS THE FOLSOM
CORDOVA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT,
WHERE I SERVED PRIOR TO COMING
TO THE ASSEMBLY, THE POLICY
WE'VE ADOPTED THERE,
ADMINISTRATORS HAVE REPORTED
INCREASED SOCIAL INTERACTION
AMONG PEERS, DECREASE INSTANCES
OF BULLYING ON CAMPUS, AND
IMPROVEMENTS IN ACADEMIC
OUTCOMES. I COULD GO ON AND ON
ABOUT THE BENEFITS THAT THIS
BILL WOULD PROVIDE, AND, AND THE
HARMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING
CREATED BY SMARTPHONES AND
SOCIAL MEDIA WHEN IT COMES TO
MINORS. BUT I WILL, SAVE ALL OF
THAT FOR TODAY AND SIMPLY, I
WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THIS BILL
DOES NOT PRESCRIBE ANY
PARTICULAR POLICY THAT A
DISTRICT MUST PASS, IT DOES
REQUIRE ACTION BE TAKEN, BUT IT
ALLOWS LOCAL FLEXIBILITY FOR
EACH DISTRICT TO CHOOSE THE
APPROACH THAT WORKS BEST IN
THEIR COMMUNITY FOR LIMITING THE
USE OF SMARTPHONES. IT ALSO
INCLUDES A NUMBER OF EXEMPTIONS
THAT ARE ALREADY IN CURRENT LAW.
AND WOULD WOULD GREATLY
APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS
MEASURE. I'VE ALSO, CHEN WAS
ALREADY HERE WITH US, AND SO I
WANTED HER TO SHARE BRIEFLY
ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE WE'VE HAD
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. THANK YOU,
SO LAST YEAR, WE WERE FINDING
THAT WE HAD STUDENTS THAT WERE
ENGAGING IN INVITES SPECIFICALLY
FOR VIDEOTAPING THEM. AND THEN
POSTING THEM ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO
GET LIKES. WE ALSO FOUND THAT
THERE WAS SEVERE DAMAGE TO OUR
SCHOOLS BY TIKTOK. CHALLENGES
THAT WERE HAPPENING, AND SO WE
DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED TO TAKE
ACTION ON THAT. AND WE
INSTITUTED A POLICY WHERE WE HAD
NO CELL PHONE, A NO CELL PHONE
POLICY IN OUR IN OUR MIDDLE
SCHOOLS. SO WE DID NOT IMPLEMENT
THAT IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS BECAUSE
WE WANTED TO GET SOME DATA FOR
THIS SCHOOL YEAR TO SEE HOW IT
WOULD KIND OF ROLL OUT. SO WE
STARTED, LAST YEAR BEFORE THE
SCHOOL YEAR ENDED, LETTING THE
PARENTS KNOW THAT THIS WAS WHAT
THE NEW POLICY WAS GOING TO BE.
WE INVESTED IN YONDER BAGS, AND
AT THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR,
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
LOCKED THEIR PHONES UP, AND
WITHIN TWO WEEKS, YOU KNOW, WE
DID HAVE PARENTS THAT AND
ADMINISTRATORS THAT WERE VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT THE
IMPLEMENTATION AND WHAT THAT
IMPLEMENTATION WAS GOING TO BE
PUTTING ON A BURDEN ON
ADMINISTRATORS, BUT WHEN WE HAD
THE YONDER BAGS, WE FOUND THAT
PRETTY, PRETTY IMMEDIATELY WE
SAW RESULTS. WE WERE GETTING
EMAILS FROM PARENTS THAT SAID
THAT THEIR CHILDREN WERE MORE
ENGAGED AT HOME, THAT THEY WERE
GOING PAST THE SCHOOL AND SEEING
KIDS PLAYING ON THE PLAYGROUND.
AND, THAT WE WERE FINDING LESS
DAMAGE, LESS BULLYING INCIDENTS,
AND WE JUST FINISHED UP OUR
FIRST, LIKE, ROUND OF DATA. AND
WE WERE FOUND THAT THE TEACHERS
WERE ACTUALLY SAYING THAT THEY
ACTUALLY HAD MORE TIME TO TEACH
THEIR STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY WERE
SPENDING LESS TIME TRYING TO
MONITOR CELL PHONE USE. AND SO
THEY WERE ACTUALLY HAVING TO
REVAMP SOME OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMING IN ORDER TO FILL UP
MORE TIME FOR EDUCATIONAL THINGS
INSTEAD OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION
ON PHONES, SO WE'VE HAD
RESOUNDING SUCCESS FOR IT, AND
NOW WE ARE LOOKING TO OUR HIGH
SCHOOLS TO IMPLEMENT MAYBE
POSSIBLY SOMETHING WITH THAT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE ARE NOW
FINDING THAT WE HAVE PAGES LIKE
THE CORDOVA PAPARAZZI PAGE AND
DIFFERENT PAGES LIKE THAT, WHERE
WE HAVE KIDS WHO WERE
VIDEOTAPING DURING THE MIDDLE OF
CLASS TIME IN THE BATHROOMS AND
THE LOCKER ROOMS. AND SO WE MUST
TAKE ACTION AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL
LEVELS AS WELL. BUT WE WANTED TO
GET THE DATA ON THE MIDDLE
SCHOOLS FIRST PRIOR TO ROLLING
THAT OUT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.
THANK YOU, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS
IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL? SEEING
NONE ANY WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION
TO THE BILL? SEEING NONE. ANY
PUBLIC COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION TO
THE BILL? BRING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS?
COMMITTEE, MISS BONTA, THANKS,
I, DID HAVE A COUPLE OF
QUESTIONS. CONCERNS ABOUT THIS
BILL. SO I, I WANT TO KIND OF
DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE
EXISTENCE OF A POLICY, THE
IMPACT OF THAT POLICY, AND THE
PRACTICE OF THAT POLICY IN
WITHIN THIS, WITHIN THE SCHOOL
SETTING. SO THE LIKELIHOOD AND
IN REALITY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN AS
ADULTS WANT TO WISH THEM AWAY.
BUT THE LIKELIHOOD OF STUDENTS
CONFORMING TO NOT BRINGING THEIR
CELL PHONES ONTO CAMPUS, WHETHER
OR NOT THERE'S A POLICY IS SLIM
TO NONE. IT'S JUST THE REALITY,
WHICH WILL MEAN THAT THERE WILL
BE AN INCREASE IN THE FACT OF
STUDENTS BRINGING ON CAMPUS,
BRINGING THEIR CELL PHONES ON
CAMPUS, AND THEN HAVING TO BE,
IN ENGAGED WITH BY TEACHING
STAFF AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF,
BASED ON THE POLICY. SO I HAVE
CONCERNS ABOUT THAT. I LIKEN IT
TO DRESS CODES THAT HAVE BEEN IN
EXISTENCE FOR A WHILE IN OUR
SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE ACTUALLY HAD
A DRESS CODE THAT, LIMITED WELL,
HAD A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT WAYS IN
WHICH PARTICULARLY, GIRLS HAD TO
NOT HAVE X LENGTH OF SPAGHETTI
STRAP OR WHATEVER, AND THE
IMPACT OF THAT WAS THAT, YOUTH
WERE AND PARTICULARLY GIRLS WERE
FOUND, NOT, IN CLASSROOM. THEY
WERE GETTING SENT TO THE
PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE, LEFT AND
RIGHT. SO I'M TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND WHY WHY WHAT THIS
LEGISLATION WILL DO THAT WILL
ACTUALLY SUPPORT, AN ENVIRONMENT
THAT WILL KEEP STUDENTS IN THE
CLASSROOM AS OPPOSED TO KEEPING
ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS
TRYING TO TAKE THE PHONES OUT OF
THE KIDS HANDS. AND CREATING,
REDUCTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL
MINUTES FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK
THOSE CONCERNS ARE VERY VALID
THAT THOSE WERE SOME OF THE VERY
SAME CONCERNS THAT WE, YOU KNOW,
HAD WERE EXPRESSED WHEN WE
STARTED, GOING AFTER THIS. AND
FOLSOM CORDOVA UNIFIED, YOU
KNOW, FOLSOM CORDOVA UNIFIED IS
JUST ONE OF MANY SCHOOL
DISTRICTS THAT HAVE DONE THIS IN
RECENT YEARS WITH RESOUNDING
SUCCESS, SAN MATEO WAS ONE OF
THE FIRST TO DO THIS, I BELIEVE
FRESNO UNIFIED IS NOW DOING IT.
THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICT, SCHOOL
DISTRICTS IN LOS ANGELES THAT
ARE DOING IT. AND SO, YOU KNOW,
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT'S KIND
OF WHY I CRAFTED THE BILL IN THE
WAY THAT I DID, WHERE WE'RE NOT
TRYING TO OVERLY PRESCRIBE WHAT
THIS POLICY HAS TO LOOK LIKE. WE
WANT SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO HAVE
THAT DISCUSSION IN THEIR LOCAL
COMMUNITY, IF THEY DO NOT
BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY
WANT TO DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW,
POTENTIAL ENFORCEMENT AT THE
HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, FOR EXAMPLE,
THEY COULD SIMPLY PASS A POLICY
WHERE THEY PROHIBIT THEM OR
LIMIT THEM IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
THEY OR MIDDLE SCHOOL OR
WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE TO DO,
ESSENTIALLY, WE WANT THIS, THESE
DISCUSSIONS TO HAPPEN AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL. AND WE HAD SOME
TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS WITH
THOSE SAME CONCERNS. AND
INTERESTINGLY, SINCE THEY HAVE
BEEN PUT IN PLACE, WE HAVE
GOTTEN NOTHING BUT POSITIVE
REVIEWS FROM ADMINISTRATORS,
FROM PRINCIPALS, AND FROM
TEACHERS THAT THIS HAS IMPROVED
THEIR SCHOOL CLIMATE AND
IMPROVED ACADEMIC OUTCOMES AT
THE SAME TIME. AND SO, YOU KNOW,
I THINK THAT, I THINK THOSE ARE
VERY VALID QUESTIONS TO ASK. AND
I WANT THOSE QUESTIONS TO BE
ASKED AND ADDRESSED AT THE LOCAL
LEVEL. I DON'T THINK THIS BILL,
OVER PRESCRIBES WHAT DISTRICTS
HAVE TO DO, AND IF THEY CHOOSE
TO ALLOW THEM IN, YOU KNOW,
DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS,
THEY ARE ABLE TO DO THAT. THERE
ALREADY ISN'T THERE ALREADY IN
AN R TO, PROVIDE GUIDELINES,
GUIDELINES FROM THE CDC ON THE
USE OF CELL PHONES ON CAMPUSES,
I'M NOT SURE THE ANSWER TO THAT
QUESTION. I THINK WHAT THIS
BILL, ALL THIS BILL ESSENTIALLY
DOES IS IN THE BILL THAT WE
PASSED IN 2019 OR, ASSEMBLY
MEMBER MURATSUCHI BILL IN 2019,
WE TOOK THAT MAY AND WE JUST
CHANGED IT TO A CHAU
ESSENTIALLY, SCHOOL DISTRICTS
SHALL HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AT
THE LOCAL LEVEL ON HOW TO MOVE
FORWARD, A POLICY TO LIMIT CELL
PHONE USE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
SMARTPHONE USE, IT'S THAT'S ALL
THAT THE BILL DOES. AND SO, I
DON'T KNOW DIRECTLY, YOU KNOW,
WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, BUT I
THINK THAT THIS WOULD SIMPLY
WORK IN COORDINATION WITH THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS,
MR. MCCARTHY? YES. THANK YOU.
I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS. AND
IN 2019, I REMEMBER THE CHAIRS.
BILL, I DIDN'T HAVE HIGH SCHOOL
KIDS THEN AND NOW WE HAVE
FRESHMEN. THERE'S NO CHANCE IN
HELL THEY'RE WATCHING THIS
HEARING RIGHT NOW SO I CAN SAY
STUFF. BUT, YEAH, THIS IS A BIG
PROBLEM. YEAH. IN SCHOOLS WITH
OUR OWN KIDS. AND I JUST GOT AN
EMAIL FROM OUR HIGH SCHOOL TWO
NIGHTS AGO SAYING THEY'RE GOING
TO ADOPT A POLICY IN THEIR
SCHOOL. WOW. BECAUSE IT HAS SO
MUCH OF AN IMPACT ON DISTRACTED
KIDS AND SO FORTH. SO WE'VE
ASKED THEM, HEY, PUT IT AWAY,
PUT IN THEIR BACKPACK. AND NOW
THE SCHOOL IS SAYING, WE'VE HAD
ENOUGH. SO SOME SCHOOLS ARE
DOING IT AND THEY SENT US THIS
BIG REPORT THAT CAME OUT IN THE
ATLANTIC RECENTLY. AND THEY HAVE
SEEN IT THAT TALKED ABOUT THIS
ISSUE, AND IT HAS REAL IMPACTS
ON, ON, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. AND
JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS HARD
BEING A YOUNG PERSON. I'M SURE
IT WAS HARD WHEN YOU WERE
YOUNGER. YOU'RE 20 YEARS YOUNGER
THAN ME. AND WHEN I WAS IN HIGH
SCHOOL, AS ALWAYS, CHALLENGES.
BUT YEAH, I CAN'T IMAGINE IT NOW
WITH SOCIAL MEDIA. AND PRESSURE
IS WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND JUST
THIS IT'S THIS ADDICTION, LIKE A
DRUG. AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU
KNOW, WE STARTED THIS
CONVERSATION A FEW YEARS AGO,
AND IT'S ONLY GOTTEN WORSE IN
THE LAST FEW YEARS SINCE WE
PASSED A BILL IN 2019. SO I THIS
DOESN'T MANDATE WHAT THE POLICY
IS. I THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD TALK
ABOUT THAT STILL. BUT I THINK
THIS PUSHES THE ENVELOPE TO HAVE
PEOPLE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND
GET KIDS MORE FOCUSED WHEN
THEY'RE IN SCHOOL. THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COMMENTS.
ALL RIGHT, MR. HOOVER. GREAT.
BILL. I, YOU KNOW, WHEN I
INTRODUCED THE BILL AND, 2019,
AS MR. MCCARTHY INDICATED, I
MEAN, THERE WAS GROWING EVIDENCE
AND THERE'S ONLY MORE EVIDENCE
THAT, THAT EXCESSIVE SMARTPHONE
USE, YOU KNOW, HAS, YOU KNOW,
GROWING EVIDENCE THAT THAT IT
MAY BE CAUSING IF NOT, YOU KNOW,
MORE THAN JUST BEING CORRELATED
WITH THE SPIKES IN TEENAGE
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, AS WELL
AS LOWER ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
AND THERE WAS A RECENT NEW YORK
TIMES STUDY OR NEW YORK TIMES
ARTICLE THAT THAT THAT CITED A
STUDY THAT TALKED ABOUT THE,
THE, THE IMPACT OF EXCESSIVE
SMARTPHONE USE, YOU KNOW, HAVING
A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON, ON
LOW INCOME BLACK AND BROWN KIDS.
AND SO I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF
CONVERSATIONS TODAY ABOUT THE,
YOU KNOW, THE DISPROPORTIONATE,
DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS ON, ON
ON BLACK AND BROWN KIDS. BUT I
WOULD I DON'T HAVE THAT THAT
THAT'S, STUDY, YOU KNOW, AT
HAND. BUT I KNOW IT'S OUT THERE,
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT THE
BILL AND, GIVE YOU THE LAST
WORD. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE
ALL THE COMMENTS AND THE
CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED, YOU
KNOW, I, I ACTUALLY DID READ
THAT ATLANTIC ARTICLE THE OTHER
DAY, AND IT ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHTED
A NUMBER OF THE HARMS THAT COME
FROM, SMARTPHONE USE IN SCHOOLS,
INCLUDING SUFFERING GRADES,
RISING RATES OF ANXIETY,
DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE. I THINK
THIS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THIS IS
REALLY ONLY BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE
2010. IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS
RELATIVELY NEW, IN TERMS OF WHAT
WE'RE DEALING WITH AT THE LOCAL
LEVEL WITH KIDS AND SMARTPHONES.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE
FOR US AS A STATE TO ACT AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THIS
BECOMES, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING
THAT GETS OUT OF CONTROL, MY, MY
HIGH SCHOOLER HATES THIS BILL.
PROBABLY, MY HIGH SCHOOLER
ATTENDS A HIGH SCHOOL WHERE
THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE
PHONES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. IT
HAS TO BE OFTEN IN YOUR
BACKPACK, BUT THEY ENFORCE THAT
POLICY, AND THEY'VE CREATED A
CULTURE AT THAT SCHOOL WHERE
EVERYONE FOLLOWS THOSE RULES.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN
EVERYONE'S USING A PHONE,
EVERYONE'S GOING TO WANT A
PHONE. EVERYONE'S GOING TO USE A
PHONE. BUT WHEN WE HAVE THE
BACKING OF ADMINISTRATION AND
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ACTUALLY
IMPLEMENT THIS POLICY, I DO
THINK YOU CAN SUCCESSFULLY
CREATE THAT CULTURE. I WOULD
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE
VOTE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. DO
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND?
OKAY. ALL RIGHT, MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
FILE ITEM 26 AB 3216. THE MOTION
IS Dð. PASS TO APPROPRIATIONS.
MURATSUCHI Ã MURATSUCHI I LARA
A LARA I ADDIS I ADDIS I
ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ I BONTA. I WANT
TO I HOOVER, I HOOVER. HI.
MCCARTY I MCCARTY I70. THE BILL
IS OUT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
LAST TWO BILLS OF THE DAY ARE
MINE. I'LL TURN THE GAVEL OVER.
BOTH BILLS. I'LL SECOND BOTH OF
THEM. GO. NO 134. 2134. ALL
RIGHT. MR. CHAIR WILL FILE ITEM
SIX 2134. YES, PLEASE. GÓMEZ
2134. I'LL SECOND IT. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I AM HERE
TO PRESENT, ASSEMBLY BILL 2134,
WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A SCHOOL
DISTRICT, COUNTY OFFICE OF
EDUCATION OR CHARTER SCHOOL TO
ACCEPT THE TRANSFER OF SICK
LEAVE DAYS FOR A CERTIFICATED OR
CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE AT ANY TIME
DURING THEIR EMPLOYMENT. WE
UNDER EXISTING LAW, THERE HAVE
BEEN PROBLEMS WITH, EMPLOYER
LESS OR, LOCAL EDUCATIONAL
AGENCIES. NOT PROPERLY GIVING
CREDIT TO CERTIFICATED AND
CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES WHEN THEY
TRY TO, TO MOVE FROM ONE
DISTRICT TO ANOTHER. THEY
ABSOLUTELY SHOULD, BE ABLE TO
EXERCISE THIS, RIGHT? THAT
EXISTS IN CURRENT LAW. BUT THIS
THIS BILL WILL CLARIFY, THE
EXISTING LAW AND, AND SO, WITH
ME TODAY TO FURTHER EXPLAIN THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS BILL IS MARK
VEST, A HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL
EDUCATION ENGLISH TEACHER FROM
FONTANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT,
AND RICKY NUNN, MIDDLE SCHOOL
ENGLISH AND HISTORY TEACHER FROM
SAN JUAN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FIRST
WITNESS, TWO MINUTES APIECE.
GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIR. YOU
KNOW TOMATO, TOMATO.
DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. THIS OPPORTUNITY AGAIN
I'M MARK VEST HIGH SCHOOL
SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER FROM
FONTANA UNIFIED. IT'S AN HONOR
AND A PRIVILEGE TO SPEAK BEFORE
YOU. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR
ALLOWING ME TO SHARE MY STORY,
WHICH IS ASKING A LOT AT THIS
TIME OF NIGHT. SO THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO
BRING ATTENTION TO THE INJUSTICE
OF OUR CURRENT LAW, AFTER
SPENDING 31 YEARS IN A CLASSROOM
, I'VE DECIDED THIS YEAR TO
RETIRE WHILE I HAVE A LITTLE BIT
OF SANITY LEFT, AS YOU KNOW, IF
YOU'VE TAUGHT BEFORE, TEACHING
IS NOT A JOB. IT'S A CALLING.
AND I FEEL VERY BLESSED THAT I
WAS ABLE TO BE IN A POSITION TO
FULFILL THAT CALLING. I LOVE
EVERY BIT OF IT. SO LATELY I
STARTED THE PROCESS OF PLANNING
FOR MY RETIREMENT, I DISCOVERED
THAT I HAD ACCUMULATED OVER 100
SICK DAYS DURING THE COURSE OF
MY CAREER, WHICH IS PRETTY
EXCITED ABOUT, ALL OF WHICH CAN
BE CONVERTED INTO RETIREMENT
CREDIT. HOWEVER, I ALSO
DISCOVERED, UNFORTUNATELY, FOR
REASONS UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, THAT
98 OF THOSE DAYS DID NOT
TRANSFER WITH ME WHEN I MOVED TO
MY NEW DISTRICT. SO I APPROACHED
MY NEW DISTRICT. I THOUGHT IT
WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE AT ALL AND
ASKED THEM AND TOLD THEM THE
SITUATION AND ASKED THEM TO
ACCEPT THE TRANSFER OF THESE
DAYS, AND I WAS SHOCKED WHEN
THEY REFUSED. THEY CITED THAT
NO, WE CAN'T ACCEPT THE TRANSFER
THESE DAYS BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN
EMPLOYED WITH US MORE THAN ONE
YEAR. AT WHICH TIME I RESEARCHED
THE STATUTE, AS YOU MENTIONED,
MR. CHAIR, AND I COULD NOT
FIGURE OUT HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO
PUT A TIME RESTRAINT BASED ON
THE WAY THE STATUTE IS WRITTEN.
BUT THEY DID. SO, AT THIS POINT
IN TIME, AGAIN, THESE ARE DAYS
I'VE EARNED OVER DECADES OF
PUBLIC SERVICE. SO IT'S JUST
COMPLETELY UNSETTLING AND
UNACCEPTABLE TO ME AND JUSTIFIED
THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THIS. IT
HAPPENED TO TOO MANY TEACHERS IN
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT THIS
POINT, AND YOU GUYS ARE IN A
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO
DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS
INJUSTICE. I'M BEING DENIED A
PORTION OF MY WELL-DESERVED
RETIREMENT BENEFIT BECAUSE OF
THIS, FOR ME, IT EQUATES TO
ABOUT 120 A MONTH, WHICH DOESN'T
SOUND LIKE MUCH, BUT I AM,
TAKING CARE OF MY FAMILY, WHICH
INCLUDES MY THREE GRANDCHILDREN,
TWIN NINE YEAR OLD SON, BOYS,
GRANDSONS, AND A LITTLE TWO YEAR
OLD, WHICH CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE
. SO I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS
UNJUSTIFIABLE INJUSTICE OCCUR TO
ANYBODY ELSE, IN 2020, AS YOU
PROBABLY NO DOUBT AWARE, THE
GOVERNOR SIGNED A BILL
CORRECTING THIS ISSUE AT THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEVEL. THE
SAME EXACT ISSUE. SO AT THIS
POINT TODAY, YOU HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE SAME FOR
ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS.
THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU,
PLEASE SUPPORT AB 2134. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION,
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LONG
HOURS YOU PUT IN HARD WORK TO
IMPROVE OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
TODAY. I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED
WATCHING YOU AT WORK. I REALLY
APPRECIATED THE TEACHER. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. NEXT WITNESS
PLEASE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU,
CHAIR, FOR BRINGING UP THIS BILL
TO THE COMMITTEE. COMMITTEE
MEMBERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
HEARING OUR STORY. I'M GOING TO
TRY TO STICK TO THE SCRIPT
REALLY FAST TO BE ON POINT IN
TIME FOR EVERYBODY, SINCE IT'S
GOTTEN KIND OF LATE. SO. HELLO,
MY NAME IS RICKY NUNN. I'M
URGING YOUR VOTE FOR THIS
MATTER, I AM A CURRENT ENGLISH
HISTORY TEACHER AT THE SAN JUAN
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. I LEFT
WOODLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
AS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER IN
2020. DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC,
I WENT TO A MORTGAGE COMPANY
DOING REMOTE WORK FOR TWO YEARS.
SINCE TEACHING HIRING WAS
NON-EXISTENT IN OUR AREA. WHEN I
RETURNED TO THE CLASSROOM IN
AUGUST OF 2022, WHEN IN-PERSON
INSTRUCTION RESUMED, I WENT TO
THE TRANSFER PROCESS TO GET MY
SICK LEAVE FROM MY PREVIOUS
DISTRICT. WHEN I LEFT WOODLAND,
I WAS TOLD BY MY REPRESENTATIVE
THAT THEY WOULD BE WAITING FOR
ME THERE, AND WHEN I CAME BACK
TO TEACHING, I WOULD BE ABLE TO
TRANSFER THEM DURING AN INTERNAL
AUDIT AT MY CURRENT DISTRICT.
THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY
PREVIOUS DISTRICT DID NOT INCENT
ANY OF MY PREVIOUS SICK LEAVE,
WHEN I ASKED THEM WHY THEY DID
NOT SEND THEM, I WAS TOLD THAT I
WAS OUTSIDE OF TEACHING FOR MORE
THAN ONE YEAR. THEY WOULD BE
KEEPING MY UNUSED SICK DAYS
UNTIL RETIREMENT AND THEN MY 38
UNUSED SICK DAYS THAT I HAD
EARNED WOULD THEN BE REPORTED TO
STIRS. WE HAVE SINCE HEARD THAT
THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE
ACROSS THE STATE. THERE ARE
THREE TRUTHS HERE. FIRST, THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA GRANTS ME
TEN SICK DAYS EVERY YEAR. AS A
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER. SECOND,
IF O NOT USE
OVER TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
FINALLY, IF I CHANGE FROM ONE
PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYER TO
ANOTHER, MY UNUSED SICK LEAVE
SHOULD FOLLOW ME. THE INJUSTICE
FOR ME WAS THAT MY 38 DAYS OF
EARNED LEAVE, 20 OF WHICH CAME
FROM OTHER DISTRICTS, WERE TAKEN
AWAY FROM ME. WHEN I REFLECT ON
MY OTHER PROFESSIONS AND MY OWN
EXPERIENCE WHEN LEAVING MY
MORTGAGE COMPANY, ALL OF MY SICK
AND VACATION TIME WAS PAID OUT
INSTANTLY. WOODLAND IS HOLDING
ON TO MY UNUSED SICK LEAVE I
EARNED, AND IT FEELS LIKE I AM
BEING PENALIZED FOR NOT TAKING
DAYS OFF AND BEING A DEDICATED
EMPLOYEE. I LOVE MY JOB. I LOOK
FORWARD TO TEACHING AND BEING IN
THE CLASSROOM WITH MY STUDENTS.
I TAKE CARE OF MYSELF MENTALLY
AND PHYSICALLY TO ENSURE THAT I
AM PRESENT FOR MY KIDS, WHO
OTHERWISE DO NOT HAVE A CONSTANT
PRESENCE IN THEIR LIFE, THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. YOUR TIME
IS UP, THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME
OUT, AND I URGE YOUR SUPPORT IN
AMENDING THE LANGUAGE TO LIVE UP
TO THE INTENT OF THE LAW, WHICH
IS THAT EDUCATORS SHOULD BE ABLE
TO USE THE SICK LEAVE THAT THEY
HAVE EARNED. AND FORGIVE ME FOR
LOOKING TIRED. I HAVE A FOUR
WEEK OLD AT HOME, SO LOVE IT.
WELL, CONGRATULATIONS, WITNESSES
IN SUPPORT, NAME AND
ORGANIZATION. PLEASE FOR THE
CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.
SETH BRAMBLE, WE ARE IN SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING.
JENNIFER BAKER WITH THE
CALIFORNIA RETIRED TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION, REMINDING 70% OF
CALSTRS MEMBERS ARE WOMEN. MANY
RETIREES HAVE ALREADY RETIRED,
AM NOT, HAVE NOT GOTTEN THEIR
SICK LEAVE. SO IT'S A MAJOR
ISSUE. WE'RE GLAD TO SUPPORT AND
APOLOGIZE FOR THE LATE
OPPOSITION OR THE LATE SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. SORRY. AS LONG AS
IT'S SUPPORT I'M JOANNE CUP I'M
A RETIRED TEACHER IN CALIFORNIA
RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION. I
STAND IN FAVOR OF THIS BILL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MARTHA
ZARAGOZA DIAZ, REPRESENTING THE
DELTA KAPPA GAMMA, CALIFORNIA,
IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, AND A
LETTER OF SUPPORT WILL BE
FORWARDED. WE JUST HAD A LATE
BILL REVIEW OF OUR ORGANIZATION
AND WASN'T ABLE TO BRING A
SUPPORT LETTER IN TIME, BUT ONE
WILL BE SENT. THANK YOU, THANK
YOU. IT HAPPENS. MITCH STEIGER
WITH CFT ALSO IN SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. CHRIS MYERS WITH THE
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
ASSOCIATION AND SUPPORT GEORGE
TH¤U WITH THE CALIFORNIA LABOR
FEDERATION AND SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE IN
SUPPORT? SEEING NONE. WITNESSES
IN OPPOSITION. SEEING NONE.
BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE
? SEEING NONE. MR. CHAIR, WOULD
YOU LIKE TO CLOSE RESPECTFULLY.
OH HOLD ON, I LIED, MR. HOOVER.
I MESSED EVERYTHING UP. WE WERE
ROLLING THERE, JUST A QUICK
QUESTION. I KNOW THERE'S SOME
CONCERNS FROM A CHARTER GROUP
HERE ON, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE
TRANSFERABILITY WHEN IT COMES TO
A TEACHER MAYBE MOVING FROM A
SCHOOL DISTRICT TO A CHARTER
SCHOOL, GIVEN THE DIFFERENCES
THAT THEY MAY OFFER IN BENEFITS.
AND SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS, IS
THAT AN ISSUE YOU'RE WILLING TO
KIND OF LOOK AT MOVING FORWARD?
I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE BILL AND
PREPARED TO SUPPORT IT TODAY. I
JUST WANT TO SEE IF THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT, YOU'D BE WILLING
TO LOOK AT MOVING FORWARD. WE
ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE
WILLING TO TALK WITH, WITH
STAKEHOLDERS. I WOULD JUST NOTE
THAT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ENSURE
PARITY. YOU KNOW, CHARTER
SCHOOLS, AS WE ALL KNOW, ARE
FUNDED WITH PUBLIC TAXPAYER
DOLLARS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THEY
HAVE A CHOICE OF HIRING
EMPLOYEES WHO TO HIRE. AND SO IF
THEY HIRE, PUBLIC SERVANTS,
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES THAT, THAT HAVE
ACCUMULATED SICK LEAVE, THEY
THAT SICK LEAVE SHOULD BE
HONORED. IT'S A SIMPLE
PRINCIPLE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER
QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE?
SEEING NONE, MR. CHAIR, IT'S
GOING TO GET REAL AWKWARD IF YOU
DON'T ACCEPT YOUR COMMITTEE'S
AMENDMENTS. I ACCEPT THE ONE.
THE WONDERFUL AND THOUGHTFUL
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS. AND THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
CONSULTANT, PLEASE CALL THE
CHAIR. CALL THE ROLL. THANK YOU.
FILE ITEM SIX AB 2134. THE
MOTION IS Dð. PASSES AMENDED TO
PERS COMMITTEE MURATSUCHI A
MURATSUCHI I LARA I LARA I ADIS
I ADIS I ALVAREZ ALVAREZ. I WANT
TO I WANT TO I. HOOVER. HOOVER I
MCCARTY I HARDY I FILLS OUT WITH
SEVEN ZERO. THANK YOU VERY
IMPATIENT. YOU THANK YOU, THANK
YOU SIR. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK
YOU. NEXT UP IS FILE ITEM 16. AB
2652. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THIS
BILL WOULD REQUIRE THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION, IN CONSULTATION
WITH THE STATE BOARD OF
EDUCATION, TO CONVENE A WORKING
GROUP FOR THE PURPOSE OF
EXPLORING HOW ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE AND OTHER FORMS OF
SIMILARLY ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
ARE CURRENTLY BEING USED IN
EDUCATION, THIS WOULD, ASSESS
THIS WORK, WOULD ASSESS HOW A.I.
IS CURRENTLY BEING USED IN
EDUCATION. TWO IT WOULD IDENTIFY
HOW IT MAY BE USED IN THE
FUTURE, AND THREE, DEVELOP BEST
PRACTICES TO ENSURE THAT THOSE
TECHNOLOGIES ADVANCE RATHER THAN
HARM OUR STUDENTS, AS WELL AS
OUR TEACHERS AND OUR CLASSIFIED
EMPLOYEES. HERE TO TESTIFY IN
SUPPORT OF THE BILL IS MR.
SEIGER WITH THE CALIFORNIA
FEDERATION OF TEACHERS BILL.
SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
MEMBERS AND STAFF, MITCH STEIGER
WITH CFT, A UNION OF EDUCATORS
AND CLASSIFIED PROFESSIONALS
PROUD TO SPONSOR THIS BILL, FOR
ALL THE REASONS STATED SO ABLY
BY THE AUTHOR, WE DO THINK IT'S
A REALLY IMPORTANT MEASURE,
BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
HERE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ONE OF A
VARIETY OF AI BILLS THAT ARE
GOING TO BE COMING THROUGH THE
LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR, WE WOULD
ARGUE THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF
THE MOST IMPACTFUL BECAUSE IT IS
EDUCATION THAT'S AT ISSUE. THIS
IS WHERE WE ALL LEARN TO READ
AND WRITE AND EXPRESS OURSELVES,
DEBATE, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT
FUNCTIONS THAT NOW CAN LARGELY
BE PERFORMED BY AI AND IF WE ARE
NOT CAREFUL, IF WE GET THIS
WRONG, IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE
THAT WE'LL START TO LOSE THOSE
SKILLS, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE
THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO
PAUSE AND TAKE A STEP BACK AND
CREATE THIS COMMITTEE, PUT THE
RIGHT PEOPLE ON IT TO MAKE SURE
THAT IT'S DOING WHAT IT NEEDS TO
DO. I KNOW IT'S LATE, SO JUST
TWO QUICK EXAMPLES OF HOW THIS
AI IS CURRENTLY BEING USED. AND
PART OF WHY WE THINK THIS
WORKGROUP IS SO IMPORTANT, ONE
OF WHICH IS CHATGPT, A
GENERATIVE AI PROGRAMS THAT
WE'RE ALL PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH
NOW. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THERE ARE SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA
THAT ARE RIGHT NOW ALLOWING
STUDENTS TO USE CHATGPT TO WRITE
PAPERS. YOU CAN JUST HAND IN A
PAPER THAT CHATGPT WROTE. THERE
ARE OTHER SCHOOLS, AND I KNOW
THIS BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN A
PRETTY BIG ARGUMENT WITH ONE OF
THESE SCHOOLS ABOUT A MONTH AGO,
AND THEIR ARGUMENT WAS THAT THIS
TECHNOLOGY IS OUT THERE. KIDS
NEED TO LEARN HOW TO USE IT. SO
LET'S JUST LET THEM USE IT,
THERE ARE SOME SCHOOLS THAT
ALLOW YOU TO USE IT, BUT YOU
HAVE TO CITE IT. THERE ARE OTHER
SCHOOLS THAT BAN IT ENTIRELY AND
EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. AND SO WE
THINK THAT'S A PRETTY CLEAR
EXAMPLE OF THE FACT THAT THERE
NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF
COORDINATION. THERE NEEDS TO BE
SOME PRETTY CLEAR, SOME SORT OF
GUIDANCE FROM SOME SORT OF
CENTRAL ENTITY AT THE STATE
LEVEL TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO PUT
SOME THOUGHT INTO HOW THIS CAN
BEST BE USED. ANOTHER EXAMPLE
THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION IS
THAT THERE ARE, AS WE SPEAK
RIGHT NOW, I COUNSELORS BEING
USED IN PLACE OF HUMAN
COUNSELORS. THERE ARE AI TUTORS
THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED. I SAW
A PRESENTATION ON ONE WHERE THEY
CITED WAGE INCREASES WON BY èC
TUTORS AS THE REASON FOR
DEVELOPING THIS PROGRAM. SO
THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE VERY MUCH
DEVELOPING THIS TECHNOLOGY TO
REPLACE OUR MEMBERS, TAKE THE
HUMAN ELEMENT OUT OF THIS
PROCESS ENTIRELY, AND SO WHILE
THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME
BENEFITS TO AI, IF IT'S DONE
RIGHT, WE CAN DO THINGS TO TAKE
SOME TASKS OFF THE TABLE OF
EDUCATORS AND CLASSIFIED WORKERS
AND ALLOW THEM TO SPEND MORE
TIME WITH STUDENTS. IF WE DO IT
WRONG, A WHOLE LOT OF VERY
CRITICAL THINGS ARE AT RISK. AND
SO WE THINK THE BILL IS A VERY
IMPORTANT STEP IN THAT
DIRECTION. IT PUTS THE RIGHT
PEOPLE ON A COMMITTEE. WE'VE HAD
VERY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS
WITH COMMITTEE STAFF TO GET THE
LANGUAGE RIGHT, AND WE URGE YOUR
SUPPORT FOR THE BILL AT THE
APPROPRIATE TIME. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER
WITNESSES IN SUPPORT? NAME AN
ORGANIZATION, PLEASE. CHRIS
MYERS WITH THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION AND
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. GOOD
EVENING. MY COLLEAGUE FROM THE
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL
BUSINESSES OFFICIALS ASKED ME TO
REGISTER TO THEIR SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. PAMELA GIBBS, REPRESENTING
THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY OFFICE OF
EDUCATION. AND WE SUPPORT THE
BILL. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
THANK YOU, GEORGE TH¤U, ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA LABOR
FEDERATION IN SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYONE
IN OPPOSITION SEEING NONE BRING
IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. ANY
QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE?
SEEING NONE. MR. CHAIR, WOULD
YOU LIKE TO ACCEPT THE
AMENDMENTS? I JUST WANT TO THANK
EVERYONE FOR STICKING AROUND
TILL THE END. RESPECTFULLY ASK
FOR YOUR VOTE AND AMENDMENTS.
AND I, OF COURSE, ACCEPT THE
WONDERFUL, THOUGHTFUL STAFF IS
ON YOU. THANK THE COMMITTEE FOR
THEIR HARD WORK ON THIS BILL.
MADAM CHAIR, PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL, MADAM SECRETARY. BUT FILE
ITEM 16 AB 2652. THE MOTION IS
Dð PASS, AS AMENDED TO PRIVACY
COMMITTEE. MURATSUCHI. ALL
RIGHT. MURATSUCHI, I LARA A LARA
I ADDIS I ADDIS I ALVAREZ I
ALVAREZ I HOOVER I HOOVER I
MCCARTY I MCCARTY I ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU. THANKS A LOT. BILL'S
OUT WITH SEVEN ZERO. THANK YOU.
ALL AND THEN WE GOT THE AD ON.
AND THEN ONE OH MISSED. NO
MOTION. OKAY I'LL GO FAST. OKAY.
SOMEBODY GOT HELD UP. LAST
STRETCH. WE'LL DO THE BILL.
OKAY. SO WE HAVE ONE BILL ON
CALL. THAT'S FILE ITEM 24.
ASSEMBLY BILL 3074, MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
FILE ITEM 24 AB 3074. THE MOTION
IS TO PASS, AS AMENDED TO HIGHER
EDUCATION. LARA LARA NOT VOTING.
ADDIS A ADDIS I MCCARTY A PARTY
I. FIVE ZERO THE BILL IS OUT. DO
ADD ONS. WE'LL DO ADD ONS. DO
THIS STARTING WITH THE CONSENT
CALENDAR ON THE CONSENT
CALENDAR. ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ I
MCCARTY I PARTY. I SEVEN ZERO.
THE CONSENT CALENDAR IS PASSED.
FILE ITEM ONE AB 1851. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS, AS AMENDED TO
APPROPRIATIONS. LARA LARA I
MCCARTY A MCCARTY. I 7070. THE
BILL IS OUT. FILE ITEM TWO AB
1947. THE MOTION IS DUE PASSED
TO APPROPRIATE FLORA. HI, FLORA,
I WANT TO I WANT TO I MCCARTY, I
MCCARTY I 7070 THE BILL IS OUT.
EX FILE ITEM TEN AB 2229. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS AS AMENDED TO
APPROPRIATIONS. MCCARTY.
MCCARTY. I 7070. THE BILL IS
OUT. FILE ITEM 11 AB 2245. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS TO
APPROPRIATIONS. MCCARTY.
MCCARTY. I IT'S, 5 TO 1. 5 TO 1.
THE BILL IS OUT. FILE ITEM 12 AB
2268. THE MOTION IS TO PASS TO
THE FLOOR. BONTA A BONTA I
MCCARTY A MCCARTY I7070. THE
BILL IS OUT. FILE ITEM 13 AB
2316. THE MOTION IS DUE. PASS AS
AMENDED TO ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
COMMITTEE. MCCARTY I MCCARTY. I
6060. THE BILL IS OUT. FILE ITEM
14 AB 2351. THE MOTION IS TO
PASS, AS AMENDED, TO JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE. MCCARTY A MCCARTY. I
FIVE 5 TO 1, 5 TO 1. THE BILL IS
OUT. H FILE ITEM 19 AB 2876. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS, AS AMENDED,
TO APPROPRIATIONS. ALVAREZ 19 AB
2876. YES HI. ALVAREZ I MCCARTY
I MCCARTY. I 7070. THE BILL IS
OUT. FILE ITEM 20 AB 2887. THE
MOTION IS Dð. PASS AS AMENDED TO
APPROPRIATIONS. FLORA. HI,
FLORA. I ADDIS. HI ADDIS I
MCCARTY I MCCARTY I 7070. THE
BILL IS OUT. FILE ITEM 21 AB
2901 MOTIONS DO PASS TO HIGHER
EDUCATION. ALVAREZ I ALVAREZ I
MCCARTY I MCCARTY I 7070. THE
BILL IS OUT. C. 23 WE'RE JUST.
WE'RE NOT. HE CALL IT. SO THIS
IS JUST ADD ONS. NOW I CAN ADD
ON AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE
IT. UNLESS TANYA JUST SAID TANYA
IS EVERYTHING LOOK GOOD, DO YOU
WANT. YEAH. OKAY THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. MEETING IS ADJOURNED