GOOD AFTERNOON. EVERYONE. I'D
LIKE TO CALL THIS HEARING OF THE
ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE TO
ORDER. SEEING THAT WE DO NOT
HAVE A QUORUM YET, WE WILL HOLD
OFF ON CALLING THE ROLL TO
ESTABLISH A QUORUM AND PROCEED
AS A SUBCOMMITTEE, I'D LIKE TO,
INVITE ALL OF THE COMMITTEE
MEMBERS THAT MAY BE WATCHING
THIS ON TV FROM THEIR OFFICES TO
PLEASE COME TO THE ROOM 1100 FOR
TODAY'S HEARING. WE HAVE 22
BILLS ON FILE TODAY. TWO BILLS
HAVE BEEN PULLED. THOSE BILLS
ARE FILED. ITEM NUMBER THREE.
SENATE BILL 480. AND FILE ITEM
11, SENATE BILL 1063. SO THOSE
BILLS WILL NOT BE HEARD TODAY.
IF YOU ARE HERE FOR SB 480 OR SB
1063. THERE ARE 11 BILLS ON
CONSENT. THEY ARE SB 98 WITH
AMENDMENTS, SB 920. SB 939 WITH
AMENDMENTS. SB 1094 WITH
AMENDMENTS. SB 1138. SB 30 TÍNH
15 WITH AMENDMENTS SB 1329. SB
1341, SB 1410, SB 1412, AND SB
FOUR TÍNH 29. WITH AMENDMENTS,
THOSE BILLS WILL BE TAKEN UP AS
A GROUP AND WILL NOT BE
INDIVIDUALLY HEARD, SO IF YOU
ARE HERE FOR ANY OF THOSE BILLS,
YOU WILL NOT HEAR ANY BILL
PRESENTATION THÀNH, FOR THOSE
BILLS. BILLS WILL BE HEARD AND
SIGN IN ORDER AS A REMINDER FOR
EACH BILL, WE WILL HAVE UP TO
TWO WITNESSES IN SUPPORT, TWO
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION. EACH
WITNESS MAY SPEAK FOR UP TO TWO
MINUTES. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
IN THE HEARING ROOM WILL THEN
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO STATE
THEIR POSITION. PLEASE ONLY
STATE YOUR NAME, AFFILIATION AND
POSITION ON THE BILL. MEMBERS OF
THE PUBLIC ARE ALSO WELCOME TO
PROVIDE COMMENT THROUGH THE
POSITION LETTER PORTAL ON THE
ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE'S
WEBSITE. AND SO WE WILL WE HAVE
A SIGN IN SHEET OKAY. ALL RIGHT,
SO, FIRST AND SIGN IN ORDER IS
FILED ITEM NUMBER TEN, BY
SENATOR PORTANTINO SB 997.
WELCOME, SENATOR. I UNDERSTAND
YOU HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST AND
WITNESS IN SUPPORT OF YOUR BILL
TODAY, BUT I'LL LEAVE HER
INTRODUCTION FOR YOU. OH, HOLD
ON, SENATOR, WE'RE HAVING
TECHNICAL ISSUES. THERE WE GO.
OH, THERE WE GO. I'LL START OVER
. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO
START BY ACCEPTING THE COMMITTEE
AMENDMENTS OUTLINED IN THE
ANALYSIS AND APPRECIATE THE WORK
OF YOUR STAFF AND MY STAFF FOR
MOVING THE BILL TO WHERE IT IS
TODAY BEFORE YOU. SB 997 CREATES
A STUDENT RIGHT TO CARRY NARCAN
AND FENTANYL TESTING STRIPS
WHILE AT SCHOOL. IT IS A IT IS
PARAMOUNT THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE
EQUIPPED WITH THE TOOLS TO
COMBAT THE CURRENT OPIOID
EPIDEMIC, TARGETING TARGETING
OUR YOUTH. FENTANYL POISONING
AND OVERDOSE ACCOUNT FOR ROUGHLY
80% OF ALL OPIOID DEATHS. NARCAN
AS, WHICH IS WIDELY KNOWN AS,
REVERSES THE EFFECTS OF AN
OPIOID OVERDOSE, PROVIDING MORE
TIME TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY CARE,
SCHOOL, SCHOOLS, AMUSEMENT
PARKS, CONCERT VENUES, AND OTHER
LOCATIONS ARE READILY EQUIPPED
WITH NARCAN, BUT STUDENTS
THEMSELVES ARE NOT IN THE HABIT
OF CARRYING IT. IT IS CRITICAL
THAT WE EMPOWER STUDENTS TO
CARRY THESE TYPES OF LIFE SAVING
MEDICATIONS, SO THEY MAY BEGIN
TO HABITUALLY CARRY IT, AS YOU
KNOW, THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW
WHAT'S THERE IS TO TEST IT. AND
SO THAT'S WHY THE TESTING STRIPS
ARE IMPORTANT. WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT STUDENTS ARE ARMED
WITH, THE NARCAN AND TESTING
STRIPS WHEN THEY'RE AT SCHOOL,
AT PARTIES, MOVIES. WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE SAFE
ENVIRONMENTS, AND THEY CAN HELP
AND PLAY A RESPONSIBLE ROLE IN
MAKING THEIR WORLD AROUND THEM
HEALTHIER. CALIFORNIA HAS TAKEN
GREAT MEASURES TO ENSURE A WELL
SUPPLIED STOCK OF NARCAN IS
AVAILABLE IN OUR SYSTEM IN ORDER
TO PROTECT STUDENTS, BUT THESE
EFFORTS DO NOT INCLUDE THE
PEOPLE WHO POPULATE SCHOOLS THE
MOST, WHICH ARE OUR STUDENTS.
AND THE MORE STUDENTS ARE ABLE
TO HELP THEIR PEERS WHEN FACING
AN OVERDOSE, THE LESS LIKELY THE
STUDENTS WILL FACE AN OVERDOSE
RELATED FATALITY. SO WITH ME
TODAY, I'M VERY PROUD IS LIBBY
PAQUETTE, WHO WAS A CONSTITUENT
AND A SENIOR AT MARLBORO SCHOOL.
LIBBY IS A FORMER INTERN IN MY
OFFICE, AND SHE WAS THE
INSPIRATION BEHIND THIS BILL.
AND SO, MR. CHAIR, SHE'S MY
EXPERT WITNESS. THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. AS
SENATOR PORTANTINO SAID, MY NAME
IS LIBBY PAQUETTE AND I'M
ENTERING MY SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH
SCHOOL. I'M HERE TO REPRESENT MY
GENERATION AND TO URGE YOU TO
SUPPORT SB 997. THIS BILL,
AUTHORED BY SENATOR PORTANTINO,
IS CRUCIAL FOR PROTECTING YOUNG
CALIFORNIANS FROM OPIOID
OVERDOSES. IN THE PAST THREE
YEARS, FENTANYL OVERDOSES AMONG
MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
HAS INCREASED NEARLY 300. THIS
ISN'T JUST A STATISTIC. IT'S A
TERRIFYING REALITY. THIS BILL
ALLOWS STUDENTS TO CARRY NARCAN
AND FENTANYL TEST STRIPS,
ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR PREVENTING
OVERDOSES AND SAVING LIVES.
THESE RESOURCES MUST BE
ACCESSIBLE WITHOUT PARENTAL
CONSENT. DESPITE OUR BEST
EFFORTS, SOME STUDENTS WILL
EXPERIMENT WITH DRUGS AND WE
MUST EQUIP THEM WITH THE TOOLS
TO DO SO SAFELY. FENTANYL IS 50
TIMES MORE POTENT THAN HEROIN
AND 100 TIMES MORE POTENT THAN
MORPHINE. EVEN A TINY AMOUNT CAN
CAUSE DEATH. LET ME SHARE A
STORY WITH YOU. HER NAME WAS
MELANIE. SHE WAS 15 YEARS OLD,
AND SHE WENT TO HELEN BERNSTEIN
HIGH SCHOOL A MILE AWAY FROM MY
HIGH SCHOOL IN LOS ANGELES.
MELANIE AND A FRIEND BOUGHT FAKE
PILLS THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW
CONTAINED FENTANYL. MELANIE
SPENT EIGHT HOURS IN THE SCHOOL
BATHROOM UNCONSCIOUS BEFORE
PARAMEDICS FOUND HER AND
PRONOUNCED HER DEAD. CAN YOU
IMAGINE THE AGONY THAT HER
FAMILY FELT WHEN THEY LEARNED
THAT MELANIE HAD DIED FROM AN
ACCIDENTAL FENTANYL OVERDOSE?
THESE ARE WORDS THAT NO PARENT
SHOULD EVER HAVE TO HEAR. A TEST
STRIP IN A COUPLE MINUTES COULD
HAVE SAVED HER LIFE, AND IF SHE
WOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND SOONER,
NARCAN COULD HAVE SAVED HER
LIFE. TWO THIRDS OF TEENS WHO
DIE FROM FENTANYL OVERDOSES HAVE
NO PRIOR OPIOID USE. NARCAN IS A
LIFESAVING MEDICATION THAT IS
NOW AVAILABLE OVER THE COUNTER,
BUT IT NEEDS TO BE IN THE HANDS
OF ALL CALIFORNIA STUDENTS.
TEENS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN
SCHOOL NURSES TO ENCOUNTER AN
OPIOID OVERDOSE AND ACT IN TIME.
CRITICS SAY THAT THIS MAY
UNDERMINE PARENTAL AUTHORITY,
BUT FEAR OF JUDGMENT CAN KEEP
MANY STUDENTS FROM SEEKING THE
HELP THAT THEY NEED. SB 997
ENSURES STUDENTS CAN ACCESS
THESE LIFE SAVING TOOLS
DIRECTLY. THIS BILL IS ABOUT
SAVING LIVES AND FOSTERING A
CULTURE OF AWARENESS AND SAFETY.
SUPPORT SB 997. THINK OF MELANIE
AND COUNTLESS OTHERS, PROTECT
YOUTH FROM OPIOID OVERDOSES AND
ENSURE A SAFER AND HEALTHIER
FUTURE FOR CALIFORNIA STUDENTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. I'D LIKE TO INVITE
PUBLIC COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF
THE BILL. PLEASE COME FORWARD.
BEFORE WE DO THAT, I'D LIKE TO
CALL ROLL TO ESTABLISH QUORUM.
MURATSUCHI HERE. MURATSUCHI
HERE. LARA. LARA HERE. ADIS
ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ. HERE. BONTA.
BONTA. HERE. HOOVER. MCCARTY WE
HAVE QUORUM. PLEASE PROCEED.
THANK YOU. TOM RENFREE, ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG
PROGRAM EXECUTIVES IN SUPPORT.
CLIFTON WILSON, ON BEHALF OF THE
CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. GREG PULSIFER, ON
BEHALF OF EQUALITY CALIFORNIA,
IN SUPPORT. STELLA JOHNSON, ON
BEHALF OF ALAMEDA COUNTY OFFICE
OF EDUCATION, IN SUPPORT. GRACE
HARRISON WITH THE STEINBERG
INSTITUTE IN SUPPORT. SEEING NO
FURTHER WITNESSES IN SUPPORT.
ANY WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO
THE BILL. SEEING NO ONE COMING
FORWARD. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL. SEEING
NO ONE COMING FORWARD. QUESTIONS
OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED,
BY VICE SHERIFF LARA. SECONDED
BY MR. ALVAREZ, IS IT MISS
PAQUETTE? YES WELCOME TO THE
STATE CAPITOL. I, I WANT TO
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, BEING A
VOICE FOR STUDENTS AND RAISING
THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE, THE
300% INCREASE IN, THE FENTANYL,
INCIDENTS IS VERY DISTURBING.
I'M A FATHER OF A TEENAGE
DAUGHTER IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I'M
ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY
WHEN I HEAR ALL OF THE
DISCUSSION IN THE STATE CAPITOL
ABOUT THIS, THE THREAT OF
FENTANYL, I'M, ALWAYS SHARING
THAT WITH WITH MY DAUGHTER AND
I. AND SO YOUR EFFORT HERE
TODAY, WORKING WITH SENATOR
PORTANTINO, IS GOING TO HELP
SAVE LIVES, EDUCATE MORE
STUDENTS ABOUT THIS. THIS
CRISIS. AND SO I WANT TO THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE,
BEING A VOICE FOR STUDENTS AND
MAKING A DIFFERENCE. SENATOR
PORTANTINO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
CLOSE? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. AS
LIBBY HAS OUTLINED, YOU KNOW,
THERE ARE REAL LIFE AND DEATH
CONSEQUENCES, AND WE NEED TO ARM
OUR STUDENTS, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE,
WITH AS MANY TOOLS AS WE CAN TO
MAKE THEIR WORLD SAFER. AND THIS
BILL DOES GOES A LONG WAY TO
MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE
VOTE. THANK YOU. MOTION HAS BEEN
MADE AND SECONDED, MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
FILE. ITEM TEN SB 997. THE
MOTION IS Dð. PASS AS AMENDED TO
APPROPRIATIONS. MURATSUCHI I
MURATSUCHI I LARA LARA I ADIS
ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ I BONTA I WANT
TO I. HOOVER HOOVER I MCCARTY.
FIVE ZERO. THE BILL IS OUT.
CONGRATULATIONS OKAY. NEXT ON
THE SIGN IN ORDER. OKAY OKAY. WE
HAVE SENATOR WAHAB HERE. SO, WE
DON'T HAVE OUR USUAL SIGN IN.
OKAY, OKAY. OKAY. WHICH, FILE?
OKAY, THIS IS FILE ITEM 16.
SENATE BILL 1318.
WHENEVER YOU'RE READY TO.
SENATOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
I'D LIKE TO START BY ACCEPTING
THE COMMITTEE'S AMENDMENTS. SB
1318 ENSURES THAT STUDENTS
EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH
CRISIS ON SCHOOL CAMPUS RECEIVE
CARE FROM A QUALIFIED BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. WE ARE
EXPERIENCING AN UNPRECEDENTED
SURGE IN CHILD SELF-HARM, AND
IT'S TIME FOR CALIFORNIA TO TAKE
ACTION. WE'VE SEEN A SPIKE AFTER
COVID OR DURING COVID, I SHOULD
SAY, AND SB 13 REQUIRES THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO
REVISE THEIR MODEL. YOUTH
SUICIDE PREVENTION POLICY TO
INCLUDE CRISIS INTERVENTION
PROCEDURES THAT PRIORITIZE
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
AND CLARIFY THAT LAW
ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING RESOURCE
OFFICERS, SHOULD ONLY BE
INVOLVED WHEN THERE IS AN
IMMINENT THREAT TO THE STUDENT'S
LIFE. SB 1318 IS A STEP TOWARDS
THE PROTECTION OF OUR CHILDREN,
CONNECTING THEM TO THE RESOURCES
AND PROFESSIONALS THEY NEED. I
WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TWO
WITNESSES. MIKE GIAMMONA, SCHOOL
PSYCHOLOGIST AT SAN RAMON VALLEY
UNIFIED, AND HARVEER SAINI,
DIRECTOR OF POLICY AT GENERATION
UP AND RISING JUNIOR AT DUBLIN
HIGH. GOOD AFTERNOON, I'D LIKE
TO THANK THE SENATOR FOR
INTRODUCING THIS BILL. I THINK
IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS VERY
IMPORTANT. AS WE'VE SEEN POST
COVID, THERE HAVE BEEN MORE AND
MORE INSTANCES OF CHILDREN
STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH
AND HAVING MENTAL HEALTH CRISES
IN SCHOOL AND AT YOUNGER AND
YOUNGER AGES, AND THE SCHOOLS
SERVE AS THE FRONT LINE IN
IDENTIFYING AND SUPPORTING THESE
STUDENTS. AND I'D LIKE TO GIVE
YOU TWO QUICK STORIES TO SORT OF
EXEMPLIFY WHERE THE NEED FOR
THIS BILL COMES IN. THERE WAS A
STUDENT WHO WAS A NINTH GRADER
WITH HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM AND
SIGNIFICANT ANXIETY. WHEN HE
BECAME STRESSED, HE WOULD HIT
HIMSELF IN THE HEAD. HE WOULD
MAKE STATEMENTS, I WISH I WAS
DEAD, I WANT TO DIE. ONE DAY
DURING HIS FOURTH PERIOD ENGLISH
CLASS, HE WAS TAKING AN EXAM AND
BECAME OVERWHELMED, HE STARTED
TO HIT HIMSELF IN THE HEAD,
SAID, I HATE THIS. I WANT TO
DIE. HIS TEACHER ASKED HIM TO
TAKE A BREAK OUTSIDE. ONE OF THE
AIDES FOLLOWED HIM OUT. HE
CONTINUED TO SAY THAT AND TO
SLAP HIMSELF IN THE FACE. THE
AIDE BECAME CONCERNED, ASKED THE
TEACHER TO STEP OUT TO CALL THE
PRINCIPAL, AND THEY DID SO AND
AS IT WAS COMING UP ON LUNCH AND
THEY COULD NOT GET HIM TO CALM
DOWN, THEY DECIDED TO PUT HIM IN
A PHYSICAL RESTRAINT. SO A TWO
PERSON RESTRAINT MEANS THAT THEY
TAKE HIM ARM IN ARM AND THEY
HOLD HIM IN THE HOPES THAT HE
WILL SORT OF DE-ESCALATE.
HOWEVER WITHOUT THE PROPER
TRAINING, THOSE SITUATIONS
ESCALATE. THE PROBLEM AND HE
COULDN'T GET HIMSELF CALM. SO
MIDWAY THROUGH LUNCH, THEY
DECIDED TO CALL THE SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICER, WHO DECIDED
THAT WE SHOULD 5150, AND BECAUSE
THEY COULDN'T GET HIM CALM, HE
WAS NOT PHYSICALLY COMBATIVE BUT
REFUSED TO MOVE. AND SO THEY
MADE THE DECISION TO PUT HIM IN
A ROLLING CHAIR, ON EITHER SIDE.
STAFF MEMBER HELD HIS ARMS WHILE
ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER STOOD
BEHIND HIM AND HELD HIM BY THE
SHOULDERS TO GET HIM OUT TO THE
FRONT GATE SO THAT HE COULD
ACCESS THE AMBULANCE. IN ORDER
TO DO THAT, HE HAD TO BE WHEELED
ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE LUNCH
CROWD THROUGH THE MAIN QUAD,
WHERE HIS OLDER BROTHER AND
SISTER WITNESSED THIS, AS DID
EVERYONE ELSE, AS THEY ALSO
VIDEO RECORDED THE SITUATION AND
ENDED UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HE
LOADED IT INTO THE AMBULANCE,
WENT TO THE HOSPITAL IN 25
MINUTES LATER, WAS RELEASED
BECAUSE HE WASN'T HAVING A
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. HE DIDN'T
REQUIRE A HOLD. HE SIMPLY WAS
OVERWHELMED AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW
TO DE-ESCALATE. AND THE STAFF IN
THAT SITUATION DIDN'T HAVE THE
TRAINING IN THE SKILL IN ORDER
TO UNDERSTAND AND DIFFERENTIATE
THAT. AND SO WANTING TO GO ABOVE
AND BEYOND TO ENSURE THAT HIS
SAFETY, THEY TOOK SOMETHING THAT
COULD HAVE BEEN SORT OF ON THE
SMALLER SIDE AND MADE IT A MUCH
BIGGER SITUATION AND CAUSED
SIGNIFICANT HARM EMOTIONALLY TO
HIM AND HIS FAMILY. THANK YOU
FOR SHARING. THANK YOU, THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS
HARVEY URSINY AND I'M A RISING
JUNIOR AT DUBLIN HIGH SCHOOL, AS
WELL AS A DIRECTOR OF POLICY AT
ONE OF CALIFORNIA'S LARGEST
YOUTH LED ADVOCACY
ORGANIZATIONS, GENERATION UP,
AIMING TO FOSTER EDUCATIONAL
EQUALITY. TODAY, I'M HERE TO
SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF SB 1008,
BECAUSE I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT
CRISIS INTERVENTION PROTOCOLS
ARE A CRITICAL STEP TOWARDS
ADDRESSING THE URGENT MENTAL
HEALTH AND PUPIL SUICIDE CRISIS
THAT IS AFFECTING THE YOUTH IN
CALIFORNIA SINCE 2017. RATES OF
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AMONG
CALIFORNIA'S CHILDREN HAVE SHOT
UP BY 70, AND THERE'S BEEN A 20%
INCREASE IN ADOLESCENT SUICIDES.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOUTH
VOICES ARE HEARD BECAUSE THESE
ISSUES ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTING US
EVERY SINGLE DAY. IN MY FRESHMAN
YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, ONE OF MY
BEST FRIENDS OF OVER FIVE YEARS
ATTEMPTED TO TAKE HER OWN LIFE.
SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR
ALMOST TWO WEEKS AND I WAS
DEVASTATED AND HER STORY ISN'T
THE ONLY ONE. MENTAL HEALTH
CONDITIONS LIKE DEPRESSION AND
THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE ARE A
REALITY FOR NUMEROUS STUDENTS
JUST LIKE ME. AND SEVERAL
STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN THEIR LIFE
ON CAMPUS AT MY SCHOOL, AS WELL
AS HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLS IN
CALIFORNIA. IT CANNOT BE
OVERSTATED THAT CURRENTLY THERE
IS A CLEAR LACK OF ADEQUATE
RESOURCES FOR THESE STUDENTS TO
GET HELP. AS SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS
BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE AND
STRESSFUL, TACKLING THIS ISSUE
HAS BECOME MORE IMPORTANT THAN
EVER, AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHY
CRISIS INTERVENTION PROTOCOLS
AND THE EARLY INVOLVEMENT OF
MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ARE
NECESSARY IN THE EVENT THAT A
PUPIL EXPERIENCES A SUICIDE
CRISIS ON CAMPUS. UTILIZING OUR
SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS AND TRAINED SCHOOL
STAFF MEMBERS WHO OUR STUDENTS
CAN TRUST AND COUNT ON WHEN
ADDRESSING SUCH CRISES IS
IMPERATIVE. AND THAT IS EXACTLY
WHAT SB 1318 ADVOCATES FOR. THIS
BILL TRULY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
SAVE THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF
YOUTH IN CALIFORNIA, AND I
STRONGLY URGE YOU TO VOTE YES ON
SB 1318. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS
IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL? PLEASE
COME FORWARD. CLIFTON WILSON, ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE
ASSOCIATION OF PSYCHIATRISTS, IN
SUPPORT, AS WELL AS THE
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF CHILD AND
ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY AND
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. LARA HUESO.
ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL
PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND SUPPORTED THE
MEASURE. TONY TRUJILLO,
CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
PROUD CO-SPONSORS. AMANDA
DICKEY, ON BEHALF OF THE SANTA
CLARA COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT,
PROUD CO-SPONSOR JOHN DREBINGER,
WITH THE STEINBERG INSTITUTE IN
SUPPORT. GREG PULSIPHER ON
BEHALF OF EQUALITY CALIFORNIA IN
SUPPORT STELLA JOHNSON ON BEHALF
OF THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL NURSES
ORGANIZATION, IN SUPPORT BELLA
KERN ON BEHALF OF THE
ASSOCIATION CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS
AND SUPPORT. DEREK LENNOX, ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA COUNTY
SUPERINTENDENTS AND SUPPORT.
TRISTAN BROWN, CFT, UNION OF
EDUCATORS AND CLASSIFIED
PROFESSIONALS HERE IN SUPPORT.
SEEING NO FURTHER PUBLIC
COMMENTS IN SUPPORT ANY
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO THE
BILL. SEEING NO ONE COMING
FORWARD. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL. SEEING
NONE. BRING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS, MR.
HOOVER? THANK YOU, JUST A
QUESTION FOR THE AUTHOR. I THINK
OBVIOUSLY APPRECIATE AND RESPECT
THE GOALS OF THIS. THIS BILL, I
THINK MY ONLY QUESTION IS IN
THIS SECTION AS IT RELATES TO
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, IS
THERE A REASON YOU HAVE THAT
SECTION IN THERE ESSENTIALLY
TRYING TO ELIMINATE THEIR
INVOLVEMENT VERSUS, YOU KNOW,
POTENTIALLY REQUIRING ADDITIONAL
TRAINING OR, YOU KNOW, THE
DISTRICTS TO OFFER ADDITIONAL
TRAINING FOR THE SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS SO THAT THEY CAN BETTER
RESPOND, YOU KNOW, TO THE CRISIS
AND AVOID OBVIOUSLY, THE
SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
DEFINITELY. WE'VE ACTUALLY
WORKED WITH, SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS AS WELL AS THE
INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ACTUALLY
TRAINED IN MENTAL HEALTH,
SPECIFICALLY, YOU HEARD THE LONG
LIST OF SUPPORTERS. THEY ARE ALL
FULLY TRAINED, LICENSED
INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE QUALIFIED
TO BE WORKING WITH STUDENTS.
NUMBER ONE, PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE
OF 18. NUMBER TWO IS ALSO THE
FACT THAT THEIR PROFESSION IS
PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON THERAPY AND
UNDERSTANDING CHILDREN AND MUCH
MORE. SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS
ARE LARGELY POLICE OFFICERS.
THEY GO THROUGH POST TRAINING
POST ACTUALLY, AND I'M CHAIR OF
PUBLIC SAFETY. I'M VERY AWARE OF
THIS, DOES DOES REQUIRE SOME
MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING, SOME
DE-ESCALATION TRAINING. HOWEVER,
IT IS NOT SUITABLE ENOUGH FOR
THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN. ALSO
CHILDREN THAT CANNOT COMMUNICATE
NECESSARILY HOW THEY ARE FEELING
. ALSO, IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT
MORE DELICATE OF A TOUCH WHEN IT
COMES TO SOMEONE WHO'S UNDER THE
AGE OF 18 AND STILL GOING
THROUGH, WHETHER IT'S HORMONAL,
WHETHER IT'S, CHEMICAL, OR
WHETHER IT'S JUST NATURAL, LACK
OF BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND
EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON AND
ARTICULATE THAT, SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS ARE, NUMBER ONE, STILL
INVOLVED. IF IT REQUIRES HOURS,
MORE OF THEIR, PROFESSIONAL
SKILLS, WHEN IT COMES TO
IMMINENT THREAT, SO THEY ARE NOT
REMOVED FROM THE PROCESS. BUT
THE FIRST THING THAT WE NEED TO
PRIORITIZE IS THE DE-ESCALATION
AND BEING ABLE TO MEET THE KID
WHERE THEY'RE AT. AND THAT IS
WHAT THE BILL IS REALLY TRYING
TO PRIORITIZE, AND, YOU KNOW,
SOME OF THESE FOLKS THAT HAVE
ACTUALLY SPOKEN IN SUPPORT ALSO
REPRESENT THE SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS. SO THAT'S HOW THE BILL
IS DESIGNED. THANK YOU. I
APPRECIATE THAT AND DEFINITELY
AGREE WITH THE DE-ESCALATION
PORTION OF YOUR COMMENTS. YOU
KNOW, I DO KIND OF ONE OF MY
CONCERNS IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS SITUATION
WHERE STAFF MAY NOT KNOW WHERE
THAT LINE IS CROSSED, AND SO I
WOULD HATE FOR ADMINISTRATOR OR
TEACHERS TO, YOU KNOW, BE
NERVOUS ABOUT CALLING IN A
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER IF THEY
DON'T QUITE KNOW WHERE THAT LINE
IS ON, ON WHETHER THERE'S A
THREAT IN PLACE OR SOMETHING
LIKE THAT. BUT, BUT I APPRECIATE
THE ANSWER. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM
THE COMMITTEE, SENATOR, JUST
FOLLOWING ON MR. HOOVER'S,
QUESTIONS, SO, UNDER YOUR BILL,
WHAT WOULD A SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICER DO IF, SHE OR HE WERE
THE FIRST TO, SEE THE NEED FOR
INTERVENTION, IS THERE ANYTHING
IN THE BILL THAT WOULD PREVENT
THAT? A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER,
FROM INTERVENING IF THEY ARE THE
FIRST TO BE THERE? NOT
NECESSARILY. AND AGAIN, SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICERS DO HAVE SOME
TRAINING. AGAIN NOT TO THE LEVEL
THAT SOME OF THESE OTHER
PROFESSIONALS HAVE. THEY'RE
TRAINING, SO I WANT TO
PRIORITIZE THAT. I ALSO WANT TO
PRIORITIZE THE FACT THAT
TEACHERS LARGELY KNOW THEIR
STUDENTS. THEY SPEND, YOU KNOW,
ALMOST A YEAR, IF NOT SIX MONTHS
WITH A STUDENT. AND THESE
TEACHERS ARE ALSO VERY MUCH
QUALIFIED TO KNOW, OKAY, THINGS
ARE ESCALATING, YOU KNOW, THIS
KID IS NOT NECESSARILY BEHAVING
THE WAY THAT THEY'VE DONE FOR
THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS AND SO
FORTH. SO IF THEY FEEL THE NEED
TO CALL FOR EXTRA SUPPORT,
OBVIOUSLY THOSE CALLS AND THOSE
LINES WOULD FIRST GO TO A
THERAPIST IF THEY NEED TO CALL
FOR EXTRA SUPPORT. AND
OFTENTIMES SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS AND THE THERAPISTS WORK
HAND IN HAND. BUT I WILL
HIGHLIGHT THAT SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS DON'T ALWAYS KNOW THE
STUDENT AS DEEPLY AS THE TEACHER
. AND AT THE SAME TIME, THE
PROFESSIONAL THAT WE'RE TRYING
TO PRIORITIZE IS FIRST, DOESN'T
NECESSARILY NEED TO HAVE THE
RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE THEY ARE,
YOU KNOW, TRYING TO IMPLEMENT,
DE-ESCALATION TACTICS FIRST AND
FOREMOST AND ARE BETTER TRAINED
IN THAT SITUATION, YEAH. NO, I
AGAIN, I CAN APPRECIATE, THAT
THE WE SHOULD LET THE MENTAL
HEALTH, THOSE THAT ARE TRAINED
IN DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH
CRISES TO BE THE FIRST, TO
RESPOND. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE
SURE THAT, THAT YOU KNOW, IF
THERE IS A SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICER ON THE PREMISES, THAT
THEY WOULD NOT BE RESTRICTED IN
ANY WAY FROM BEING INVOLVED IN
TRYING TO HELP THE STUDENT.
DEFINITELY. AND SO YOU WOULD
AGREE THAT THAT IS NOT THE
INTENT AND THAT IS NOT
NECESSARILY THE INTENT, BUT I DO
AGAIN, WANT TO PRIORITIZE THAT.
THE SPIRIT OF THIS BILL IS TO
PRIORITIZE THE SUBJECT MATTER
EXPERTS FIRST AND FOREMOST. OKAY
OKAY. WELL THANK YOU, IMPORTANT.
BILL, THANK YOU FOR SHARING
THAT. THAT EXAMPLE THAT REALLY
KIND OF, ILLUSTRATES HOW, A BAD
SITUATION CAN BE MADE WORSE BY
LACK OF TRAINING IN TERMS OF THE
CRISIS INTERVENTION PROTOCOLS,
AND SO FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THE
BILL, WITH THE AMENDMENTS WHICH
SHE ACCEPTED, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
CLOSE? I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN
AYE VOTE. OKAY. WE NEED A MOTION
AND A SECOND. OKAY. BY
VICE-CHAIR FLORES. SECONDED BY
MR. ALVAREZ. PLEASE CALL FILE
ITEM 16, SB 1318. THE MOTION IS
Dð PASS, AS AMENDED TO
APPROPRIATIONS. MURATSUCHI Ã
MURATSUCHI I LARA A LARA I ADIS.
ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ I BONTA. HOOVER
VÀ. HOOVER. NÓ MCCARTY. BILL IS
3 TO 1, THREE. 3 TO 1, BILL IS
ON CALL. THANK YOU.
OKAY NEXT IN SIGNING. SIGNING
ORDER, AS WELL AS BEING PRESENT
IN THE ROOM IS FILE ITEM NUMBER
14 SEN. WILK SB 1194.
USHERED BY VICE CHAIR LARA.
SECONDED BY MR. HOOVER. WELCOME.
SEN. WILK OKAY, I APPRECIATE
THAT, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO,
HAPPILY ACCEPT THE COMMITTEE
AMENDMENTS, INCLUDING THE ONE
THAT THE CHAIR WAS SUPPOSED TO
MENTION. SO YOU MAY WANT TO
MENTION THAT RIGHT NOW. THANK
YOU. SEN WILK. I BASED ON YOUR
CONVERSATIONS WITH, COMMITTEE
STAFF, WE HAVE A MOCKUP OF
ADDITIONAL, AN ADDITIONAL
AMENDMENT, TO WHAT IS LISTED IN
THE BILL ANALYSIS, AND THIS
ADDITIONAL AMENDMENT WILL
PROHIBIT THE CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FROM
POSTING PUPIL MEMBER INFORMATION
FOR ADVISORY COUNCILS, COMMITTEE
WORK GROUPS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
BODIES ESTABLISHED BY THE
SUPERINTENDENT ON THE DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION'S WEBSITE, SO THIS
IS, A BASICALLY AN EXEMPTION
FROM THE PROVISIONS OF YOUR BILL
FOR OUR STUDENTS, CORRECT. AND,
HAPPILY ACCEPT THAT. AND SO AND
I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU, CHAIR
AND THE COMMITTEE STAFFER, FOR
THE GREAT WORK ON THIS BILL AND
YOUR DILIGENCE REALLY APPRECIATE
THAT. SO SB 1194 IS SIMPLY A
TRANSPARENCY BILL IN RESPONSE TO
THE LACK OF INFORMATION FROM THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION ON, REGARDING THE
ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT THEY FIRST
ANNOUNCED IN APRIL OF 2022, THE
PARENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL, I'M
GONNA CALL IT PACK FROM HERE ON
OUT WAS ANNOUNCED IN APRIL. AS I
SAID AND QUOTE, WITH THE WITH
THE GOAL OF DIVERSE PARENTS WHO
CAN DIRECTLY WORK WITH
POLICYMAKERS AND EDUCATIONAL
PARTNERS TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE
CHANGE TO CALIFORNIA'S EDUCATION
SYSTEM. HOWEVER, NEITHER THE
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION NOR THE
SUBJECTS OF THE COUNCIL MEETINGS
HAVE BEEN PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
BEALL SB 1194 RECTIFIES THIS BY
REQUIRING PAC MEMBERS NAME,
TITLE, OCCUPATION, EMPLOYER ONLY
IF THEY'RE EMPLOYED BY A BY AN
LÀ AS WELL AS THE COUNTY OF
RESIDENCE TO BE POSTED ON THE
WEBSITE, AS THEY DO WITH OTHER
ADVISORY COMMITTEES. PARENTS
WILL THEN HAVE AN IDEA OF WHO
REPRESENTS THEM REGARDING
EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND WHAT
COMMUNITIES THE MEMBERS ARE FROM
, COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THE
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS TO APPLY
THIS PROVISION TO ALL SIMILAR
ADVISORY COUNCILS ESTABLISHED
UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENT, WHICH
I ACCEPTED WITH. NOW WE'RE GOING
TO DO THE AMENDMENT. EXEMPTING
PUPILS. LASTLY, THE BILL WOULD
SUBJECT THE PAC TO PROVISIONS OF
THE BAGLEY-KEENE OPEN MEETING
ACT TO ENSURE PARENTS HAVE A
MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO BE
INFORMED AND PARTICIPATE IN THE
PROCEEDINGS. SUPERINTENDENT
THERM STATED THAT THE COUNCIL
WAS CREATED TO ENSURE THAT THE
CDE IS, QUOTE, REACHING OUT TO
OUR FAMILIES TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THE
CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THE
EDUCATION LOOKS LIKE FOR THEIR
CHILDREN. AND WITH THAT, THIS
BILL WILL HELP, CLOSE THE GAP
AND ACHIEVE THAT. ALLOWING
PARENTS TO BE INFORMED OF WHAT'S
GOING ON, WITH, POLICIES OUT OF
THE DEPARTMENT. AND WITH THAT, I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE
VOTE. THANK YOU, ARE THERE
SENATOR, YOU, ARE RELYING ON
YOUR PRESENTATION. YOUR YOU'RE
DONE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION WITH
NO WITNESSES. OKAY. THANK YOU,
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN SUPPORT
OF THE MEASURE, PLEASE COME
FORWARD. ANY VÆ. LET'S SEE.
STAFF. OKAY. ANY WITNESSES AND
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL? PLEASE
COME FORWARD. SEEING NONE. OAN
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL, PLEASE
COME FORWARD. SEEING NONE. OKAY
BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE,
LET ME START BY SAYING THAT,
SENATOR, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING
THAT THE BASIC INTENT OF YOUR
YOUR BILL IS TO PROVIDE, MORE
TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
IN TERMS OF PUBLIC AWARENESS OF
WHO IS SERVING ON THESE ADVISORY
BODIES, FOR THE STATE
SUPERINTEND IT. AND THAT, OF
COURSE, THE PARTICIPATION IN
THESE ADVISORY, BODIES AND WORK
GROUPS ARE VOLUNTARY, AND, IT IS
GOING TO REQUIRE THE, THE BASIC
INFORMATION OF THEIR COUNTY OF
RESIDENCE, THEIR OCCUPATION, AND
TO TRY TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS
NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST, LIKE,
FOR EXAMPLE, IF A EMPLOYEE, IF A
MEMBER OF AN ADVISORY BODY IS A
MEMBER OF A EDUCATIONAL, LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL AGENCY, THAT THEY
DISCLOSE ANY POTENTIAL CONFLICT
OF INTEREST, CORRECT, WE DID THE
COMMITTEE DID RECEIVE SOME,
PRIVACY CONCERNS MEANS, YOU
KNOW, TO, CONCERNS THAT, ANY
SHARING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
AT THE LEVEL OF COUNTY OF
RESIDENTS, NOT NOT THEIR ACTUAL
RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS, BUT WE DO
KNOW THAT, THERE ARE CONCERNS
ABOUT HOW EASILY PEOPLE CAN FIND
OUT THEIR ADDRESSES BY BY DOING
SOME QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH, BUT,
IT'S MY OPINION THAT, YOU KNOW,
TRYING TO WEIGH THE, THE
OBJECTIVE OF, OF, PROVIDING MORE
TRANSPARENCY THAT THIS IS SOME
BASIC INFORMATION TO TRY TO
LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, ENSURE
REGIONAL, REPRESENTATION, AND
UNDERSTANDING OF WHO IS SERVING
ON THESE ADVISORY BOARDS, THAT
THAT WOULD BE A REASONABLE
DISCLOSURE THAT HOPEFULLY WILL
BE BALANCED WITH THESE PRIVACY
CONCERNS THAT ARE BEING RAISED.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN
OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS, THE
PRIVACY CONCERNS. SURE. SO I
MEAN, I AGREE WITH ALL THAT IN
THE AGE OF GOOGLE, I THINK I
THINK WE'RE ALL AT RISK. AND I
KNOW I'VE HAD I'VE HAD
SITUATIONS BEING A POLICY MAKER.
I'M SURE YOU HAVE ALL AS WELL,
THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THE BARE
MINIMUM OF INFORMATION TO ALLOW
THE PUBLIC TO, TO BE YOU KNOW,
HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING, AND IT'S
THE SAME AS THE OTHER ADVISORY
COMMITTEES. WHAT'S INTERESTING
THOUGH, SO I'VE GOT A DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION, ACTUALLY, IT'S A
STATE PTA POST THAT WENT OUT.
IT'S UNDATED, BUT IT'S ABOUT THE
PARENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL, AND
IT TALKS ABOUT HOW THE MEMBERS
OF THE COUNCIL ARE ACTUALLY
SUPPOSED TO GO OUT AND ENGAGE
AND SPEAK WITH THE PUBLIC. SO IF
YOU SIGN UP FOR THIS AND THAT'S
PART OF YOUR JOB, YOU'RE GOING
TO HAVE SOME EXPOSURE. SO I
THINK WE'VE TAKEN THE NECESSARY
STEPS RECOMMENDED BY YOU, MR.
CHAIR, TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW,
YOU KNOW, TRY TO MINIMIZE THAT
AND YOU'VE GOT YOUR RIGHT.
YOU'VE GOT TO BALANCE BETWEEN,
YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY AND
SAFETY AND BELIEVE ME, FROM SOME
OF THE EXPERIENCES I HAVE, I
DEFINITELY VALUE SAFETY. THANK
YOU. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM
THE COMMITTEE? SEEING NONE, CAN
WE TAKE THAT AS A CLOSE OR. YES,
SIR. NO NO NO. OKAY MOTION'S
BEEN MADE. SECONDED MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
FILE ITEM 14, SB 1194. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS AS AMENDED TO
APPROPRIATIONS. MURATSUCHI Ã
MURATSUCHI I LARA LARA I ADUS.
ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ I
BONTA. HOOVER. HOOVER I MCCARTY
OR ZERO. THE BILL IS OUT. THANK
YOU. OKAY, MOVING BACK UP ON THE
. OKAY. IT APPEARS THAT MR.
CAUGHT SENATOR CORTEZ IS
ACCOMMODATE, SENATOR OCHOA
BOGUE'S REQUEST TO GO FIRST, AND
SO SEEING SENATOR CORTEZ
NODDING, SENATOR OCHOA BOGH,
PLEASE COME FORWARD. AND THIS IS
FILE ITEM NUMBER 20, SB 1411.
MOTION MADE BY MR. HOOVER,
SECOND BY VICE CHAIR, FLOOR.
WELCOME, SENATOR. THANK YOU. WAS
THAT A MOTION TO MOVE FOR MY
BILL? YES SO SHOULD I JUST ASK
FOR CLOSING COSTS OR CLOSING
COMMENTS? GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
AND MEMBERS. I'D LIKE TO START
BY ACCEPTING THE COMMITTEE'S
AMENDMENTS DURING THE LAST
REVISION OF CALIFORNIA'S MATH
CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK FROM 2020
TO 2023, MANY PROFESSORS AND
EXPERTS IN QUANTITATIVE FIELDS
EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THE
DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS. THE
FRAMEWORKS GUIDANCE WOULD HAVE
ON STUDENTS ENTERING COLLEGE AND
THE WORKFORCE, AND HOW THE
FRAMEWORK COULD HARM THE
UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS IT
SEEKS TO HELP. A RECENT REPORT
RELEASED BY THE UCS BOARD OF
ADMISSIONS AND RELATIONS WITH
SCHOOLS AREA C WORKGROUP FOUND
THAT SPECIFIC COURSES EMPHASIZED
BY THE NEW MATHEMATICS
FRAMEWORKS DON'T EVEN COME CLOSE
TO MEETING. AND I'M QUOTING
HERE, CLOSE TO MEETING THE
REQUIRED STANDARD TO BE A MORE
ADVANCED COURSE. THEY DETERMINED
THESE COURSES NOT WOULD NOT BE
ACCEPTABLE. MATH COURSES FOR
PURPOSES OF èC ADMISSIONS
BEGINNING IN 20 2526 SCHOOL
YEAR. AS A RESULT, HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS WHO ARE CURRENTLY
ENROLLED IN COURSES APPROVED BY
THE NEW MATHEMATICS FRAMEWORK
WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED TO
COUNT THEM TOWARDS ADMISSIONS TO
COLLEGE. THE GOAL OF THE
INTERSEGMENTAL COMMITTEE OF THE
ACADEMIC SENATE IS TO IMPROVE
STUDENTS ACCESS AND SUCCESS IN
HIGHER EDUCATION BY PROVIDING
ADVICE TO K-12 EDUCATIONAL
PARTNERS ON THE APPROPRIATE
LEVEL OF PREPARATION FOR
STUDENTS ENTERING A COLLEGE OR
UNIVERSITY. MY ORIGINAL
INTENTION WITH SB 1411 WAS FOR
THE I CAS TO APPOINT SIX NEW
MEMBERS TO EACH FROM CSU'S UCS
AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO ENSURE
EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION OF
HIGHER EDUCATION. FACULTY ON THE
INSTRUCTION QUALITY COMMISSION
IN CURRICULUM DISCUSSIONS.
HAVING THE CSU'S èC AS IN
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEMS
EQUALLY REPRESENTED, WOULD
ENCOURAGE THE APPOINTED FACULTY
TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE
CURRICULUM DECISIONS THAT BETTER
PREPARE STUDENTS FOR ALL THREE
SEGMENTS OF PUBLIC HIGHER
EDUCATION IN, ALTHOUGH IT STILL
PREFERRED THAT THE THREE
SEGMENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION ARE
REPRESENTED. I HAVE AGREED TO
ACCEPT THE COMMITTEE'S
AMENDMENTS, AS AMENDED. SB 1411
WILL TASK ICAS WITH NOMINATING
TWO COLLEGE FACULTY SUBJECT
MATTER EXPERTS TO SERVE ON THE
ICS CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK AND
EVALUATION CRITERIA COMMITTEES.
THESE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL
PROFESSIONALS WILL IMPROVE
COMMITTEE DIVERSITY AND PROVIDE
INSIGHT TO MEMBERS REGARDING
K-12 CURRICULUM AND THE COURSE
CONTENT REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY
FOR STUDENTS PREPARING TO ENTER
HIGHER EDUCATION. JOIN ME TO
ANSWER TECHNICAL QUESTIONS. IS
PROFESSOR BRIAN CONRAD FROM
STANFORD UNIVERSITY, GOOD
AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR, AND
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. MY
NAME IS BRIAN CONRAD, AND I'M A
MATH PROFESSOR AT STANFORD
UNIVERSITY. IN MY ROLE AS THE
DIRECTOR OF UNDERGRADUATE
STUDIES FOR MATH AT STANFORD FOR
THE PAST DECADE, I'VE SPOKEN
WITH MANY FACULTY AT UC'S CAL
STATES AND COLLEGES AND OTHER
STATES ABOUT QUANTITATIVE SKILLS
RELEVANT TO CONTEMPORARY COLLEGE
DEGREES AND JOBS. BILL 1411
STRENGTHENS HOW CURRICULAR
FRAMEWORKS SUPPORT THE SKILLS
NEEDED FOR THE FUTURE WORKFORCE.
EXPERIENCED K-12 TEACHERS AND
DISTRICT STAFF CAN JUDGE BOTH
GRADE LEVEL APPROPRIATENESS AND
THE BRIDGE FROM ELEMENTARY TO
MIDDLE TO HIGH SCHOOL, BUT
COLLEGE FACULTY PREPARE STUDENTS
IN CRITICAL WAYS FOR THE JOBS OF
THE FUTURE. REPRESENTATION FROM
MULTIPLE SEGMENTS OF PUBLIC
HIGHER EDUCATION, COMMUNITY
COLLEGES, CAL STATE AND THE UC
SYSTEM IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
CURRICULAR FRAMEWORKS WILL
PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF
PERSPECTIVES FOR ENSURING
COLLEGE PREPAREDNESS. BUT THE
BILL'S VALUE GOES FAR BEYOND
PROVIDING SUBJECT MATTER
EXPERTISE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.
IN A WORD, IT PROVIDES
ALIGNMENT. THE ROLE IN THE BILL
FOR THE INTERSEGMENTAL COMMITTEE
OF ACADEMIC SENATES, OR ICAS,
ENSURES THAT THOSE WHOSE NAMES
ICAS PUTS FORTH WOULD NOT MERELY
BE INDIVIDUAL EXPERTS, BUT ALSO
OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES OF
ENTIRE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS. THIS
SUPPORTS CHANNELS OF
COMMUNICATION BACK TO THOSE WHO
ARE TRAINING THE WORKFORCE OF
THE FUTURE, AND THEREBY HELPS TO
ALIGN THEM WITH THE CURRICULAR
GUIDANCE GIVEN TO SCHOOL
DISTRICTS. BRINGING K-12
TEACHERS AND COLLEGE FACULTY
TOGETHER TO COORDINATE AND
IMPLEMENT INSTRUCTIONAL AND
CURRICULAR PRACTICES. SUPPORT
STUDENTS IN THEIR TRANSITION
FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE.
BILL 1411 IS NOT ABOUT A BALANCE
OF CONTROL BETWEEN K-12 AND
HIGHER EDUCATION, BUT ABOUT
PROMOTING DIALOG TO IMPROVE
DEGREE AND CAREER READINESS. IT
WILL STRENGTHEN HOW CURRICULAR
FRAMEWORKS IN ALL FIELDS SERVE
THE NEEDS OF CALIFORNIA
STUDENTS. SO I URGE YOU TO
SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS
IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL? PLEASE
COME FORWARD. MR. CHAIRMAN AND
MEMBERS, I'M BRIAN RIVAS
SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE ED
CHESS WEST. WE'RE REMOVING
OPPOSITION. WE'D LIKE TO THANK
YOUR STAFF FOR WORKING ON THE
BILL AND COMING UP WITH A FIX.
AND THANK THE SENATOR FOR
LISTENING TO US. SO WE'RE,
OFFICIALLY NEUTRAL WITH THE
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS. OKAY.
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? SEEING
NONE. BRING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS FROM
THE COMMITTEE? SEEING NONE.
SENATOR OTOBOKE, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, WE MET, TO DISCUSS YOUR
BILL AND FULLY APPRECIATE YOUR,
INTENT. YOU KNOW, OF COURSE,
BRINGING A MATH PROFESSOR FROM
STANFORD, HIGHLIGHTS YOUR, YOUR
YOUR CONCERN ABOUT. WELL, I, I
KNOW THAT, RECENTLY, A FEW YEARS
BACK, WE, WE HAD THE, THE HEATED
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, ABOUT WHETHER
, ABOUT EIGHTH GRADE ALGEBRA
AND, AND OF COURSE, I, FOLLOWED
THAT CLOSELY. AND I CAN SEE HOW
THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING, HIGHER
EDUCATION INFORMING THE, THE,
THE CURRICULUM, THE
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL
DISCUSSIONS FOR OUR K-12,
STUDENTS. AND SO I BELIEVE YOUR,
THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING THE
AMENDMENTS. I BELIEVE, YOUR BILL
STRIKES THE RIGHT BALANCE
BETWEEN, MAKING SURE THAT, THAT
THE IQC IS, IS PRIMARILY, YOU
KNOW, INFORMED BY THE CLASSROOM
TEACHERS IN K THROUGH 12, WHILE
AT THE SAME TIME, WITH YOUR BILL
BEING INFORMED BY THE, THE
PERSPECTIVES, THE RESEARCH, THE
WORK OF OUR SCHOLARS AND OUR
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
EDUCATION. SO, HAPPY TO SUPPORT
YOUR BILL, AS AMENDED, SHE DID
ACCEPT THE AMENDMENT. YES. OKAY.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLOSE?
CERTAINLY. SB 1411 WILL ALLOW
HIGHER EDUCATION EXPERTS TO
PARTICIPATE IN CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSIONS. WHO
GIVES US THE OVER OVERVIEW LOOK
OF WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR TODAY'S
JOBS AND FOR TOMORROW, THIS WILL
IMPROVE K-12 COURSE CONTENT SO
STUDENTS HAVE A CLEAR PATHWAY TO
COLLEGE. I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR
AN AYE VOTE. THANK YOU. MOTION'S
BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL FILE. ITEM 20 SB
1411. THE MOTION IS TO PASS AS
AMENDED TO HIGHER EDUCATION.
MURATSUCHI Ã MURATSUCHI I LARA
A LARA I ADIS ALVAREZ ALVAREZ I
BONTA. HOOVER. HOOVER I MCCARTY.
FOUR ZERO. THE BILL IS OUT.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SENATOR
CORTEZ, HAS FOUR BILLS, SO WE
WILL START WITH FILE ITEM NUMBER
TWO, SB 333.
OKAY THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND
MEMBERS, TODAY I'M HERE TO
PRESENT SB 333, THE CALIFORNIA
SAU S O R GUARANTEED INCOME
PROGRAM. APPROXIMATELY 270,000
STUDENTS WITHIN CALIFORNIA'S
K-12 SCHOOL SYSTEM ARE CURRENTLY
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, A
NUMBER THAT HAS INCREASED BY
OVER 48% IN THE PAST DECADE.
ABOUT 15,000 OF THESE STUDENTS
ARE IN THE 12TH GRADE. IN FACT,
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT GRADUATIONS
THAT HAVE JUST OCCURRED, YOU CAN
THINK ABOUT 15,000 STUDENTS WHO
HAVE CROSSED THE STAGE, GIVING
UP THEIR FEDERAL BENEFITS, THEIR
MCKINNEY-VENTO BENEFITS AS THEY
RECEIVE THEIR DIPLOMA, SCHOOL
DISTRICTS SUPPORT THESE
STUDENTS, OF COURSE, WHEN
THEY'RE IN SCHOOL BY UTILIZING
FUNDS FROM THE MCKINNEY-VENTO
ACT, A KEY LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT
FOR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS, AGAIN AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL. HOWEVER, THE LAW
ONLY APPLIES TO CURRENTLY
ENROLLED STUDENTS, MEANING A
STUDENT EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS WILL ONLY RECEIVE
SUPPORT UP UNTIL THEY EXIT HIGH
SCHOOL. THE LACK OF SUPPORT
AVAILABLE TO YOUTH EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS POST GRADUATION
SIGNIFICANTLY HINDERS THEIR
ABILITY TO PURSUE THEIR
EDUCATIONAL CAREER AMBITIONS,
TYPICALLY, JUST BECAUSE OF THAT
PERIOD THAT WE CALL SUMMER MELT,
A PHENOMENON IN WHICH WE SEE AND
WE ALL SEE WHERE HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATES ARE ACCEPTED INTO
COLLEGE AND TEND TO ENROLL, BUT
ULTIMATELY DO NOT, WHILE FEDERAL
AND STATE LAW WOULD PROVIDE
EXTENSIVE FINANCIAL AID,
TYPICALLY TO THESE YOUTH
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WHEN
THEY GET TO THAT ENROLLMENT
POINT IN COLLEGE, AGAIN, THE
PROBLEM IS WE'RE NOT GETTING
THERE BETWEEN THIS TIME OF YEAR
AND FALL ENROLLMENT. THIS
PROBLEM IS COMMON AMONG LOW
INCOME STUDENTS WHO LACK THE
FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO MAKE THE
TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO
COLLEGE IN THE FALL, THEY THEY
CAN OFTEN BECOME STICKER
SHOCKED. OF COURSE, WHEN THEY
LEARN OF THE UPFRONT FEES
ASSOCIATED WITH ATTENDING
COLLEGE. THAT MUST BE PAID
BEFORE THE FINANCIAL AID KICKS
IN, SUCH AS THEIR SUMMER
ORIENTATION FEE, HOUSING DEPOSIT
OR PARKING PASS. IN RECOGNITION
OF THE NEED TO EXTEND SUPPORT TO
OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS
DURING THE BRIDGE BETWEEN HIGH
SCHOOL GRADUATION AND
POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION OR
EMPLOYMENT, SB 333 ESTABLISHES A
STATEWIDE GUARANTEED INCOME
PROGRAM THAT WILL PROVIDE DIRECT
CASH ASSISTANCE ON A MONTHLY
BASIS TO THESE YOUTH. THE BILL
DEFINES AN ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANT
AS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS ENROLLED
IN THE 12TH GRADE AND MEETS THE
DEFINITION OF HOMELESSNESS
ACCORDING TO MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT.
THE PROGRAM WILL SERVE
APPROXIMATELY 15,000 YOUTH
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
STATEWIDE BEGINNING MAY 1ST,
2025 THROUGH AUGUST 1ST, 2025.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED GUARANTEED
INCOME MODEL WILL EMPOWER THESE
YOUTH TO USE THE FUNDS AS THEY
SEE FIT, WHETHER THAT BE
ENTERING INTO THE WORKFORCE, AN
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, PURSUING
HIGHER EDUCATION, OR WHAT THEY
REALLY NEED TO KEEP THEM OFF THE
STREETS OR TO KEEP THEM WARM ON
COLD NIGHTS. OTHER GUARANTEED
INCOME PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ONE
THAT I PILOTED IN SANTA CLARA
COUNTY WHEN I WAS THERE AS A
COUNTY SUPERVISOR TO SERVE
TRANSITIONAL AGE, FOSTER YOUTH
HAVE PROVEN PROVEN TO BE
SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR RESULTS OF
DEMONSTRATED THAT GUARANTEED
INCOME HELPS PEOPLE FIND FULL
TIME EMPLOYMENT, IMPROVES
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND
CREATES NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PEOPLE. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS
IS A PILOT, IT WILL BE ASSESSED,
OBVIOUSLY VERY RIGOROUSLY, AND
IT IS NOT YEAR ROUND SUPPORT.
AGAIN, IT IS SUPPORT FOR THAT
PERIOD. WE'RE TRYING TO BRIDGE
TYPICALLY BETWEEN GRADUATION AND
FALL ENROLLMENT OR EMPLOYMENT,
THE BILL WILL EQUIP YOUTH
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WITH
THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO
EMBARK ON A PATH TOWARDS
STABILITY AND SUCCESS. AND I
WOULD JUST CLOSE THIS PORTION OF
MY PRESENTATION BY SAYING, WE
CAN'T TURN THE TIDE ON
HOMELESSNESS WHILE WE CONTINUE
TO GRADUATE YOUNG PEOPLE INTO
HOMELESSNESS AS WE GRADUATE THEM
OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL HERE TO
TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL,
WE HAVE STATE SUPERINTENDENT
TONY THURMOND, ALONG WITH TOMAS
VARGAS, A STOCKTON ECONOMIC
EMPOWERMENT DEMONSTRATION GI
RECIPIENT, TO SPEAK TO HIS LIVED
EXPERIENCE WITH GUARANTEED
INCOME. THANK YOU, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS AND AT THE APPROPRIATE
TIME, I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK
FOR AN AYE VOTE. THANK YOU. I
LOOK UP AND MAGICALLY OUR STATE
SUPERINTENDENT APPEARS. WELCOME,
SIR. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, TONY
THURMOND, HERE IN SUPPORT OF SB
333, THE CALIFORNIA SUCCESS
OPPORTUNITY AND ACADEMIC
RESILIENCE, THIS GUARANTEED
INCOME PILOT PROGRAM, I'D LIKE
TO THANK SENATOR CORTESE FOR HIS
CONSISTENT LEADERSHIP IN
BRINGING THIS IDEA FORWARD, AND
I BELIEVE THAT HE HAS
ARTICULATED ALL OF THE MAIN
REASONS FOR WHY, THIS BILL IS
WORTHY OF YOUR SUPPORT. I WOULD
JUST OFFER THAT IN A STATE WHERE
WE HAVE MORE THAN 240,000
HOMELESS STUDENTS, ALMOST 10,000
OF THEM, WHO ARE COMPLETELY
UNACCOMPANIED. THEY'RE ON THEIR
OWN, THIS MIGHT BE THE MOST
IMPORTANT INVESTMENT THAT THIS
LEGISLATURE COULD MAKE TO
SUPPORT CHILDREN WHO EXPERIENCE
VULNERABLE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE
KNOW THAT A HOMELESS YOUNG
PERSON WILL LIKELY BECOME A
HOMELESS ADULT. AND WHILE THIS
BILL HAS A HIGH COST, THINK OF
THE GREAT COST TO NOT ACT TO
SUPPORT THIS GROUP OF YOUNG
PEOPLE, THINK ABOUT THE PILOTS
THAT WE'VE SEEN ALREADY WITH
BASIC INCOME AND THE RESULTS
THAT IT HAS GENERATED. AND BY
MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN THIS
WAY, WE WILL SUPPORT THE HOUSING
NEEDS, THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
NEEDS, THE ACADEMIC NEEDS OF
THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AND HELP TO
CREATE A GREAT FUTURE FOR THEM.
I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE HIGH
RATES OF DROPOUTS FOR HOMELESS
STUDENTS, I THINK WE ALL KNOW,
THAT THIS IS A GROUP OF STUDENTS
THAT ABSOLUTELY NEEDS OUR HELP.
MOST OF THEM ARE ON THEIR OWN,
AND THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR
US TO MAKE A GAME CHANGING
INVESTMENT IN THEIR PRESENCE AND
IN THEIR FUTURE. AND FOR THOSE
REASONS, I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR
YOUR AYE VOTE FOR SB 333. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. HELLO THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME, FOR ME TO SPEAK
ABOUT MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
WITH THE SEED PROGRAM OR THE GI
PROGRAM. MY NAME IS TOMAS
VARGAS, JUNIOR. IN 2019, I WAS
PICKED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE
SEED PROGRAM IN STOCKTON,
CALIFORNIA, UNDER MAYOR TUBBS.
WHEN I WAS INVOLVED WITH THE
SEED PROGRAM AS IT CAME IN FOR
THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS, I
WAS REALLY CONFUSED AND KIND OF
SCARED BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF
IT WAS GOING TO COME IN AND IF
IT WAS GOING TO BE THERE AT ALL
TIMES. WHEN I FOUND OUT AND GOT
MY COMFORT WITH IT, AND I
UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS WAS GOING
TO BE AN INCOME THAT WAS GOING
TO BE ON TIME AND ALWAYS
CONSISTENT FOR THE TIME FRAME
THAT I HAD IT FOR. IT HELPED ME
BE A BUILD UP OF FINANCIAL
CONFIDENCE AND A FINANCIAL
STABILITY. WHEN I SAY FINANCIAL
CONFIDENCE, I MEAN, I KNEW THAT
I HAD BILLS AND I CAN, HAVE THAT
MONEY SET FOR THOSE TWO BILLS
AND I WOULDN'T HAVE THE STRESS
AND I WOULDN'T HAVE THE WORRY OF
HAVING TO DO THE EXTRA INCOME OR
HAVE TIME WITHOUT MY FAMILY,
BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE TO DO EXTRA
SIDE HUSTLES TO SIT THERE AND
MAKE SURE I WAS TRYING TO
PROVIDE AND MAKE SURE MY KIDS
WOULDN'T GO WITHOUT. AND MY
CHILDHOOD, I GREW UP WITHOUT A
FATHER, WITH MY MOM FOR A SHORT
PERIOD, AND THEN I HAD TO MOVE
IN WITH MY GRANDMOTHER. HAVING
THOSE CHANGES. I DIDN'T WANT TO
EVER SEE MY KIDS GO THROUGH
THAT, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE
THEM TO HAVE TO SEE THAT THROUGH
MY EYES. WHEN I WAS PART OF THE
SEED PROGRAM, IT GAVE ME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND MORE TIME,
TO BE MORE PRESENT AS A FATHER,
AND ALSO TO HAVE MORE, TIME TO
INVEST IN MYSELF, TO SIT THERE
AND ACTUALLY GO THROUGH
DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES AND NOT
FACE THEM SO SCARED OR NOT SO
WORRIED ABOUT THE NO NO EFFECT
OR HEARING NO ALL THE TIME, I
WAS ABLE TO SIT THERE AND
TRANSITION FROM THE, PART TIME
WORK TO FULL TIME WORK AND ABLE
TO SIT THERE AND SPEND MORE TIME
WITH MY FAMILY AND SIT THERE AND
DO THINGS LIKE VACATIONS AND
STUFF LIKE THAT. IT REALLY GAVE
ME MORE PEACE, AND IT REALLY LET
ME LEVEL OUT AND NOT BE
OVERSTRESSED, BEFORE THE
PROGRAM, I WOULD NEVER DO THINGS
LIKE THIS. I WOULD NEVER HAVE
THE CONFIDENCE TO SPEAK TO
INDIVIDUALS LIKE YOURSELF. BUT
AFTER THE PROGRAM, I DON'T SEE
WHY NOT. I SEE THAT I HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT, AND I
SHOULD SPEAK FOR IT. AND I THANK
YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME. THANK
YOU FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE,
PUBLIC COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF
THE, THE BILL. PLEASE COME
FORWARD. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR.
CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE,
CHRISTINA. BOSS HAMILTON HERE
REPRESENTING ECONOMIC SECURITY.
CALIFORNIA A PROUD CO-SPONSOR OF
THIS BILL. THANK YOU. URGING
YOUR SUPPORT, CLIFTON WILSON, ON
BEHALF OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF
SAN FRANCISCO IN SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. DEVIN GRAY,
PRESIDENT OF END POVERTY IN
CALIFORNIA, A PROUD CO-SPONSOR
OF THIS BILL. THANK YOU. LEILANI
AGUINALDO, ON BEHALF OF FRESNO
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND
OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
AND SUPPORT KIM LEWIS WITH THE
CALIFORNIA COALITION FOR YOUTH
AND SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON,
CHAIR AND MEMBERS TRISTAN BROWN
WITH CFT, A UNION OF EDUCATORS
AND CLASSIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
HAPPY TO SUPPORT. ELLA JOHNSON,
ON BEHALF OF THE ALAMEDA COUNTY
OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND SUPPORT.
BELLA KERN, ON BEHALF OF WESTERN
ASSOCIATION FOR COLLEGE
ADMISSION COUNSELING AND
MICHELSON CENTER FOR PUBLIC
POLICY, IN SUPPORT. ERIC HARRIS,
DISABILITY RIGHTS, CALIFORNIA,
STRONG SUPPORT. GENESIS
CORONADO, ON BEHALF OF THE LOS
ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
AND SUPPORT. SAVANNAH JORGENSEN,
ON BEHALF OF THE LUTHERAN OFFICE
OF PUBLIC POLICY, CALIFORNIA.
AND STRONG SUPPORT. ADRIN Þ
CARILLO UNITED WAY, CALIFORNIA.
CAPITAL REGION IN STRONG SUPPORT
. CAROLYN MANGAN WITH POLITICAL
SOLUTIONS ON BEHALF OF SILICON
VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND
SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON,
DANIELLE BAUTISTA ON BEHALF OF
UNITED WAYS OF CALIFORNIA, IN
SUPPORT. ELIZABETH ELIZABETH
ESQUIVEL, BOARD TRUSTEE ON
BEHALF OF THE YOLO COUNTY BOARD
OF EDUCATION. GOOD AFTERNOON.
MAKI, ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY OF
LOS ANGELES AND SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. JOHN SWEENEY, ON BEHALF OF
THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY
SUPERINTENDEN OF SCHOOLS, PROUD
TO CO-SPONSOR. GOOD AFTERNOON,
AARON EVANS. ON BEHALF OF THE
COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, IN
SUPPORT AS A PROUD CO-SPONSOR OF
THE MEASURE. THANK YOU. NICOLE
WATERMAN, ON BEHALF OF THE
CHILDREN'S PARTNERSHIP AND
SUPPORT ON FAIRFIELD-SUISUN
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
GOVERNING BOARD TRUSTEE AREA SIX
AND FULL SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. ANY WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL? SEEING
NO ONE COMING FORWARD, ANY
PUBLIC COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION TO
THE BILL? SEEING NONE. BRING IT
BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. ANY
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE
COMMITTEE? MISS BONTA, I JUST
WANT TO THANK THE AUTHOR FOR
BRINGING FORWARD THIS BILL. I
THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS
LEGISLATION TWO YEARS AGO. I
KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN A
PASSION PROJECT OF YOURS, AND I
HOPE THAT THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA WILL ENSURE THAT OUR
HOMELESS YOUTH HAVE THE PATHWAY
THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO
SUCCEED. AND THANK YOU TO THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION FOR BEING HERE AND
LENDING YOUR, STRONG SUPPORT OF
THIS MEASURE AS WELL. AND YOUR
LEADERSHIP. ANY FURTHER, MR.
HOOVER? THANK YOU, SENATOR, JUST
A QUICK QUESTION. SO TRYING TO
FIND IT IN THE BILL HERE, BUT
ARE THERE GOING TO BE, METRICS
THAT WE'RE USING TO TRACK THESE
DOLLARS, MAYBE A STUDY, HOW ARE
WE GOING TO KNOW THAT THESE
DOLLARS WERE EFFECTIVE? I GUESS
THAT'S REALLY WHAT, I'M
CONCERNED ABOUT, OBVIOUSLY, IF
IT IS A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT. BUT
CURIOUS, YOUR ANSWER. YEAH, IT'S
VERY IMPORTANT IN THE WALK THAT
WE HAVE TO WALK WITH, WITH
GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAMS. ON
THE ONE HAND, OF COURSE, IS TO
MAKE SURE THAT, BE IT YOUTH,
PREGNANT WOMEN, YOU KNOW, THE
VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT WE SEE,
UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S NO
STRINGS ATTACHED OR CONDITIONS
PUT ON THE MONEY THAT THEY'RE
FORCED TO PARTICIPATE IN. YOU
KNOW, EXIT INTERVIEWS AND SO
FORTH. HOWEVER, IN, IN THE SANTA
CLARA COUNTY PROGRAM, WHICH THIS
IS IN PART MODELED AFTER, THE
AND WHAT IS TYPICAL IS THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS, BE IT IN STOCKTON,
BE IT IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY,
WHERE THESE DOLLARS WOULD ARE
PUSHED, THE PROGRAM ITSELF IS
PUSHED DOWN FOR IMPLEMENTATION,
SOLICIT, ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS,
ACTUAL EXIT INTERVIEWS. AND
THEN, OF COURSE, THEY HAVE DATA
BECAUSE THE KIDS ARE TYPICALLY
IN SYSTEMS THAT THE COUNTY IS
AWARE OF, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY
TO ASSESS DATA. I KNOW YOU AND I
HAVE ARE PROVEN, ADVOCATES FOR
MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE
DATA DESERTS WHEN WE PUT MONEY
INTO PROGRAMS LIKE THIS, I THINK
GUARANTEED INCOME BECAUSE IT
CAME UP, YOU KNOW, FROM THE
LOCALS AND FROM GRASSROOTS HAS
ALWAYS HAD THAT KIND OF AN
EVALUATION ATTACHED TO IT, WE'LL
MAKE SURE TO MAKE THAT VERY,
VERY CLEAR. YOU KNOW, GOING
FORWARD, IN, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND
OF FINAL RESOLUTION ON THE BILL.
THANK YOU, NOW, I APPRECIATE
THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, I OBVIOUSLY
UNDERSTAND THE GOAL HERE, AND I
THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD ONE. I AM
CONCERNED, I GUESS YOU USED KIND
OF THE TERM THAT I'M CONCERNED
ABOUT IS, IS THERE REALLY AREN'T
A LOT OF STRINGS ATTACHED HERE.
RIGHT. AND SO OUR ABILITY TO
ASSESS THIS I DO THINK IS
LIMITED, BUT BUT I APPRECIATE
YOUR RESPONSE. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU, MR. CHAIR. IF I COULD, I
WOULD JUST MENTION THAT EVERY
ONE OF OUR 58 COUNTY OFFICES OF
EDUCATION HAS, LIAISONS WHO ARE
ASSIGNED TO SUPPORT HOMELESS
STUDENTS IN THOSE COUNTIES. AND
I BELIEVE, ASSEMBLYMAN, THAT
THOSE LIAISONS WOULD BE IN A
GREAT POSITION TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT THE SUCCESS OR LACK OF
SUCCESS OF THESE PARTICIPANTS
WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THESE
PROGRAMS. AND SO THERE ARE SOME
BUILT IN WAYS TO HAVE METRICS
AND DATA ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF
THESE PROGRAMS, WHICH, MIND YOU,
EVERY PROGRAM THAT'S LISTED IN
THE STAFF REPORT, NICELY LAYS
OUT, THE POSITIVE BENEFITS THAT
HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE. AND AS SOMEONE WHO'S
WORKED IN THE SOCIAL WORK
PROFESSION FOR MANY, MANY YEARS
WITH YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE
HOMELESS AND IN FOSTER CARE, I
CAN TELL YOU RESOURCES LIKE THIS
MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. BUT THE
COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION HAVE
THE ABILITY TO TRACK TO TRACK
THE SUCCESS, AND WE WOULD BE
HAPPY TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM
AND WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES TO MAKE SURE
THAT THOSE METRICS ARE
MONITORED. NOW THAT'S GREAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'D LOVE TO SEE
THAT. I THINK, WE'D LOVE TO SEE
THAT IN THE BILL, TO BE HONEST
WITH YOU. SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE,
ADDING SOMETHING AS THE BILL
MOVES FORWARD TO, TO REQUIRE.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT. BUT THAT'S
THAT'S MY WHERE I'M AT RIGHT
NOW. THANKS JUST FOLLOWING ON
THAT, MR. HOOVER, I, I SEE IN
THE COMMITTEE, ANALYSIS, SUMMARY
UNDER THE SUMMARY FOR THE BILL,
ITEM NUMBER 12 AND 13, THE BILL
WOULD REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES TO WORK WITH AT
LEAST ONE INDEPENDENT, RESEARCH
BASED INSTITUTION TO ESTABLISH A
PROGRAM OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS, TO
INFORM AN EVALUATION REPORT, AND
THAT THE EVALUATION REPORT SHALL
BE SUBMITTED TO THE LEGISLATURE
UPON CONCLUSION OF THE PROGRAM,
SO, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A I
APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS,
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT, WE, WE HAVE SOME DATA TO,
TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS,
SEEING NO FURTHER, QUESTIONS
FROM THE COMMITTEE. SENATOR
CORTEZ, I WANT TO THANK YOU. I
KNOW THAT, THERE IS A GROWING,
DEBATE AND INTEREST IN THE
GUARANTEED INCOME, APPROACH TO
ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF
POVERTY THAT WE FACE HERE IN THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THANK YOU,
SUPERINTENDENT, FOR, CONTINUE TO
BE A CHAMPION FOR OUR MOST
VULNERABLE STUDENTS, AND I THINK
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW,
PROPOSAL TO BRIDGE THAT
TRANSITION AS OUR HOMELESS
STUDENTS GRADUATE OUT OF HIGH
SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, TO NOT JUST
LEAVE THEM STRANDED. AND SO,
FULLY IN SUPPORT OF YOUR BILL.
SENATOR CORTEZ, WOULD YOU LIKE
TO CLOSE? WELL, THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR, FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND THE
HELP OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE
RECEPTION OF THE COMMITTEE TO
THE BILL AS WE AS WE ARRIVED
HERE FROM THE SENATE, I DO WANT
TO PUBLICLY THANK THESE
WITNESSES HERE AT AT THE TABLE
AND, OF COURSE, ALL THOSE WHO
CAME IN TO TESTIFY. OR TO SHARE
THEIR SUPPORT EARLIER, LET ME
JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE,
THE ON THE, ON THE EVALUATION
ISSUE, ONE, ONE FINAL WORD ON
THIS, THE PROBLEMS THAT EXIST OR
THAT WE PERCEIVE TO EXIST
REGARDING LARGE SCALE HOMELESS
FUNDING, ARE LARGELY BECAUSE
WE'VE HAD TROUBLE TRACKING
DOLLARS, GETTING TO WHERE THEY
NEED TO GO. YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT
PROBLEM WITH GUARANTEED INCOME.
THE BEAUTY OF GUARANTEED INCOME
IS THESE STUDENTS RECEIVE AN
APPLICATION, THEY APPLY TO THE
COUNTY, AND THEY GET CASH
DIRECTLY INTO THEIR BANK
ACCOUNT. THERE'S NO QUESTION, AS
TO WHERE IT'S GOING, SO THE ONLY
REMAINING EVALUATION IS, DID YOU
HELP SOMEBODY WHO WAS HOMELESS,
STAY OUT OF HOMELESSNESS OR GET
OUT OF HOMELESSNESS IF THEY'RE
GRADUATED AT 18? AND JUST
JOINING OUR ADULT POPULATION OUT
THERE ON THE STREET, SO IT'S
VERY CLEAR, VERY EASY TO SEE
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE
DOLLARS. IT'S NOT PASSING
THROUGH, A LOT OF, NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS OR, GOVERNMENT
DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE TAKING CUTS
. THIS BILL HAS BEEN SET UP TO
HAVE SOCIAL SERVICES RESPOND
WITH A SIMPLE STIPEND THAT GOES
DIRECTLY TO THE BANK ACCOUNT OF
THE STUDENT. AND I HOPE THAT,
CLEARS UP, YOU KNOW, SOME OF,
WHAT IS AN AN ELEGANT AND SIMPLE
WAY OF DEALING WITH SAFETY NET
SERVICES. AND I SUSPECT AT SOME
POINT IT WILL, THESE KIND OF
PROGRAMS WILL WILL TAKE OVER.
THEY'LL SUBSUME, THE OLD
PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE, WHICH
REALLY CAME FROM, I THINK, A
MUCH MORE, CONSERVATIVE AND
PROBABLY, MISGUIDED APPROACH
THAT, ATTEMPTED REALLY TO, TO
PUT TOO MANY PRESCRIPTIVE,
ATTACHED CGRTS TO THE KIND OF
HELP WE'RE GIVING PEOPLE,
INCLUDING OVERHEAD AND PROFIT OF
A BUNCH OF, YOU KNOW, MIDDLEMEN
IN BETWEEN. THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN
HERE. AND WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU
RECOGNIZE THAT. AND I WOULD
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR AYE,
VOTE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. A MOTION WAS MADE BY MR.
ALVAREZ, SECOND BY MISS BONTA.
OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
FILE. ITEM TWO, SB 333. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS TO
APPROPRIATIONS. MURATSUCHI A
MURATSUCHI I LARA LARA NOT
VOTING. ADIS ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ I
BONTA, I WANT TO I HOOVER.
HOOVER I MCCARTY. FOUR ZERO THE
BILL IS OUT. THANK YOU, THANK
YOU. YOUR NEXT BILL, SENATOR
CORTEZ, IS FILE ITEM NUMBER
FOUR, SB 483.
I THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. CHAIR.
AND MEMBERS, I'M HERE, OF
COURSE, AS YOU JUST INDICATED TO
PRESENT SB 483, A BILL
PROHIBITING PRONE RESTRAINT,
WHICH IS A TECHNIQUE THAT
PHYSICALLY OR MECHANICALLY
RESTRAINS RESTRAINED STUDENTS IN
A FACE DOWN POSITION, TYPICALLY
IN ALL CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS,
MEANING THAT IT'S AVAILABLE IN
ALL CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS.
CURRENTLY, CALIFORNIA LAW
CURRENTLY ALLOWS PRONE
RESTRAINTS TO BE USED BY TRAINED
PERSONNEL AND STIPULATES THAT
THE STUDENT'S HANDS CAN'T BE
HELD BEHIND THEIR BACK. STAFF
MUST ALSO OBSERVE THE PUPIL FOR
ANY SIGNS OF PHYSICAL DISTRESS
THROUGHOUT ITS USE, BUT EVEN
WITH THOSE SAFEGUARDS, THIS THIS
TECHNIQUE IS STILL ONE OF THE
MOST DANGEROUS RESTRAINTS USED
IN SCHOOLS BECAUSE IT RESTRICTS
THE STUDENTS AIRWAY AND HAS THE
POTENTIAL, AND IT HAS IN FACT
BEEN FATAL. AND WE WILL HEAR
MORE ABOUT THAT TODAY. DESPITE
THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RECOMMENDING ITS ELIMINATION
PRONE RESTRAINT IS UNFORTUNATELY
STILL IN PRACTICE HERE IN
CALIFORNIA, ACCORDING TO
CALIFORNIA'S DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION DATA OBTAINED FROM THE
ASSEMBLY. ASSEMBLY MEMBER
WEBBER'S PASSAGE OF AB 2657 IN
THE 2022 2023 SCHOOL YEAR,
CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS USED PHYSICAL
RESTRAINTS ON STUDENTS 6785
TIMES, THOUGH JUST 14% OF THE
STUDENT POPULATION. STUDENTS
WITH DISABILITIES ENDURED 95.5%
OF THOSE PHYSICAL RESTRAINTS.
MOREOVER, PRONE RESTRAINTS ARE
APPLIED AT A HIGHER RATE AGAINST
BLACK STUDENTS. ACCORDING TO
FINDINGS BY THE SACRAMENTO BEE,
SB 43 SEEKS TO PROHIBIT THE USE
OF PRONE RESTRAINT IN CALIFORNIA
SCHOOLS AND HAVE US JOIN THE 30
STATES THAT HAVE TAKEN THE
NECESSARY STEPS TO PROTECT
CHILDREN FROM THE DANGERS OF
THIS TECHNIQUE. IN 2018, 13 YEAR
OLD MAX BENSON TRAGICALLY PASSED
AWAY AT AN EL DORADO HILLS
SCHOOL AFTER BEING HELD IN A
PRONE RESTRAINT FOR OVER AN
HOUR. I'M HONORED TO BE JOINED
HERE TODAY BY MAX'S MOTHER AS A
PARENT MYSELF, AND I KNOW MANY
OF YOU ARE, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT
SHE'S GONE THROUGH OR FULLY
PROCESS IT MYSELF THAT YOUR VOTE
TODAY WOULD, OF COURSE, HONOR
MAC'S MEMORY AND HELP ENSURE,
MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK THAT
SIMILAR TRAGEDIES NEVER HAPPEN
AGAIN. WITH US TODAY WE HAVE
STACIA LANGLEY, MAX BENSON'S
MOTHER. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE
DOCTOR MALLORY TOMAINO,
CO-FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL OF PORT
VIEW PREPARATORY, TO SERVE AS A
TECHNICAL WITNESS. THANK YOU,
CHAIR AND MEMBERS. AND AGAIN,
WHEN APPROPRIATE, I WOULD ASK
FOR YOUR AYE VOTE. THANK YOU. IT
DOESN'T MATTER THAT CHAIR AND
ASSEMBLY MEMBERS. I AM DOCTOR MÀ
LARA ERICKSON, TOMAINO, AND I'M
A BOARD CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR
ANALYST AND LICENSED CLINICAL
PSYCHOLOGIST. I HAVE SERVED
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR
25 YEARS AND SERVE AS THE
CO-FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL OF PORT
VIEW PREPARATORY, A NONPUBLIC
SCHOOL THAT SERVES OVER 50
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO
RELY ON US TO EDUCATE THEIR
STUDENTS WHO DEMONSTRATE THE
MOST SEVERE, CHALLENGING
BEHAVIORS AND WHO REQUIRE
SIGNIFICANT SERVICES AND
SUPPORTS. MY PARTNER, DOCTOR
EDWARD MIGUEL AND I HAVE NEVER
ALLOWED THE USE OF PRONE
RESTRAINT AT PORT VIEW AS WE SAW
FIRSTHAND HOW DANGEROUS THESE
TECHNIQUES ARE, AND RECOGNIZE
THAT EDUCATORS HAVE AN ETHICAL
OBLIGATION TO IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE
BASED INTERVENTIONS. PRONE
RESTRAINT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY A
PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH AND HAS
NO THERAPEUTIC BENEFIT. OVER THE
YEARS, IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS
WHERE PRONE RESTRAINT IS
UTILIZED, WE HAVE SEEN TRAGEDY
AFTER TRAGEDY OCCUR DUE TO AN
OVERRELIANCE ON RESTRAINT RATHER
THAN INTERVENTION, FORCED
COMPLIANCE RATHER THAN UNDER
STANDING AND OUTDATED RESPONSES
RATHER THAN EXPERTISE. ALLOWING
PRONE RESTRAINT CREATES A
CULTURE THAT PROMOTES A POWER
DIFFERENTIAL WHERE PRONE
RESTRAINT BECOMES THE FIRST AND
ONLY INTERVENTION USED. EVEN
WHEN PERFORMED BY TRAINED
PERSONNEL, PRONE RESTRAINT IS
OFTEN IMPLEMENTED INCORRECTLY.
NOT ONLY DOES PRONE RESTRAINT
POSE SERIOUS RISK TO STUDENTS,
IT IS ALSO OVERUTILIZED WITH
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND
IN A STATE THAT PROMOTES
DIVERSITY AND EQUALITY,
EDUCATORS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY
RESTRAINING STUDENTS OF COLOR,
ESPECIALLY BLACK STUDENTS. 37
STATES HAVE BANNED PRONE
RESTRAINT. CALIFORNIA HAS NOT.
THE RISKS OF NOT ADOPTING THIS
BILL ARE TOO GREAT. I URGE YOU
TO IMAGINE YOUR CHILD, NIECE,
NEPHEW, OR GRANDCHILD. IMAGINE
THEM HEADING OFF TO SCHOOL. NOW.
IMAGINE THEM LYING FACE DOWN IN
THEIR CLASSROOM. THEIR LAST
WORDS I CAN'T BREATHE, THEIR
BEDROOM EMPTY AS THEY WILL NEVER
RETURN. CALIFORNIA CAN DO
BETTER. LET'S NOT LOSE ANOTHER
LIFE. PLEASE KEEP OUR STUDENTS
SAFE AND PASS SB 483. THANK YOU,
SENATOR CORTEZ, FOR BRINGING
ABOUT THIS VERY IMPERATIVE
LEGISLATION. I THINK SHE WAS
TALKING ABOUT MY NAME IS STACIA
LANGLEY AND I GRADUATED FROM UC
DAVIS AND MY THREE CHILDREN
ATTENDED THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
THERE. I AM HERE TO EXPRESS MY
STRONG SUPPORT FOR SB 43,
BECAUSE MY SON MAX CANNOT. IN
2017, HE WAS KILLED BY A TEACHER
WHO PUT HIM IN A PRONE RESTRAINT
. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO
ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE WHAT IT'S
LIKE TO LOSE A CHILD, ESPECIALLY
WHEN YOU KNOW THAT THEY DIED A
SLOW, PAINFUL AND TERRIFYING
DEATH AT THE HANDS OF SOMEBODY
WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO EDUCATE AND
PROTECT THEM. MAX WAS A BRIGHT
AND HILARIOUS KID. HE COULD DO
MORE THAN LIGHT UP A ROOM. HE
LIT UP MY ENTIRE FAMILY'S LIFE.
EVERY MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY
STRUGGLES DAILY WITH THE
DARKNESS LEFT IN HIS ABSENCE. WE
TRY TO MAKE OUR HEARTS BIG
ENOUGH TO HOLD THE GRIEF, BUT
IT'S REALLY HARD. IF THIS BILL
HAD BEEN ENACTED AND ENFORCED IN
2017, MAX'S LIGHT WOULD STILL BE
SHINING ON US ALL. PRONE
RESTRAINT IS A BARBARIC
PRACTICE, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT
THAT ITS NEXT YOUNG VICTIM WILL
BE SITTING IN A CALIFORNIA
CLASSROOM THIS FALL. I URGE
EVERYONE TO HELP SAVE THAT
CHILD'S LIFE BY SUPPORTING THIS
BILL. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK
SENATOR CORTESE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. PUBLIC
COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL,
PLEASE COME FORWARD.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR AND
MEMBERS. PAMELA GIBBS,
REPRESENTING THE LOS ANGELES
COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND
STRONG SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. I'D
LIKE TO THANK THE WITNESSES, AS
WE DO HAVE A LETTER OF SUPPORT
INTO THE COMMITTEE AND WE'LL
RESUBMIT IT. FOR THE RECORD,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. STELLA
JOHNSON, ON BEHALF OF THE
ALAMEDA COUNTY OFFICE OF
EDUCATION AND STRONG SUPPORT.
JENNIFER ABERNATHY, ON BEHALF OF
THE ALLIANCE AGAINST SECLUSION
AND RESTRAINT, WITH SUPPORT.
LEAH DARRAGH, ON BEHALF OF THE
DAVIS JOINT UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT TRUSTEES AND STRONG
SUPPORT. ERIC HARRIS, DISABILITY
RIGHTS CALIFORNIA. PROUD
CO-SPONSOR OF THE BILL AS WELL
AS CALIFORNIA FOUNDATION FOR
INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTERS IN
SUPPORT. MY NAME IS BRENDAN
WHITE. I'M A RESIDENT OF DAVIS
AND A FRIEND OF MAX BENSON'S
FAMILY, AND SUPPORT. MATT BEST,
SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS JOINT
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IN
STRONG SUPPORT. RUTH DAWSON,
ACLU CALIFORNIA ACTION IN STRONG
SUPPORT. JOSH GAGER, ON BEHALF
OF THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
LIVING NETWORK IN SUPPORT. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. 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. MR. FLORA, VICE
CHAIR, FLORA. THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR. AND SENATOR, THANK YOU
FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND TO
THE FAMILY. OBVIOUSLY OUR
CONDOLENCES, BUT AS I WAS
READING OVER THE COMMITTEE
AGENDA FOR THIS PARTICULAR
HEARING, I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE
THIS WAS A THING. AND SO, I
GUESS THANK YOU FOR EDUCATING ME
AND, CONDOLENCES. BUT HAPPY TO
SUPPORT THIS BILL TODAY. SO
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY
FURTHER, MISS BONTA, I WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY
AND THAT OF MAX'S, YOU ARE
GIVING US A GIFT AND A LITTLE
BIT OF A WINDOW INTO WHO WAS
SOMEBODY WHO WAS INCREDIBLY
BEAUTIFUL, WE KNOW. AND, AND I'M
SORRY THAT HE PASSED IN SUCH A
TRAGIC WAY. AND I WANT TO THANK
THE AUTHOR FOR BRINGING FORWARD
THIS BILL TO BE ABLE TO CORRECT
THAT. SO THANK YOU. SEEING NO
FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS,
SENATOR CORTEZ, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS VERY
IMPORTANT MEASURE, BEFORE THIS
COMMITTEE, I WANT TO THANK, MISS
LANGLEY FOR SHARING. YOUR
EXPERIENCE, MAX'S EXPERIENCE AND
HOW THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE THE
LAW IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
TO, SAVE, OTHER CHILDREN, AND,
I, PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS
IMPORTANT MEASURE TO ELIMINATE
THIS, DANGEROUS PRACTICE,
SENATOR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
CLOSE? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND
MEMBERS, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR
YOUR COMMENTS, AND I'M SURE THE
WITNESSES APPRECIATE THOSE
COMMENTS AS WELL AS THOSE WHO
TESTIFIED, A FEW MINUTES AGO, TO
MAX'S MOM. AND YOU WILL ALWAYS
BE MAX'S MOM IN CALIFORNIA
HISTORY, FROM HERE ON OUT AND IN
OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR THE COURAGE TO
COME AND DO THIS. AS AS A
PARENT, WAS WONDERING IF I WOULD
HAVE THE COURAGE TO CONTINUE
JUST TO CLOSE AFTER LISTENING,
SO I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST
BE LIKE TO DO WHAT YOU JUST DID.
I THINK WE ALL FEEL THAT WAY.
THE BILL I WANT TO NOTE JUST
BECAUSE IT'S ALSO AN IMPORTANT
POINT OF ATTRIBUTION, WAS
INSPIRED WHEN I WAS ASKED TO A
STARBUCKS MEETING BY A
CONSTITUENT IN A WHEELCHAIR, WHO
SAID HE HAD A BILL IDEA AND
IMMEDIATELY LOST. IT BASICALLY
BECAME SO EMOTIONAL HE COULD
HARDLY EXPLAIN. AND IT'S BECAUSE
OF THE OF THE TRAUMA HE
EXPERIENCED, AS A STUDENT, THIS
IS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT IS MORE
THAN 40 YEARS OLD. THE TRAUMA
THAT'S STILL WITH HIM FROM BEING
PUT IN PRONE RESTRAINT, WHEN HE
WAS A STUDENT, HOW MANY MORE OF
THE THOUSANDS, PERHAPS DIDN'T
LOSE THEIR LIFE, BUT ARE
CARRYING THAT THAT TRAUMA AROUND
WITH THEM, AND WE CAN PUT AN END
TO THAT. I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOUR
VOTE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM VICE
CHAIR FLORA. A SECOND. SECONDED.
YES, FROM MISS BONTA. MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
BILL. ITEM FOUR, SB 483. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS TO THE FLOOR.
MURATSUCHI A MURATSUCHI I LARA A
LARA I ADDIS ALVAREZ ALVAREZ I
BONTA I WANT TO I HOOVER. HOOVER
I MCCARTY FIVE ZERO. THE BILL IS
OUT. THANK YOU. SO MUCH. THANK
YOU. NEXT WE HAVE A FILE ITEM
EIGHT SB 956. EXCUSE ME. CHAIR.
WE HAD 956 956. THANK YOU.
WELL THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR
AND MEMBERS, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
TO PRESENT THIS BILL. SB 956,
WHICH REAUTHORIZES K-12
DISTRICTS TO USE THE DESIGN
BUILD DELIVERY METHOD WHEN
CONSTRUCTING AND DESIGNING
SCHOOL FACILITIES. THIS BILL
ALSO REMOVES THE SUNSET
ALTOGETHER FOR DESIGN, BUILD FOR
K-12 DISTRICTS. THAT'S AN OPT IN
FOR THEM. DESIGN BUILD, AS MOST
OF US KNOW, IS A UNIQUE PROJECT
DELIVERY METHOD THAT ALLOWS THE
SCHOOL TO SELECT A DESIGN
PROFESSIONAL AND CONTRACTOR
CONCURRENTLY THROUGH A SINGLE
CONTRACT. DISTRICTS USE THIS
VALUABLE TOOL TO EXPEDITE
PROJECT CONSTRUCTION, GENERATE
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO UNIQUE
ISSUES, AND ENCOURAGE
COLLABORATION BETWEEN ARCHITECTS
, ENGINEERS, AND CONTRACTORS.
DESIGN BUILD PROVIDES AN
ALTERNATIVE TO THE TRADITIONAL
DESIGN BID, BUILD, DELIVERY
METHOD. RATHER THAN SELECTING
THE DBE BASED SOLELY ON THE
LOWEST BIDDER, DESIGN BUILD
ALLOWS A SCHOOL TO USE BEST
VALUE TO DO THAT SELECTION. THAT
CRITERIA MAY INCLUDE LIFE CYCLE
COSTS AND OTHER FEATURES OR
FUNCTIONS. BY ESTABLISHING A
GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE FOR THE
PROJECT, WHICH I THINK IS THE
KEY FOR MANY OF THESE DISTRICTS.
THIS METHOD REDUCES THE RISK OF
COST INCREASE CHANGE ORDERS ONCE
THE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS. THIS IS
PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT GIVEN THE
RECENT DOUBLE DIGIT ANNUAL COST
ESCALATION IN THE SCHOOL
CONSTRUCTION MARKET. DURING THE
LAST SUNSET EXTENSION, THE
STATUTE WAS AMENDED TO REQUIRE
K-12 DESIGN BUILD PROJECTS TO
UTILIZE A SKILLED AND TRAINED
WORKFORCE FOR ALL WORK ON A
PROJECT THAT FALLS WITHIN AN
APPRENTICESHIP OCCUPATION IN THE
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
TRADES. SO I'M MAKING THAT CLEAR
BECAUSE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING
ADDED IN THIS BILL. IT'S
CURRENTLY EMBEDDED IN STATUTE.
SB 956 ELIMINATES THE K-12
DESIGN BUILD AUTHORIZATION,
SUNSET AND GRANT SCHOOL
DISTRICTS, THE PERMANENT
AUTHORITY UTILIZE THIS
CONSTRUCTION DELIVERY METHOD,
WHICH IS IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY AS
WE HOPEFULLY MOVE AT SOME POINT
TO THE KIND OF RESOURCES FOR
SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THIS STATE
TO BUILD OUT, NOT TO HAVE THEM
WORRIED ABOUT THIS METHODOLOGY
SUNSETTING JUST AS THEY'RE ABOUT
TO START A PROJECT. SCHOOLS HAVE
PROVEN OVER TWO DECADES THAT
THEY CAN USE THE METHOD
RESPONSIBLY TO THE BENEFIT OF
THEIR COMMUNITIES. WITH US TO
TESTIFY, WE HAVE DAVE WALRATH
REPRESENTING HIS CLIENT,
COALITION FOR ADEQUATE SCHOOL
HOUSING, AND FRANK CAMARDA
COALITION FOR ADEQUATE SCHOOL
HOUSING. BOARD MEMBER I'D
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR AYE
VOTE, MR. CHAIR. MR. CHAIR
MEMBERS, MY NAME IS DAVE
WALLRATH, REPRESENTING THE
COALITION FOR ADEQUATE SCHOOL
HOUSING. THE COALITION HAS AS
MEMBERS SCHOOL DISTRICTS, COUNTY
OFFICES OF EDUCATION, BUILDERS,
ARCHITECTS, ALL TYPES OF
DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS THAT ARE
INVOLVED IN SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.
THÀNH SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION IS
VERY COMPLEX. IT IS NOT
STRAIGHTFORWARD. IT IS NOT EASY
TO DESIGN. BUILD IS ONE OF THE
OPTIONS THAT THE TOOL AND THE
TOOLBOX THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS
CAN USE IN ORDER TO HAVE, AS THE
SENATOR SAID, THE ABILITY TO
HAVE BOTH THE ARCHITECT AND THE
CONTRACTOR BROUGHT ONTO THE
PROJECT. AS THE PROJECT BEGINS.
THIS REDUCES POTENTIAL CONFLICTS
BECAUSE NOBODY IS PERFECT. AN
ARCHITECT'S PLANS MIGHT CONTAIN
WITHIN THEM SOMETHING THAT THE
CONTRACTOR FINDS TO BE MORE
EXPENSIVE THAN BEING ABLE TO DO
SOMETHING ELSE. THEY CAN WORK
COLLABORATIVELY IN ORDER TO HELP
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE
BUILDING OWNER, TO HAVE A
PROJECT THAT COMES IN ON TIME,
ON COST, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT
THEIR PROJECT GOES FORWARD. BEST
VALUE PROVIDES THINGS SUCH IN
ADDITION TO WHAT SENATOR CORTESE
SAID, EXPERIENCE, PAST
PERFORMANCE IN AN ARCHITECTURE
COULD BE DESIGN EXAMPLES IT
PROVIDES. AS HE SAID, FOR
COMPLEX PROJECTS SUCH AS LARGE
HIGH SCHOOLS, PERFORMING ARTS
CENTERS, CAREER TECHNICAL
EDUCATION FACILITIES IS A BETTER
COORDINATION FOR DELIVERING
THOSE FACILITIES. WE THANK THE
SENATOR FOR AUTHORING THIS BILL.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT
PROVIDES SCHOOL DISTRICTS THE
CERTAINTY HE HE MENTIONED TO BE
ABLE TO USE THIS OPTION, THIS
TOOL, AS THEY PLAN THEIR SCHOOL
FACILITY PROJECTS. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR CONSIDERATION. THÀNH. GOOD
AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU. CHAIR
MURATSUCHI AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS
, MY NAME IS FRANK CAMARDA. I'M
THE CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER FOR
THE SAN JUAN UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT, ALSO BOARD MEMBER FOR
THE COALITION FOR ADEQUATE
SCHOOL HOUSING, THANK YOU FOR
THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO PROVIDE
SOME COMMENTS ON THIS IMPORTANT
PIECE OF LEGISLATION, SCHOOL
DISTRICTS ARE GRATEFUL. WE'RE
GRATEFUL THAT OUR LEGISLATORS
ARE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL
PROCUREMENT TOOLS TO DELIVER
HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION PROJECTS.
THE REASON I'M HERE TODAY IS I'M
UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO PROVIDE
THIS COMMITTEE INSIGHT OF THE
MERITS OF DESIGN BUILD. DUE TO
MY EXPERIENCE USING THIS
PROCUREMENT METHOD IN SAN JUAN.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 6 OR
7 YEARS, I'VE ALSO CREATED
DESIGN BUILD WORKSHOPS, SAT ON
PANELS WITH INDUSTRY
PROFESSIONALS, BOTH NATIONALLY
AND ACROSS THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
ALL PROJECTS ARE UNIQUE AND
REQUIRE A UNIQUE RESPONSE IN
CHOOSING A PROCUREMENT METHOD.
DESIGN BUILD OFFERS DISTRICTS
THE OPPORTUNITY TO SELECT A
DELIVERY METHOD THAT FITS THE
DESIRED OUTCOMES OF A PARTICULAR
EDUCATION PROJECT. TO PROVIDE
SOME CONTEXT ON THE GROWING USE
OF DESIGN, BUILD ACROSS THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA IN K-12. I
RECENTLY SCORED 22 ARCHITECTS
PROPOSALS, AND ONE OF THE
QUALIFYING VALUES FOR THOSE
ARCHITECTS. IT WAS THE
EXPERIENCE IN DELIVERING
ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY METHODS
SUCH AS DESIGN, BUILD. I WAS NOT
SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THERE'S A
LARGE VOLUME OF PROJECTS BEING
COMPLETED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS
ACROSS THE STATE USING DESIGN,
BUILD, AND IT HAS BECOME A
VALUED METHOD OF PROCUREMENT,
WHY IS THIS PROCUREMENT METHOD
VALUABLE TO DISTRICTS? A COUPLE
OF BULLET POINTS FOR THE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO CONSIDER,
DISTRICTS ARE SELECTING DESIGN,
BUILD, ENTITIES BASED ON A
RIGOROUS STANDARDS OF
QUALIFICATIONS OR A GUARANTEED
MAXIMUM PRICE. THIS PROVIDES THE
DISTRICTS WITH GREATER COST
CONTROLS AND HIGHLY QUALIFIED
TEAMS. IT ALSO PROVIDES A
RIGOROUS PRE-CONSTRUCTION
PROCESS THAT ENSURES GREATER
CONSTRUCTABILITY, PREDICTABILITY
AND COST FOR CONSTRUCTION AND
OPPORTUNITIES TO ADJUST BUDGETS
AND FORECASTS THAT ARE BUDGETS
THAT ARE FORECASTED ARE BEING
HIGHER THAN EXPECTED OR BEYOND
THE ENTITIES AVAILABLE. FUNDING
AMOUNTS. IT LENDS ITSELF TO A
HIGH LEVEL OF COLLABORATION, AS
MR. WALLRATH MENTIONED DURING
THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS. AND
FINALLY, DESIGN BUILD REDUCES
THE RISK TO THE LOCAL EDUCATION
AUTHORITY. AND FOR THOSE
REASONS, I BELIEVE DESIGN BUILDS
AN EFFECTIVE IT'S A RELIABLE
PROCUREMENT METHOD FOR SCHOOL
DISTRICTS TO UTILIZE AND FOR
THIS COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER
RECOMMENDING ITS EXTENSION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PUBLIC
COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL,
PLEASE COME FORWARD. MR.
CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS, BO BILLER,
ON BEHALF OF THE DESIGN BUILD
INSTITUTE OF AMERICA, WESTERN
PACIFIC REGION IN SUPPORT. ASK
FOR AN AYE VOTE. SASHA HOROWITZ,
LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT IN SUPPORT AND ALSO ON
BEHALF OF ACSA IN SUPPORT
ELIZABETH ELIZABETH ESQUIVEL
WITH THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION
OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS IN
SUPPORT. SAM NASH, ON BEHALF OF
THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY OFFICE OF
EDUCATION, IN SUPPORT. CELLA
JOHNSON ON BEHALF OF THE ALAMEDA
COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION IN
SUPPORT SIERRA COOK WITH THE SAN
DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IN
SUPPORT. SEEING NO FURTHER
PUBLIC COMMENTS IN SUPPORT, ANY
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO THE
BILL, PLEASE COME FORWARD SEEING
NONE. PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL. SEEING
NONE, BRING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEE. ANY QUESTIONS FROM
THE COMMITTEE? SEEING NONE. MOVE
THE BILL. MOVED BY MISS BONTA,
SECONDED BY MISS ADAMS, SENATOR,
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS BILL
FORWARD. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS
ON MY LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD, WE DID
TWO SCHOOL FACILITY CONSTRUCTION
BONDS WHERE WE USED THE DESIGN
BUILD METHOD. AND, WHEN I HEARD
THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GET THE BEST
VALUE AND YOU MINIMIZE THE
NUMBER OF CHANGE ORDERS, I
THOUGHT, WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO DO
THIS? AND SO, I, STRONG SUPPORT
OF YOUR YOUR MEASURE TO REMOVE
THE SUNSET OF THE AUTHORITY FOR
SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO HAVE THIS
OPTION, AND, RECOMMEND, SUPPORT.
I WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. AND AGAIN, I'D JUST
LIKE TO THANK THE WITNESSES AND,
THE PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY, AND OF
COURSE, THE COMMITTEE'S HELP AND
COOPERATION WITH THE BILL, AS
ANOTHER FORMER SCHOOL BOARD
MEMBER, I KNOW WITH THAT LIVED
EXPERIENCE, PROFESSIONAL LIVED
EXPERIENCE IS LIKE. AND I
APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHT INTO IT,
ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE
COMMITTEE, I RESPECTFULLY ASK
FOR YOUR. AYE VOTE. THANK YOU,
MADAM SECRETARY. PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL BILL. ITEM EIGHT, SB 956.
THE MOTION IS TO PASS TO
APPROPRIATIONS MURATSUCHI A
MURATSUCHI I LARA ADDIS. ADDIS I
ALVAREZ. BONTA I A BONTA I
HOOVER. HOOVER I MCCARTY OR
ZERO. THE BILL IS OUT. THANK
YOU. LAST, WE HAVE SENATOR
CORTEZ. FILE ITEM 23, SB 1445.
OKAY THANK YOU. I'M SURE YOU'RE
GETTING TIRED OF ME BY NOW, BUT
I DO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GET ALL OF THIS
WORK DONE TODAY. AND THIS WILL
BE MY PRESENTATION OF SENATE
BILL 1445. THE BILL WILL ENABLE
SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER
SCHOOLS TO ALLOW THEIR STUDENT
BOARD MEMBERS TO RECEIVE LIMITED
CASE INFORMATION, SEPARATE FROM
A CLOSED SESSION MEETING WITH
THE CONSENT OF THE STUDENT
FACING EXPULSION AND THEIR
PARENT OR GUARDIAN TO PROVIDE
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE LARGER
BOARD'S CONSIDERATION WHEN THEY
DO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION.
ALTHOUGH CALIFORNIA HAS MADE
STRIDES IN RECENT YEARS TO
ADDRESS OVERLY PUNITIVE ACTIONS
IN SCHOOLS, LOW INCOME STUDENTS,
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND
STUDENTS OF COLOR ARE STILL
EXPELLED AT HIGHER RATES
COMPARED TO THEIR PEERS. THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION DATA SHOWS THAT
EXPULSION TRENDS ARE RETURNING
TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. FOR
EXAMPLE, IN THE 2022 2023 SCHOOL
YEAR FOR THOUSAND 718 STUDENTS
WERE EXPELLED. OF THOSE
STUDENTS, 88% WERE LOW INCOME.
EVEN MORE TROUBLING, A QUARTER
OF THOSE EXPELLED, 1036 WERE
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES,
NEARLY TWICE AS MANY AS A YEAR
BEFORE. BLACK STUDENTS ACCOUNTED
FOR 4.7% OF CALIFORNIA STUDENT
POPULATION, BUT THEY WERE 12% OF
ALL STUDENTS EXPELLED, EXCLUDING
STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS, FROM THE
EXPULSION HEARING PROCESS
DEPRIVED STUDENTS OF THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR
THEIR PEERS RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
ALTERNATIVES ARE NECESSARY TO
PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE
STUDENT POPULATIONS BY ENSURING
THEY REMAIN IN SCHOOL, WHILE
EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF
COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY
INVOLVED. CONFLICT RESOLUTION.
BY PASSING THIS BILL, WE WILL BE
ENFORCING RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
PRINCIPLES IN OUR SCHOOLS AND
STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS AMONG
AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS, PEERS,
TEACHERS, AND THE WIDER SCHOOL
COMMUNITY. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE
THIS DOES NOT, DESPITE ALL THOSE
STATISTICS, CHANGE OR INTERFERE
AT ALL WITH THE EXPULSION
PROCESS DIRECTLY, BUT SIMPLY
ALLOWS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO
OPT INTO THIS PROGRAM WHERE THEY
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF INPUT FROM
THEIR STUDENT BOARD MEMBER IN A
CONFIDENTIAL MANNER PRIOR TO THE
BOARD ENTERING INTO CLOSED
SESSION. TODAY, WE HAVE GARRETT,
GARRETT SUE FROM THE CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS
AND ANNA PIETARO, STUDENT SCHOOL
BOARD TRUSTEE FROM THE FAIRFIELD
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND I
WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR
I VOTE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR.
CHAIR. AND MEMBERS. MY NAME IS
GARRETT SHU AND I AM HERE ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS,
SPONSORING SB 1445, ESTABLISHED
IN 1947, CASC IS A STUDENT LED
NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO
AMPLIFYING STUDENT VOICES AND
DEVELOPING FUTURE LEADERS. THE
STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD OF
LEGISLATURA IN EDUCATION, OR WE
CALL IT SABLE, IS A CASC PROGRAM
WHERE STUDENTS ANNUALLY GATHER
TO DEVELOP PROPOSALS FOR
LEGISLATION AND THEN PRESENT
THOSE TO THE EDUCATION
COMMITTEES. SB 1445 IS BASED ON
A POLICY PROPOSAL. OUR
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE GROUP
DEVELOPED DURING SABLE TO
ADVANCE RESTORATIVE SOLUTIONS
FOR STUDENTS, SPECIFICALLY THOSE
FACING EXPULSION. PUNITIVE
ACTIONS IN SCHOOLS
DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT LOW
INCOME STUDENTS, STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES, AND STUDENTS OF
COLOR AT RATES FAR GREATER
COMPARED TO THEIR PEERS.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ALTERNATIVES
ARE NECESSARY TO PROTECT OUR
MOST VULNERABLE STUDENT
POPULATIONS BY ENSURING THEY
REMAIN IN SCHOOL, WHILE
EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF
COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY
INVOLVED. CONFLICT RESOLUTION.
SB 1445 ALLOWS SCHOOL STUDENT
BOARD MEMBERS TO RECEIVE LIMITED
EXPULSION CASE INFORMATION. OF
COURSE, WITH THE CONSENT OF THE
STUDENT FACING EXPULSION AND
THEIR PARENT OR GUARDIAN TO
PROVIDE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE LARGER
BOARD'S CONSIDERATIONS AND ARE
CLOSED SESSION MEETING. WE
BELIEVE THAT ALLOWING THE
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE AND PEER
SUPPORT WILL DIVERSIFY THE
DECISION MAKING PROCESS TO
ENSURE THAT APPROACH TO SCHOOL
PUNISHMENT KEEPS RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE IN MIND. IMPLEMENTING
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES
ALSO ALLOWS STUDENTS TO BUILD
TRUST AND HAVE FAITH IN THEIR
ABILITY TO IMPROVE IN AN
ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL SUPPORT
THEM. WE APPRECIATE SENATOR
CORTEZ'S LEADERSHIP IN AUTHORING
SB 1445 AND SUPPORTING
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES
AND STUDENT VOICES, SO WE ASK
FOR YOUR VOTE ON THE BILL. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. HELLO. GOOD
AFTERNOON. MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE, ANA BOTERO,
FAIRFIELD-SUISUN UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER,
TRUSTEE, AREA SIX. I'M HERE TO
SPEAK TO AND ON ADVOCATE FOR
STUDENT VOICES IN REGARD TO
STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS ADVOCACY
ON WITH REGARD TO RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE AND EXPULSIONS OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS. AND JUST THIS
LAST WEEK, I'VE HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS
GRADUATIONS FROM ALL OF OUR
STUDENTS. AT EACH OF THOSE
GRADUATION CEREMONIES, THE
STUDENT SPEAKERS SPOKE TO THE
RESILIENCY AND PERSEVERANCE OF
THIS GRADUATING CLASS. THEY WERE
THE FIRST CLASS IN THE INCOMING
FRESHMAN CLASS TO HAVE TO STUDY
THROUGH COVID, SO THEY REALLY
RALLIED TOGETHER. AND YOU COULD
SEE FROM ALL OF THE STUDENT
SPEECHES HOW MUCH THEY MATURED
BECAUSE THEY HAD TO GO FROM
IN-PERSON LEARNING, ADAPT TO
ONLINE LEARNING, AND THEN
RE-ADAPT TO IN-PERSON LEARNING.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, IF YOU AS
YOU'VE SEEN WITH ALL THE
STUDENTS SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE HAD
HERE, SPEAK TO YOU. AND IN THE
PAST, YOU CAN SEE THE MATURITY
LEVEL OF THESE STUDENTS. THEY
SEE EACH OTHER EVERY SINGLE DAY
FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, SOME
FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS. THEY KNOW
EACH OTHER. THEY SEE EACH OTHER
IN CAFETERIAS. THEY SEE EACH
OTHER IN CLASSES. THEY ARE
NEIGHBORHOOD STUDENTS. THEY KNOW
EACH OTHER GROWING UP. SO THEY
KNOW EACH OTHER'S SOCIOECONOMIC
STATUS. THEY KNOW EACH OTHER AS
INDIVIDUALS AND SO AS YOU SEE
THEM GRADUATE FROM ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL TO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL TO
SENIOR TO HIGH SCHOOL, THEY'RE
IT'S A RITE OF PASSAGE. AND THIS
RITE OF PASSAGE GIVES THEM AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO THE NEXT
LEVEL AND TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT
LEVEL AND IN THOSE SPACES. AS
STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS, I SEE
THESE STUDENTS WHO ARE VERY
MATURE. THEY'RE READY TO
PARTICIPATE IN THEIR DEMOCRACY.
AND I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON
ALL OF US TO ENSURE THAT THEY
GET THAT RIGHT OF PASSAGE, AND
THEY HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD TO
ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE
STUDENTS WHO ELECTED THEM TO
REPRESENT THEM. THEY ARE THE
BEST VOICES WE ARE SO FAR
REMOVED. SOME OF US BOARD
MEMBERS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, HAVE
BEEN GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, 30, 40, 50 YEARS. WE
ARE SO FAR REMOVED FROM TEACHERS
AS WE'VE HEARD EARLIER, SEE
STUDENTS ABOUT A YEAR, YEAR TO
TWO YEARS AT THE MOST. BUT THE
STUDENTS SEE EACH OTHER FOR MUCH
LONGER. AND I THINK HAVING
STUDENT VOICES IN THE SCHOOL
BOARD GIVES US BETTER INSIGHT
AND ADVOCACY FOR THOSE STUDENTS
ON BEHALF OF EACH OTHER. AND I
THINK AS ADULTS, IT IS INCUMBENT
UPON US TO GIVE THESE STUDENTS A
RIGHT OF PASSAGE AND GIVE THEM
THE VOICE TO BE IN THAT SPACE,
TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR PEERS. AND
I STRONGLY URGE A SUPPORT FOR SB
11445. THANK YOU, SENATOR, FOR
INTRODUCING THIS. THANK YOU.
PUBLIC COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF
THE BILL, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
I'LL MOVE THE BILL. FOR YOU,
NICOLAESCU STUDENT AT BELLA
VISTA HIGH SCHOOL IN SACRAMENTO
COUNTY IN SUPPORT. MELANIE
SULLIVAN, STUDENT AT VISTA DEL
LAGO HIGH SCHOOL FROM FOLSOM
COUNTY IN SUPPORT. ALL RIGHT.
MR. HOOVER'S CONSTITUENTS. I
KNOW HE'S NOT HERE. HE IS HERE.
OKAY ANY WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION
TO THE BILL? ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS
IN OPPOSITION TO THE BILL?
BRINGING IT BACK TO THE
COMMITTEE. MISS BONTA, I WANT TO
THANK THE AUTHOR FOR BRINGING
FORWARD THIS BILL AND FOR THE
TESTIMONY OF THE ESPECIALLY THE
STUDENT BOARD MEMBER. I SERVED
ON SCHOOL BOARD AND THE STUDENT
BOARD MEMBERS WHO WERE SERVED
THAT I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF
SERVING WITH, HAD INCREDIBLE
INSIGHT ABOUT THINGS RELATED TO
THE SCHOOL CLIMATE, SCHOOL
FACILITIES IS AND IT ALWAYS
BOTHERED ME THAT THEIR INSIGHTS
WERE LOST AT THE TIME AT WHICH
WE WENT INTO CLOSED SESSION AND
DISCUSSED, DISCIPLINARY ISSUES.
SO I'M VERY THANKFUL TO THE
AUTHOR FOR THREADING A VERY FINE
NEEDLE TO ALLOW FOR THAT KIND OF
PRIVACY ABILITY FOR FELLOW
STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE
RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO ASK FOR A
STUDENT BOARD MEMBER TO NOT
PARTICIPATE. BUT I KNOW THAT
HAVING STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS IN
THAT ROOM, WHILE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING,
HAPPENING WITH A FRAME OF
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, IS GOING TO
BE QUITE FRANKLY, A GAME CHANGER
FOR STUDENTS ACROSS ACROSS THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SO THANK
YOU. ANY OTHER MR. HOOVER? THANK
YOU, SENATOR, WHILE I DO
APPRECIATE, OBVIOUSLY, THE GOAL
OF, INCREASING STUDENT VOICES IN
THIS PROCESS, OBVIOUSLY, YOU
KNOW, I ACTUALLY HEARD THIS
DIRECTLY FROM STUDENT BOARD
MEMBERS WHEN I WAS A BOARD
MEMBER THAT IT IS FRUSTRATING,
RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY ARE EXCLUDED
FROM THE, OBVIOUSLY CLOSED
SESSION AND OFTENTIMES HAVE
INPUT. I THINK MY CONCERN WITH
THE BILL AS DRAFTED IS IF WE
REALLY WANT TO ALLOW THAT INPUT
IN ALL ITS FORMS, WHY WHY NOT
DRAFT A BILL THAT JUST ALLOWS
THE STUDENT BOARD MEMBER TO GIVE
INPUT, AS OPPOSED TO KIND OF
PREDETERMINING WHAT THAT INPUT
HAS TO BE. SO THIS BILL SEEMS TO
SAY THAT THE ONLY INPUT THAT CAN
BE GIVEN WOULD BE FOR
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES
VERSUS YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MAYBE
SOME, SOME OTHER INPUT.
PROVIDED. SO JUST CURIOUS ON
THAT. YEAH. MAY VERY WELL BE
THAT WHEN THE STUDENT BOARD
MEMBER GETS TOGETHER WITH THE
STUDENT AFTER THE PERMISSION
AUTHORIZATION HAS BEEN GRANTED
AND HAVE THEIR CONFIDENTIAL
DISCUSSION THAT THE STUDENT
BOARD MEMBER ENDS UP WRITING A
REPORT TO PROVIDE A REPORT TO
THE, TO THE BOARD MEMBERS OF THE
DISTRICT AHEAD OF THEIR CLOSED
SESSION THAT SAYS THE STUDENT.
IS NOT AGREEABLE TO, A
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PLAN, OR
THIS STUDENT WOULD, PREFER
BECAUSE OF SOME CIRCUMSTANCES,
TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. WE HAVE
LIMITED, OR OBVIOUSLY WE IT
COULD BE AFTER THAT DISCUSSION
THAT THE STUDENTS, THE TWO
STUDENTS, COME UP WITH THE
MAKINGS OF A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
PLAN THAT MAY, ALLOW THE STUDENT
TO STAY IN SCHOOL IF THE SCHOOL
BOARD AGREES TO THAT, BUT WOULD
ALLOW AT THAT POINT, IT WOULD
TYPICALLY REQUIRE SOME FORM OF
RESTITUTION. THÀNH IN THE
EXAMPLE OF A STUDENT THAT
GRAFFITIED THE FACILITIES AT
THEIR OWN SCHOOL, FOR EXAMPLE,
TO HAVE TO, REPAINT THAT OR TAKE
CARE OF THAT DAMAGE, TO MAKE A
PUBLIC APOLOGY, THOSE ARE ALL
THE KINDS OF THINGS WE'VE SEEN,
I KNOW IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY IN,
IN PEER COURT, RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE, SITUATIONS WHERE,
SOMETIMES THE PARENT AND THE
STUDENTS SAY, NO, THANK YOU. YOU
KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN
THAT PATH, WE WOULD RATHER JUST,
TAKE OUR LUMPS WITH THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT ON, ON THE EXPULSION,
BUT IT GIVES IT CREATES THAT
OPPORTUNITY. AND I THINK THE
IMPORTANT THING THAT WE'VE HEARD
WHEN THE CASK STUDENTS CAME AND
SPOKE AT A JOINT HEARING HERE OF
THE LEGISLATURE A FEW MONTHS
AGO, THEY TALKED ABOUT, THIS
KIND OF EMPOWERMENT THAT AN
INSIGHT THAT THE STUDENTS HAVE,
IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT THAT
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PLAN SHOULD
REALLY LOOK LIKE, WHAT WOULD
WHAT WOULD REALLY COUNT, WHAT
WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE, WE'VE
HEARD IN PEER COURT SITUATIONS
THAT ARE SLIGHTLY MORE OPEN IN
THE HEARINGS WHERE AN ADULT, A
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CAN ACTUALLY
STEP INTO THOSE HEARINGS, WE'VE
WE'VE HEARD THE KIND OF VOIR
DIRE BETWEEN THE PEERS AND THE
STUDENT THAT'S FRANKLY PRETTY,
PRETTY HARSH AT TIMES. WHY WOULD
YOU DO SUCH A THING? AND YOU
NEED TO EXPLAIN TO US WHY AND
WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE ANY
REMORSE FOR IT. THOSE KIND OF
THINGS SOMETIMES, I FOUND AS A
FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER WERE
MUCH MORE BLUNT AND MUCH MORE
REAL, IF YOU WILL, THAN THE KIND
OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWER VOIR
DIRE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD
ITSELF WOULD ASK. BUT WE WANTED
TO LIMIT THE INFORMATION SCHOOL
DISTRICT BY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THEY CAN MAKE A DECISION WHETHER
TO DO IT AT ALL. IF THEY DO IT,
HOW MUCH OF THAT PACKET, THAT
CLOSED SESSION PACKET TO PROVIDE
TO THE TO THE STUDENT BOARD
MEMBER? BECAUSE SOME DISTRICTS
MAY FEEL THAT THAT TRANSCRIPTS
WHICH ARE TYPICALLY PROVIDED IN
CLOSED SESSION EXPULSIONS MAY BE
WANT TO BE LEFT OUT, FOR
PURPOSES OF THE RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE DISCUSSION, OR MAYBE
SOME HEALTH RECORDS OR SOMETHING
LIKE THAT THAT WE WOULD ALL
CONSIDER LIKELY TO BE
CONFIDENTIAL, THEY GET TO MAKE
THOSE DECISIONS OF COURSE,
THEY'LL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF
COUNSEL. AND, IT REALLY IS A
SITE BASED OR DISTRICT BASED
DECISION AT THAT POINT AS TO HOW
FAR TO GO WITH THIS. SO IT'S
REALLY ENABLING LEGISLATION THAT
SAYS IF YOU WANT TO DO IT, YOU
CAN YOU CAN'T BRING THEM ALL THE
WAY IN TO CLOSED SESSION,
BECAUSE THEN THERE'D BE NO
LIMITS, RIGHT, AND, BUT BUT YOU
CAN, YOU CAN AT LEAST, GET THAT
ADVISORY, RECOMMENDATION FROM
THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IF YOU,
IF YOU THINK THAT THAT'S
VALUABLE. I THINK A LOT OF
SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL. WE'VE HAD
PLENTY OF GOOD RESPONSE ON THE
BILL FROM DISTRICTS THAT WOULD
LIKE TO OPT INTO THIS. I
APPRECIATE THAT, AND I DO
APPRECIATE THAT FLEXIBILITY FOR
DISTRICTS, THE OPT IN, I THINK
THAT'S GREAT. OBVIOUSLY, AS, MY
COLLEAGUE STATED, THE PRIVACY
PROVISIONS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT,
I THINK I THINK MY CONCERN WITH
THE BILL REMAINS THAT, YOU KNOW,
I WOULD LIKE STUDENTS TO BE ABLE
TO GIVE THEIR INPUT AND, AND IN
A LOT OF CASES, RIGHT. IT IS
GOING TO BE THIS RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE PLAN, A RECOMMENDATION
TO THE BOARD, INPUT, BUT THERE
MAY BE CASES WHERE THE STUDENT
BOARD MEMBER AGREES WITH THE
EXPULSION, AND I WANT THEM TO BE
ABLE TO SHARE THAT
RECOMMENDATION AS WELL. THERE'S
NO LIMIT ON THAT IN THE BILL,
OKAY? THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO
LIMIT ON WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION
OF THE STUDENT BOARD MEMBER IS.
OKAY. BUT THERE IS, ALLOWABLE
FOR THAT STUDENT BOARD MEMBER TO
MAKE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY WILL
ALREADY BE LOOKING AT THE
EXPULSION RECOMMENDATION AND
JUXTAPOSITION TO THAT. THEY WILL
HAVE IT, THEY WILL HAVE IT, AND
THEY'LL SAY, THIS IS GOING TO
WORK WITH THIS KID OR IT'S NOT
OKAY. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE
EXPECTING TO HAPPEN. NO, I
APPRECIATE THAT. AND I THINK, I
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU
KNOW, BECAUSE IN A LOT OF THESE
CASES, RIGHT, WHERE THERE IS A,
AN OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A PRETTY
SERIOUS SITUATION. IF WE'RE
DISCUSSING EXPULSION RIGHT AT
THE LOCAL LEVEL. AND SO, YOU
KNOW, IN THE CASES WHERE ANOTHER
STUDENT IS INVOLVED, RIGHT,
BECAUSE IN A LOT OF CASES THERE
IS A VICTIM AS WELL. THERE IS A,
A STUDENT WHO HAS BEEN HARMED
AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE
RESPECTING, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHTS
OF THAT STUDENT AS WELL. I THINK
IS REALLY IMPORTANT. BUT I
APPRECIATE THE RESPONSE. THANK
YOU. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM
THE COMMITTEE SEEING NONE. OKAY.
THANK YOU. SIR MAKES A LOT OF
SENSE TO ME. THANK YOU. TO THE
STUDENT, COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE
FOR, SPONSORING THIS MEASURE TO,
BRING IN THE STUDENT VOICE,
ESPECIALLY ON RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE, RECOMMENDATIONS, WHILE
RECOGNIZING THE PRIVACY CONCERNS
, TO BE JUDGED BY THEIR PEERS,
ALL IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLOSE? THANK
YOU. I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR
YOUR. AYE. VOTE WITH LOTS OF
GRATITUDE. AS I SAID EARLIER
WITH MY OTHER PRESENTATION TO
THE COMMITTEE, AND THANK YOU TO
CARSON AND THE WITNESSES FOR
THEIR HELP. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A
MOTION. WE NEED A SECOND. WHO
MADE THE MOTION? OKAY OKAY. ALL
RIGHT, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL FILE. ITEM 23, SB
1445. THE MOTION IS TO PASS TO
THE FLOOR. MURATSUCHI. ALL
RIGHT. MURATSUCHI I LARA LARA
NOT VOTING. ADIS ALVAREZ. BONTA
I BONTA I HOOVER. HOOVER. NO.
MCCARTY 2 TO 1. THE BILL IS ON
CALL. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
SENATOR MENGIBAR, ITEM NUMBER
SEVEN, SB 954.
WE'VE SEEN THIS BILL BEFORE. YOU
HAVE? ALL RIGHT. I JUST
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE VOTE
AGAIN. YOU SAU. YES, YOU'RE
RIGHT, MR. CHAIR. YOU SAW THIS
LAST YEAR. I'M BACK WITH IT
AGAIN, BECAUSE THIS TIME WE'VE
ATTACHED A BUDGET REQUEST TO IT,
AND WE'LL SEE IN THE NEXT WEEK
IF WE WERE SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT.
SO IT'S BASICALLY DOING ALMOST
THE SAME THING AS LAST YEAR. SB
954 IS ASKING FOR SCHOOLS TO
DISTRIBUTE, MAKE AVAILABLE INTO
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS CONDOMS WILL
PROHIBIT HEALTH CENTERS FROM
COMING, WILL PROHIBIT HEALTH
CENTERS FROM PROVIDING CONDOMS
WHEN THEY ARE AT SCHOOLS. DURING
AN EDUCATIONAL HEALTH
PRESENTATION. THÀNH. AND ONE OF
THE DIFFERENT AMENDMENTS THAT I
WANT TO THANK YOUR COMMITTEE
STAFF AND WORKING WITH ME AND
DOING SOME OTHER AMENDMENTS ON
THIS, IS AUTHORIZING THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION TO MONITOR THE
COMPLIANCE OF THE CALIFORNIA
HEALTH YOUTH ACT AND
FORTUNATELY, THE CIA IS NOT
BEING FOLLOWED ADEQUATELY ACROSS
OUR STATE. AND THIS GOAL WAS TO
ENSURE ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE,
MEDICALLY ACCURATE AND INCLUSIVE
SEX ED THAT FOLLOWS STATUTORY
REQUIREMENTS. SO WE ADDED THAT
IN THE BILL AS WELL. AND LASTLY,
THROUGH SOME TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE FROM CDC, WE ARE
GOING TO BE ON TOP OF SUPPORTING
AND MONITORING Y Ã ADDING A
LIAISON FOR EACH SCHOOL, SCHOOL
SITE TO IMPLEMENT THESE
PROVISIONS. SO WHY DO I CONTINUE
TO INTRODUCE THIS BILL? WELL,
BECAUSE WE CONTINUE TO HAVE
ALMOST 50% OF OUR STI CASES IN
CALIFORNIA BE BETWEEN THE AGES
OF 15 AND 24 YEARS OLD. WE
CONTINUE TO TURN TO THAT CDC
REPORT REGARDING THE DECREASE IN
UTILIZATION OF CONDOMS MORE
AMONGST, OUR MALE OR MALE
COUNTERPARTS. AND TO THAT, I
WOULD LIKE TO TURN OVER TO MY
WITNESSES TO TALK MORE ABOUT
THAT. I HAVE ONE WITNESS HERE
TODAY OR TWO WITNESSES. WE'RE
HERE. WE'RE BOTH HERE. WE'RE
GOING TO START OFF WITH
STEPHANIE IF YOU WANT TO
INTRODUCE YOURSELF, MR. CHAIR,
THAT WORKS. GOOD AFTERNOON,
CHAIRPERSON AND COMMITTEE
MEMBERS. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE
OCAMPO, AND I CURRENTLY SERVE ON
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BASED HEALTH
ALLIANCE AND A FORMER BOARD,
YOUTH BOARD MEMBER. AS WELL. THE
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BASED HEALTH
ALLIANCE SUPPORTS AROUND 400
SCHOOL BASED HEALTH AND WELLNESS
CENTERS IN K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS
ACROSS CALIFORNIA AND IS A
CO-SPONSOR OF SENATE BILL 954,
THE YOUTH HEALTH EQUITY AND
SAFETY ACT. CALIFORNIA'S YOUTH
SPENT MOST OF THEIR TIME IN
SCHOOL, SO IT MAKES IT SO. IT
MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO MEET
THEM WHERE THEY ARE TO SUPPORT
THEIR EDUCATIONAL AND
COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH NEEDS. IT
IS COMMON FOR HIGH STUDENTS TO
HAVE EXPERIENCES AND MAKE
DECISIONS THAT WILL IMPACT THEIR
JOURNEY. AS YOUNG ADULTS. FOR
THOSE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO
DECIDE TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL
BEHAVIOR, HAVING ACCESS TO FREE
CONDOMS AT SCHOOL IS REALLY
HELPFUL TO SUPPORT THEM IN
MAKING HEALTHIER DECISIONS THAT
WILL REDUCE THE RISK OF STIS AND
UNINTENDED PREGNANCY, ENSURING
ALL YOUTH, ESPECIALLY THOSE
THOSE MOST AT RISK OF
CONTRACTING CONTRACTING STIS,
HAVE FREE ACCESS TO CONDOMS IN
SCHOOLS WILL REDUCE STIGMA AND
THE BARRIERS SO, SO MANY YOUTH,
SO MANY YOUTHS FACE WHEN MAKING
IMPORTANT DECISIONS TO SAFEGUARD
THEIR SEXUAL HEALTH. SOME HIGH
SCHOOLS DO PROVIDE CONDOMS TO
SCHOOL. HOWEVER MANY SCHOOLS IN
AREAS WHERE THERE ARE SOME OF
THE HIGHEST RATES OF SEXUALLY
TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS DO NOT.
SENATE BILL 954 WOULD BRING A
MUCH NEEDED, EQUITABLE APPROACH,
SO ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE SAME
OPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT
THEMSELVES FROM STIS. TEENS FACE
MULTIPLE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING
CONDOMS THAT DETER THEM FROM
SEEKING AND SECURING THE
RESOURCES THEY NEED TO PROTECT
THEIR HEALTH AND PREVENT
UNINTENDED PREGNANCY. SOME OF
THESE OBSTACLES ARE COST AND
LACK OF TRANSPORTATION TO VISIT
A STORE OR A HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER TO GET CONDOMS. TEENS
ARE ALSO SHAMED, HARASSED, AND
DISCOURAGED AGAINST WHETHER
AGAINST WHEN THEY DO OR TRY TO
BUY CONDOMS. SOMETIMES THEY
BEING ASKED TO SHOW AN ID OR
DENIED SERVICES BECAUSE THEY
APPEAR TO BE TOO YOUNG, DESPITE
THE FACT THAT THEY ARE NO AGE
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONDOMS, YOUNG
PEOPLE WOULD GREATLY BENEFIT
FROM BEING ABLE TO GET FREE
CONDOMS WHEN THEY ARE AT SCHOOL
AND SUPPORT THEM IN MAKING
HEALTHIER DECISIONS. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME, AND I
RESPECTFULLY URGE FOR YOUR AYE
VOTE. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON,
CHAIR MURATSUCHI AND COMMITTEE
MEMBERS. IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO
BE HERE ON A VERY BRIGHT AND
SUNNY DAY. BUT MY NAME IS MARTIN
ORIA. I AM 17 YEARS OLD AND A
RECENT GRADUATE FROM TROY HIGH
SCHOOL IN ORANGE COUNTY. I'M
ALSO PROUD TO SERVE AS A YOUTH
HEALTH EQUITY AND SAFETY YES FOR
CONDOMS CAMPAIGN AMBASSADOR,
CHAMPIONING SENATE BILL 954, THE
YOUTH HEALTH EQUITY AND SAFETY
ACT. YES FOR CONDOMS IS A YOUTH
INFORMED AND LED CAMPAIGN
COMPOSED OF STUDENT ADVOCATES
ACROSS CALIFORNIA. WE ARE UNITED
IN OUR MISSION TO ENSURE THAT
ALL STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA,
REGARDLESS OF GENDER, GEOGRAPHIC
LOCATION OR ECONOMIC STATUS,
HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO
CONDOMS, WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL
TOOLS THAT CAN HELP YOUNG PEOPLE
PREVENT THE SPREAD OF HIV AIDS
AND OTHER STIS AND GIVE YOUTH
THE POWER TO OWN OUR OWN HEALTH
AND SHAPE OUR LIVES AND FUTURES.
AS THE SENATOR MENTIONED, MORE
THAN HALF OF STIS ARE WITHIN THE
AGE RANGES OF 15 TO 24, WITH
YOUTH OF COLOR AND LGBTQIA YOUTH
BEARING THE BRUNT OF THE CRISIS.
IF LEFT UNTREATED, STIS CAN LEAD
TO LONG TERM AND SERIOUS HEALTH
PROBLEMS, INCLUDING INFERTILITY
AND INCREASED RISK FOR HIV AIDS
CONDOMS ARE AN EVIDENCE BASED
PREVENTION METHOD TO REDUCE STI
TRANSMISSIONS. YET, AS THE
SENATOR MENTIONED, THEIR THEIR
USAGE AMONG YOUTH HAS DECLINED
OVER THE DECADE. THIS DECLINE IS
ALARMING, IS ALARMING, BUT ALSO
HIGHLIGHTS THE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS
THAT PREVENT YOUTH FROM
ACCESSING THESE RESOURCES. IN A
SURVEY CONDUCTED BY TÍNH, SOURCE
AMONG CALIFORNIA YOUTH FROM
DECEMBER 2023 TO JANUARY 2024,
68% OF TEENS INDICATED THAT THEY
DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO CONDOMS IN
SCHOOLS. HOWEVER, APPROXIMATELY
98% OF YOUTH AGREE THAT MORE
SEXUALLY ACTIVE TEENS WOULD USE
CONDOMS IF THEY WERE EASIER TO
OBTAIN, AND OVER 92 SAID 92%
SAID THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD MAKE
CONDOMS AVAILABLE. SHOULD MAKE
CONDOMS AVAILABLE AT MY FORMER
HIGH SCHOOL, AND FOR MANY OF MY
PEERS, SCHOOLS, THEY DID NOT
HAVE CONDOMS ACCESSIBLE OR ARE
MANY RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE FOR
THAT MATTER. BUT HOWEVER, ONE OF
MY PEER SCHOOLS DID THEIR SCHOOL
DID PROVIDE CONDOMS AND THEY
SHARED HOW HOW EMPOWERED AND
COMFORTABLE THEY FELT REACHING
OUT TO TRUSTED FACULTY AND
PARENTS ABOUT ANY QUESTIONS THAT
THEY HAD ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND
BODY. AS CALIFORNIA, WE SHOULD
STRIVE TO EMPOWER ALL STUDENTS
AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH HEALTH
RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY IN LOW
INCOME AREAS WHERE CONDOMS MAY
NOT BE AS AS AS ACCESSIBLE. IT'S
EASY FOR THE BLAME TO BE SHIFTED
ONTO US. BUT WHEN YOUTH
CONTINUALLY ASK FOR WHAT THEY
NEED, IT'S A IT'S A FAILURE OF
THE SYSTEM. ACCESS TO CONDOMS IS
NOT JUST A HEALTH ISSUE, IT IS A
LIFELINE FOR OUR ECONOMY AND
FUTURE. WHEN WE HAVE THE TOOLS
TO MANAGE OUR HEALTH, WE CAN
STAY IN SCHOOL, CHOOSE IF AND
WHEN TO HAVE KIDS, AND
CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO OUR
COMMUNITIES. THE ABILITY TO GET
THESE RESOURCES ENABLES US TO
LEAD HEALTHIER, MORE PRODUCTIVE
LIVES AND ACHIEVE OUR DREAMS.
COULD I ASK YOU TO WRAP UP? YES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ON
BEHALF OF ALL OF ALL OF THE
YOUTH IMPACTED, I THINK, SENATOR
MENGIBAR, FOR LEADING ON THIS
IMPORTANT ISSUE AND RESPECTFULLY
URGE YOUR AYE VOTE. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
SUPPORT OF THE BILL. PLEASE COME
FORWARD. GOOD AFTERNOON WITH
CHILDREN. NOW IN SUPPORT, KIM
LEWIS WITH THE CALIFORNIA
COALITION FOR YOUTH AND SUPPORT
ANY CHAT WITH THE CALIFORNIA
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION IN SUPPORT
BRIAN SPENCER WITH THE AMERICAN
COLLEGE OF OBGYNS DISTRICT NINE,
IN SUPPORT. MARTIN RADOSEVICH ON
BEHALF OF REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM
FOR ALL CALIFORNIA IN SUPPORT.
BELLA KERN ON BEHALF OF SAN
FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT IN SUPPORT MARISSA
ASMARA ON BEHALF OF STATE
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION TONY THURMOND IN
SUPPORT. GREG PULSIPHER, ON
BEHALF OF EQUALITY CALIFORNIA,
IN SUPPORT. SYMPHONY BARBIE ON
BEHALF OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD.
AFFILIATES OF CALIFORNIA IN
SUPPORT. NÓ. Ó. MELODY YAN, ON
BEHALF OF ESSENTIAL ACCESS
HEALTH. PROUD CO-SPONSOR, PROUD
CO-SPONSOR AND STRONG SUPPORT.
KAT STEINBERG WITH THE HEALTH
OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF
CALIFORNIA IN SUPPORT RUTH
DAWSON WITH THE ACLU OF
CALIFORNIA ACTION IN STRONG
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
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. ANY COMMENTS?
QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE.
GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE. SEEING
NONE. SENATOR MENGIBAR, THANK
YOU FOR CONTINUING TO CHAMPION
THIS CAUSE, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL
HAVE A BETTER OUTCOME THIS TIME.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLOSE?
HOPEFULLY JUST ONCE AGAIN,
RESPECTFULLY ASKING FOR AN AYE
VOTE? THANK YOU. WE NEED A
MOTION AND A SECOND MOVED BY
MISS BONTA, SECOND BY MISS
ADDIS. ROLL CALL. PLEASE FILE
ITEM SEVEN SB 954. THE MOTION IS
DUE PASSED TO HEALTH COMMITTEE.
MURATSUCHI A MURATSUCHI I LARA
LARA NOT VOTING ADDIS. ADDIS I
ALVAREZ BONTA BONTA I HOOVER FOR
NOT VOTING. MCCARTY THREE ZERO
THE BILL IS ON CALL. ALL RIGHT,
ON BEHALF OF SENATOR STERN,
SENATOR LIMÓN IS IN THE ROOM.
SINCE SHE'S FILED AN ORDER AHEAD
OF SENATOR GONZALEZ, AND THIS IS
FILE NUMBER 24, SB 1471.
SENATOR, WELCOME HERE. WE HAVE A
MOTION AND A SECOND. SO I WILL
JUST HAVE A MICROPHONE AND I DO
HERE WE HAVE A MOTION AND A
SECOND. SO I WILL GO AHEAD AND
HAVE, GARY COOPER WHO IS HERE TO
SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL
PRESENT. THANK YOU, SENATOR
LEMON. GARY COOPER. AND TODAY
I'M REPRESENTING SAVING LIVES
CAMARILLO, WHICH IS IN SENATOR
LEMONS DISTRICT. AND IT IS A
COALITION MADE UP OF EDUCATORS,
RELIGIOUS LEADERS, PUBLIC SAFETY
OFFICIALS AND THEIR MAIN, THEIR
MAIN FOCUS IS TRYING TO REDUCE
DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE IN SCHOOLS
IN IN CAMARILLO AND IN THE, IN
THE GENERAL AREA. AND THIS BILL,
1471 ACKNOWLEDGES THAT SO MANY
PEOPLE, SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE DO
NOT HAVE A MOMENT OR QUIET
MOMENT TO AT LEAST REFLECT ON
DAILY LIFE, DAILY ACTIVITY,
THEIR LIFE, POSITIVE THINGS. AND
SO BASICALLY WHAT THIS BILL DOES
IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THERE'S NOT A
MANDATE, BUT IT BASICALLY
AUTHORIZES SCHOOLS, WHICH THEY
PRETTY MUCH CAN DO NOW. BUT IT
SORT OF PUTS IT IN WRITING THAT
THEY CAN OFFER UP A QUIET MOMENT
DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY,
WHETHER IT'S IN THE MORNING OR
AFTERNOON, WHENEVER THE TEACHER
DECIDES THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE,
TO BASICALLY REFLECT ON
HOPEFULLY POSITIVE THINGS AND
HOPEFULLY POSITIVE THINGS THAT
HAVE BEEN INSTILLED TO THEM BY
THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS, WE
REALIZE THAT RIGHT NOW, WITH SO
MANY PEOPLE AND SO MANY STUDENTS
HAVING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES,
THIS IS A POSITIVE WAY TO GET
THEM TO AT LEAST FOCUS ON
SOMETHING THAT WILL BE HELPFUL
TO THEM DURING THE COURSE OF
THEIR DAY. THIS IS NOT GOING TO
BE RELIGIOUS. IT'S NOT GOING TO
BE WITH ANY RELIGIOUS OVERTONES.
WE'RE NOT ASKING ANY TEACHERS TO
OFFER UP ANY OF THEIR OWN
PERSONAL THOUGHTS. WE'RE ONLY
ASKING THE TEACHERS TO BE ABLE
TO OFFER UP THE MOMENT OF
SILENCE OR A MOMENT QUIET
MOMENT, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO LOOK
AT IT. BUT BASICALLY WE'RE
ASKING FOR THE TEACHERS TO OFFER
THIS UP AS SOMETHING WILL BE
VERY HELPFUL TO THE MENTAL
HEALTH OF THE STUDENTS. AND WITH
THAT, I ASK FOR AN AYE VOTE FROM
THE COMMITTEE. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
SUPPORT OF THE MEASURE? ANY,
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO THE
MEASURE, SEEING NONE. ANY PUBLIC
COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION TO THE
MEASURE? SEEING NONE. BRING IT
BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, MISS
BONTA, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE
THE INTENTION THÀNH OF THIS BILL
BEING SOMEBODY WHO WENT TO A
QUAKER SCHOOL SINCE THE AGE OF
NINE YEARS OLD, AND WHO HAD A
MOMENT OF SILENCE THAT WAS
OBVIOUSLY A RELIGIOUS SCHOOL, I
DID WANT TO JUST HAVE SOME,
ASSURANCES. HOWEVER, FOR OUR
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, AROUND HOW
THE ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION AND
PRACTICE OF THIS MOMENT OF
SILENCE. AND BY THE WAY, THAT IS
A TERM THAT WE USED IN OUR
QUAKER SCHOOL, WOULD BE
EXERCISED TO ENSURE THAT,
STUDENTS WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY
TO PARTICIPATE, NOT PARTICIPATE,
AND TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS
ACTUALLY, AGNOSTIC OR DIDN'T
MAKE ANY COMMENTS OR REFERENCE
TO A PARTICULAR RELIGION. AGAIN.
OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS TO HAVE THE
INSTRUCTOR OFFER UP A PARTICULAR
PERIOD OF TIME THE 60S 30S,
WHATEVER IT IS, AND BASICALLY
SAY THAT THIS IS TIME FOR YOU TO
THINK OF YOUR OWN THOUGHTS.
THERE WILL BE NOTHING RELIGIOUS,
REALLY. NOTHING, IT WILL NOT BE
CONDUCTED AS A RELIGIOUS SERVICE
OR AS A RELIGIOUS, THEME.
BASICALLY SAYING I WOULD LIKE WE
WOULD LIKE YOU TO BE ABLE TO
THINK ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS OF THE
DAY, SOMETHING THAT YOUR PARENTS
MIGHT HAVE TAUGHT YOU, SOMETHING
YOUR RELATIVES MIGHT HAVE TAUGHT
YOU. BUT JUST TAKE THAT 30S 60S
AND THINK ABOUT SOMETHING
HOPEFULLY POSITIVE, BUT
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING RELIGIOUS.
AND THAT IS THE COMMITMENT THAT
WE CERTAINLY MAKE FROM THE
SAVING LIVES. CAMARILLO AND I
KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN DONE IN
SENATOR NEWMAN'S DISTRICT
CURRENTLY, SO THANK YOU. I
APPRECIATE THE COMMITMENT THAT
YOU ARE MAKING. HOWEVER WE ARE
WE WOULD BE IMPLEMENTING THIS IN
STATE LAW FOR TO BE PRACTICED
ACROSS MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SO
I'M JUST ASKING, AS THIS BILL
PROCEEDS OF THE AUTHOR WHO ISN'T
HERE, TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS
SOME VERY EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
AROUND KIND OF SUPPORTING THE
EXPLICIT DIRECTION THAT THIS OF
THE PRACTITIONERS, ULTIMATELY
THE TEACHERS AND SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATORS AROUND HOW TO BE
ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THIS IN A WAY
THAT WOULD ASSURE THAT IT WOULD
NOT HAVE ANY SPECIFIC RELIGIOUS
UNDERTONE. THANK YOU, SIR OR
MISS BONTA, JUST, FOR YOUR
REFERENCE, THERE'S THE MOCK UP,
AMENDED LANGUAGE IN THE
COMMITTEE FILE, AND, AND
SUBSECTION B, NUMBER TWO, IT
STATES PURSUANT TO STATE AND
FEDERAL LAW, SILENT REFLECTION
MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED OR BE
CONDUCTED WITH ANY RELIGIOUS
CONTENT, REFERENCE OR OVERTONE,
SO THAT THAT STATUTORY LANGUAGE
WILL BE IN THERE TO CLARIFY THAT
THE IT IS NOT TO BE, YOU KNOW,
INTERFERE WITH, WITH ANY ISSUES
OF SEPARATION OF, OF, OF CHURCH
AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BUT,
CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR,
BRINGING THAT TOPIC FORWARD,
BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO BRING
THAT UP ALSO. THANK YOU. ANY
OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, MR.
HOOVER, JUST WANT I SHARE THE
CONCERN FROM MY COLLEAGUE FROM
OAKLAND. SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR
CLARIFYING THAT IN THE
AMENDMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, I DO
THINK THIS PRACTICE COULD BE
HELPFUL, ESPECIALLY IN A DAY AND
AGE WHERE THERE'S SO MUCH GOING
ON, ESPECIALLY IN THE MINDS OF
OUR KIDS, WITH SMARTPHONES AND
ALL THE OTHER DISTRACTIONS IN
THEIR LIFE, BUT DID WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT PROTECTION WAS IN
THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND
THE COMMITTEE SECRETARY REMINDED
ME, SENATOR LIMÓN, DO YOU ACCEPT
ALL AMENDMENTS ON BEHALF OF
SENATOR STERN? I ACCEPT
AMENDMENTS, YES. THANK YOU. ANY
FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
FROM THE COMMITTEE? SEEING NONE.
SENATOR LIMÓN, I RESPECTFULLY
ASK FOR AN AYE VOTE. THANK YOU.
MOTION MOTION'S MADE AND
SECONDED, MADAM SECRETARY,
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. FILE ITEM
24, SB 1471. THE MOTION IS TO
PASS, AS AMENDED, TO THE FLOOR.
MURATSUCHI Ã MURATSUCHI I LARA
LARA I ADDIS ADDIS I ALVAREZ
BONTA I TO I HOOVER. HOOVER I
MCCARTY I ZERO. THE BILL IS OUT.
ALL RIGHT. FINAL PRESENTATION
IS, SENATOR GONZALEZ, FILE
NUMBER NINE, SB 991.
YOU HAVE A MOTION FROM THE VICE
CHAIR OF LARA. OKAY THANK YOU,
THANK YOU. SECOND FOR MISS
BONTA. THANK YOU. AND MR. CHAIR
AND MEMBERS, BEFORE I BEGIN, I'D
LIKE TO ACCEPT AND THANK THE
COMMITTEE FOR THEIR RECOMMENDED
AMENDMENTS, WHICH WILL REQUIRE
THE LAUSD OFFICE OF INSPECTOR
GENERAL TO CONFORM TO THE
PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS FOR
OFFICES OF INSPECTOR GENERAL AND
IN REGARDS TO AUDITS, FOLLOW THE
GENERALLY ACCEPTED GOVERNMENT
AUDITING STANDARDS ISSUED BY THE
COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE
UNITED STATES OR STANDARDS FOR
THE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE OF
INTERNAL AUDITING, ISSUED BY THE
INSTITUTE OF INTERNAL AUDITORS,
THAT WAS A MOUTHFUL. SO FOR OVER
TWO DECADES, THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL HAS MAINTAINED THE
ABILITY TO SUBPOENA WITNESSES,
ADMINISTER OATHS OR
AFFIRMATIONS, TAKE TESTIMONY,
AND COMPEL THE PRODUCTION OF
INFORMATION WHEN THERE IS A
REASONABLE SUSPICION THAT A LAW,
REGULATION OR POLICY HAS BEEN
VIOLATED AND AN LAUSD MUST
MAINTAIN A MEANINGFUL AUTHORITY
TO ENSURE THE CONSTRUCTION
PROJECTS, CONTRACTS, PROCUREMENT
CONTRACTS, STUDENT SERVICES,
PROCESSES, FUNCTIONS OF THE
DISTRICT, AND OTHER IMPORTANT
PROGRAMS DO NOT FALL VICTIM TO
POOR PERFORMANCE OR ILLEGAL
ACTIVITY, AND SB 991 REMOVES THE
2025 SUNSET DATE AND ALLOWS THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL TO CONTINUE
ITS TRANSPARENT OVERSIGHT
RESPONSIBILITIES IN PERPETUITY.
TESTIFYING IN SUPPORT OF THIS
MEASURE TODAY, I HAVE SUE
STENGEL, THE CURRENT LAUSD
INSPECTOR GENERAL, AND MARTHA
ALVAREZ, CHIEF OF LEGISLATIVE
AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
FOR LAUSD. AND I RESPECTFULLY
ASK FOR AN AYE VOTE. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR MURATSUCHI AND
MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SUE STENGEL.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING
AS THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR THE
LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT. I'M HERE TODAY TO
SUPPORT SB 991, WHICH
REAUTHORIZES THE LAUSD OFFICE OF
INSPECTOR GENERAL, OR OIG, FOR
25 YEARS AGO, THE LOS ANGELES
BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE STATE
LEGISLATURE PARTNERED TO CREATE
THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL EXCLUSIVELY FOR LAUSD.
THE OIG SERVES HONORABLY AS A
STEWARD FOR PUBLIC TRUST. THE
WORK OF THE OIG INCLUDES
AUDITING DISTRICT CONTRACTS,
PROGRAMS, AND OPERATIONS, AND
INVESTIGATING SUSPECTED
MISCONDUCT, BOTH ADMINISTRATIVE
AND CRIMINAL. THE OIG ALSO
MANAGES THE DISTRICT'S 24 OVER
SEVEN WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE.
EACH YEAR, THE OIG CONDUCTS A
COMPREHENSIVE RISK ASSESSMENT OF
DISTRICT CONTRACTS AND PROGRAMS
IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT
AUDITING STANDARDS AND BEST
PRACTICES TO DETERMINE OUR AUDIT
PLAN FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL
YEAR. OUR WORK PLAN IS VETTED BY
BOTH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND
THE DISTRICT'S BOND OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE AT PUBLIC MEETINGS,
AND THE WORK PLAN IS PUBLISHED
IN ADVANCE OF THESE MEETINGS FOR
THE PUBLIC'S REVIEW. ACCORDING
TO THE STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES
FOR OFFICES OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
, WE SERVE THE PUBLIC BEST WHEN
WE FOLLOW THE BASIC PRINCIPLES
OF INTEGRITY, OBJECTIVITY,
INDEPENDENCE AND
CONFIDENTIALITY. BEING FREE FROM
PERSONAL IMPAIRMENTS AND
EXTERNAL INFLUENCES, BOTH IN
FACT AND IN APPEARANCE, ENSURES
THAT OUR OPINIONS, CONCLUSIONS
AND JUDGMENTS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE IMPARTIAL
AND ARE PERCEIVED AS IMPARTIAL.
SUPPORTING SB 991 WILL SEND A
CLEAR MESSAGE THAT THE
LEGISLATURE IS DEDICATED TO
ROOTING OUT CORRUPTION,
PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY, AND
ENSURING THAT LAUSD SERVES THE
BEST INTERESTS OF STUDENTS AND
FAMILIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION, THÀNH.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
MARTUCCI. MEMBERS AND STAFF
MARTHA ALVAREZ, THE CHIEF OF
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS FOR THE
L.A. UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT,
HERE FOR ANY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
THAT YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. PUBLIC COMMENTS IN
SUPPORT OF THE BILL, SEEING
NONE, ANY WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION TO THE BILL. EITHER
WAY. ALL RIGHT, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS CARSON EADS, ON BEHALF
OF THE CALIFORNIA CHARTER
SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION, WE
CURRENTLY HAVE AN OPPOSED,
UNLESS AMENDED POSITION ON THIS
BILL. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE
AUTHOR, THE AUTHORS, THE
AUTHORS, STAFF AND THE SPONSORS
FOR THEIR ONGOING DIALOG ABOUT
OUR CONCERNS ON THIS ISSUE. WE'D
ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE COMMITTEE
AND THEIR STAFF FOR THEIR WORK
OR HARD WORK ON THE COMMITTEE
AMENDMENTS TO THIS BILL, AND THE
AUTHOR FOR ACCEPTING THOSE
AMENDMENTS. WE THINK THOSE
AMENDMENTS GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS
ADDRESSING OUR CONCERNS, AND
OBVIOUSLY THEY WOULD REQUIRE THE
OIG FOLLOW YELLOW OR RED BOOK
STANDARDS FOR AUDITS. WE WOULD
LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE
CLARITY AROUND EXACTLY WHICH
STANDARDS SHOULD BE USED WHEN
DOING AUDITS OF INDEPENDENT
EXTERNAL CHARTER SCHOOLS, WHILE
RECOGNIZING THAT WE KNOW WE NEED
TO PRESERVE THE OIG FLEXIBILITY
ON AUDITS FOR ALL THE INTERNAL,
YOU KNOW, WORK AND EVERYTHING
ELSE, ALL THE IMPORTANT
FUNCTIONS THAT THEY DO
INTERNALLY FOR LAUSD, SO WE
THINK WE COULD MAYBE STRIKE A
BALANCE THERE THAT WOULD
PRESERVE THAT FLEXIBILITY WHILE
ENSURING WE PROTECT OUR SCHOOLS
FROM SOME ISSUES THAT WE SAW IN
THE PAST. YOU KNOW, IN THIS, IN
THIS SITUATION, SO FOR THOSE
REASONS, WE HAVEN'T OPPOSED THIS
AMENDED POSITION ON THIS BILL,
BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO
CONTINUING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS
WITH THE AUTHOR, THE SPONSORS
AND THE COMMITTEE AS THIS BILL
CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK
YOU. AND I MIGHT HAVE A FEW
QUESTIONS FOR YOU. SO IF YOU
LOOK AT THE, THE WITNESS TABLE,
APPRECIATE IT. ANY FURTHER
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO THE
BILL SEEING NONE ANY PUBLIC
COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION TO THE
BILL? SEEING NONE. BRING IT BACK
TO THE COMMITTEE. MR. ALVAREZ.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU
TO THE AUTHOR AND TO THE
TESTIMONY, I JUST WANT TO GET A
LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND
UNDERSTANDING OF THE WITHOUT I'M
ASSUMING THE STATE, REQUIRED AN
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT
OCCURRED, IN L.A. UNIFIED.
WITHOUT GETTING INTO DETAILS
ABOUT THAT, AND NOT, YOU KNOW,
JUDGING. AND CERTAINLY THAT WAS
SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED. IT
SOUNDS LIKE A LONG TIME AGO. AND
I'M SURE THE LEADERSHIP, IS, IS
NHIÀU LÀ. BUT, WHY IS THERE AN
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL,
THAT IS AUTHORIZED BY THE STATE
SPECIFICALLY AT LA UNIFIED. AND
I DON'T KNOW WHO CAN ANSWER THAT
QUESTION, SO I'LL JUST POSE IT
TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL WHO'S
HERE, AND THE AUTHOR, WHOEVER.
SORRY. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT
THERE WAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
STATE LEGISLATURE, THAT IT WAS
IN RESPONSE. YES, TO A CRISIS
THAT HAD OCCURRED AND THAT THE
LOCAL STATE LEGISLATORS AND THE
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS PARTNERED
TO CREATE THE STATE LEGISLATION.
OKAY AND THEN I WOULD ALSO ADD,
AND SUE CAN ALSO ALLUDE TO IT.
SO THE STATUTE WAS PASSED IN
1999. IT WAS FOR A TWO YEAR
PERIOD. SINCE THEN, THERE WAS A
TWO OTHER AUTHORIZATION
EXTENSIONS FOR TEN YEARS. EACH
OF THOSE TIMES, AND THAT
EXTENSION WAS CENSORED IN 2025.
SO WE'RE NOT PURSUING THIS
PERMANENT, PERMANENT,
AUTHORIZATION FOR THE OIG TO
EXIST. WE AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT,
WE ARE THE SPONSOR OF THE BILL.
WE BELIEVE FOR THE PUBLIC, WE
HAVE OVER $10 BILLION BUDGET
BETWEEN NOT COUNTING OUR SCHOOL
BONDS. SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT
WE CAN PROUDLY BE ABLE TO SHARE
WITH OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE
INTEGRITY AND UPHOLDING THE
ETHICAL STANDARDS THAT WE'RE
GOOD PUBLIC STEWARDS OF FUNDING.
THE OTHER PIECE THAT I'LL
MENTION THAT OIG DOES HAVE
SUBPOENA POWER, AND THAT'S WHERE
THE STATUTE CAME INTO PLAY,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE
TO HAVE THAT. SHOULD SUE WANT TO
ELABORATE ABOUT THE SUBPOENA
POWER AND SOME OF THE EXAMPLES
OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE
OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS IN
EXISTENCE? OKAY. THAT MAKES
SENSE. THANK YOU, IS THERE A
COST ASSOCIATED TO THE STATE FOR
THE OFFICE OF THE OIG, OR IS IT
ALL COST THAT THE DISTRICT, IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR? IT'S ALL LOCAL,
LOCALLY FUNDED, OKAY, FROM BOND
MONEY AND THEN GENERAL FUNDS
BOND MONEY AS YOU'RE
IMPLEMENTING THE BOND PROGRAM
AND THEN FOR ONGOING FOR
OPERATING ANNUAL BUDGET OF
APPROVED BY THE BOARD. CORRECT.
OUR OUR OUR WE DO WE CONDUCT
WORK RELATED TO THE BOND FUNDED
CONSTRUCTION IN L.A. UNIFIED.
YES. AND JUST LAST YEAR ALONE,
IN 2023, THE OIG WAS ABLE TO
HAVE A $6.5 MILLION IN SAVINGS,
BY BEING ABLE TO RECOUP ANY, ANY
FUNDS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN
MISAPPROPRIATED BY EMPLOYEES, OR
OTHER PERSONNEL. SO IT IS A
DETERRENT MECHANISM TO BE ABLE
TO, AGAIN, UPHOLD THE TRUST OF
THE PUBLIC, GIVEN THE SIZE OF LA
UNIFIED BEING THE LARGEST
ATTORNEY IN CALIFORNIA. AND
AGAIN, SUE CAN EXPLAIN ANYTHING
SINCE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO
CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS, HOW THIS
HAS BEEN A USEFUL TOOL TO DETER
ANY WRONGDOING AND, AGAIN,
UPHOLD THE INTEGRITY OF OUR
SCHOOL DISTRICT. YEAH, I
APPRECIATE IT, I THINK THERE'S
DEFINITELY SOME LEARN LESSONS
THAT COULD BE APPLIED TO
GOVERNMENT IN OTHER WAYS FROM
YOUR WORK. SO I WOULD BE
INTERESTED IN THAT AT ANOTHER
TIME WITH MORE DETAIL, I DON'T
UNDERSTAND THE OPPOSITION, SO
MAYBE I'LL TURN TO THE
OPPOSITION ON THE CONCERNS. ONE,
I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE COMING
BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AND
EXPRESSING YOUR CONCERNS NOW.
OFTENTIMES WE DON'T HEAR FROM
OPPOSITION UNTIL YOU KNOW, VERY
LATE IN THE PROCESS. AND IT
MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO ADDRESS
SOME OF THESE ISSUES. SO I WANT
TO THANK YOU FOR COMING, BUT BUT
I ALSO AM NOT CLEAR AS TO WHAT
THE CONCERN IS SPECIFICALLY, I
KNOW THE AUTHOR HAS ALREADY BEEN
WORKING ON THIS BILL, AS IS
EVIDENT BY WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE
US TODAY. AND SO, I WANT TO MAKE
SURE MAYBE SHE'S ALREADY CLEAR
ON WHAT YOUR POSITION IS, BUT
BUT I'M NOT FROM YOUR TESTIMONY,
SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND. GOT
IT. I'M SORRY. YEAH I DON'T WANT
TO RELITIGATE THE ENTIRE
SITUATION AND EVERYTHING. THIS
IS THIS GOES BACK ACTUALLY A
WAYS TO 2015. THERE WAS A THERE
WAS A SITUATION INVOLVING AN
AUDIT THAT WAS DONE THAT THAT
WASN'T COMPLETED. THERE WERE
BASICALLY LIKE THERE WEREN'T
PROCESSES PROPERLY FOLLOWED. AND
ESSENTIALLY WHAT HAPPENED IS THE
BOARD DIDN'T GET THE FULL ACCESS
TO THE REPORT THAT WAS DONE,
ETC. AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE
COMPLETE INFORMATION TO ACT, AND
THEY DECIDED TO CLOSE SEVERAL
CHARTER SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF THE
WAY EVERYTHING WAS HANDLED.
THERE WAS A LAWSUIT. IT WAS A
REALLY MESSY PROCESS. LET ME
PAUSE YOU JUST TO UNDERSTAND AND
FOLLOW YOU BECAUSE. SO THERE WAS
AN AUDIT THAT WAS PERFORMED BY
THE OFFICE OF THE ENERGY, OKAY.
AND THERE WAS INFORMATION.
YOU'RE YOU'RE STATING THAT THERE
WAS INFORMATION THAT WAS KEPT
FROM THE BOARD, THAT THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL HAD
INFORMATION THAT WAS KEPT FROM
THE BOARD. YEAH. SO THERE WAS A
REPORT THAT WAS MADE AND WHAT
WAS GIVEN TO THE BOARD WAS A
MEMO OF THE REPORT, NOT ACTUALLY
THE REPORT OF THE AUDIT. AND
THERE WERE COMMENT PROCEDURES
THAT WERE NOT FOLLOWED. THE
AUDIT PROCEDURES AT THE TIME
WERE BASICALLY SKIPPED. IT WAS
IT WAS A MESSY SITUATION. THERE
WAS A LAWSUIT, THREE CHARTER
SCHOOLS WERE ALMOST CLOSED. THE
LAWSUIT RESULTED IN THE CHARTER
SCHOOLS CONTINUED TO STAY OPEN.
THERE WAS ALSO A BSA AUDIT OF
THE WHOLE SITUATION INVOLVING
THE CHARTER SCHOOLS AND OF THE
OIG, AND THEY HAD FOUND IN THAT
SITUATION, THE BSA HAD FOUND THE
BSA AUDITS, HAD FOUND THAT THE
OIG HAD SKIPPED SOME STEPS AND
HAD DONE SOME THINGS WRONG. AND
IN A FOLLOW UP TO THAT, YOU
KNOW, THE OIG THEN SAID, WE'RE
GOING TO FOLLOW GENERALLY
ACCEPTED GOVERNMENT AUDITING
STANDARDS AND ALL OF THAT WHICH
IS GREAT. WE THINK THE OIG HAS
BEEN BETTER SINCE, FRANKLY. BUT,
YOU KNOW, PART OF THE REASON
THAT WE'RE HERE IS WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THE LAW IS JUST A
LITTLE BIT STRONGER. SO WE DON'T
HAVE IN THAT KIND OF A MESSY
SITUATION. AGAIN, IN THE FUTURE.
SO GIVEN THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR
COMPLETELY REMOVING THE
EXTENSION, YOU KNOW, THE SUNSET,
MAKING SURE IT'S PERMANENT, TO
THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL,
I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG YOU'VE
BEEN AT THE OFFICE, BUT DO YOU
HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OR COMMENT
ABOUT THAT RESPONSE? SO I'VE
BEEN WITH THE OFFICE FOR A YEAR
AND A HALF NOW, AND THIS WAS TEN
YEARS AGO, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT
SINCE NOT SINCE THEN, BUT SINCE
WE'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE
1999, WE TODAY WE UP TO TODAY,
WE'VE LOCATED 30, CHARTER SCHOOL
AUDITS THAT WE'VE DONE. ALL OF
THEM WERE DONE IN COMPLIANCE
WITH THE YELLOW BOOK, STANDARDS
AND ALMOST ALL OF OUR WORK IS
DONE IN COMPLIANCE WITH YELLOW
BOOK STANDARDS. OUR OPERATIONS
MANUAL LAYS OUT THAT WE WILL USE
YELLOW BOOK, YELLOW BOOK
STANDARDS, SO THAT IS OUR
CURRENT, OPERATING SITUATION. IS
THERE A DISCREPANCY IN YOUR
UNDERSTANDING OF THAT OPERATION?
ARE YOU ASKING? YEAH, I'M ASKING
YOU. OH, YEAH. SORRY. YEAH. SO
WE, WE JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE
IT. WOULD OUR MEMBERS HAVE HAD
SOME HEARTBURN OVER THE
SITUATION, AND SO WE'D LIKE TO
SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE STRENGTH
IN THE LAW TO CLARIFY THAT
CHARTER SCHOOLS SHOULD GENERALLY
BE AUDITED, THAT THAT ARE
EXTERNAL UNDER YELLOW BOOK
STANDARDS. WE WORRY IN A
SITUATION WHERE RED BOOK
STANDARDS MIGHT BE USED NOT TO
GET OVERLY NERDY HERE, BUT THE
RED BOOK STANDARDS JUST ARE NOT
AS STRONG ON COMMENT PROCEDURES.
YOU KNOW, YELLOW BOOK STANDARDS
ARE GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, MEANT
TO BE USED OF AUDITING OTHER
GOVERNMENT ENTITIES. AND THEY
HAVE VERY STRICT REQUIREMENTS
AND GUIDELINES FOR HOW COMMENT,
YOU KNOW, THE AUDITED ENTITY IS
SUPPOSED TO COMMENT, ETC. YOU'VE
SEEN THIS IN A BSA AUDIT, RIGHT?
WHERE YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, THE
OFFICIAL COMMENT AND THE RECORD
OF THE AUDIT AND THEN THE
AUDITOR'S RESPONSE TO THAT RED
BOOK DOESN'T HAVE THAT. SO WE
WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL
LU█T WHERE MAYBE A CHARTER
SCHOOL MAY BE AUDITED UNDER THE
RED BOOK IN THE FUTURE. SO IF WE
IF WE COULD SEE JUST A LITTLE
MORE CLARITY THAT EXTERNAL
CHARTERS SHOULD BE AUDITED IN
THE YELLOW BOOK, THAT'D BE
GREAT. I THINK MAYBE IT MIGHT
MAKE SENSE THAT DEPENDENT
CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT ARE RUN BY
LÀ USED INTERNALLY AND FALL
UNDER THE TRADITIONAL LAUSD
COMMAND STRUCTURE, THAT MIGHT
MAKE SENSE FOR RED BOOK, BUT IN
THE CASE OF, YOU KNOW,
NONPROFIT, INDEPENDENT CHARTERS,
WE THINK YELLOW BOOK IS
APPROPRIATE AND SHOULD BE
SPECIFIED. WELL, MY ONLY
FEEDBACK TO THE AUTHOR I'M VERY
CONFIDENT THAT I THINK THERE
WILL BE CONVERSATIONS ON THIS,
IS THAT I DO THINK THAT THERE
SHOULD BE SOME CONSISTENCY AND
NOT, DIFFERENT TREATMENT. AND SO
WHAT THAT IS, I DON'T HAVE A
PRESCRIBED RESPONSE AT THE
MOMENT, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S
THAT'S I HEAR THAT CONCERN AND
THAT'S MY RESPONSE TO THAT
CONCERN AND CERTAINLY INTERESTED
IN IF THERE'S A WAY TO MAKE THIS
FIX, IF YOU WILL, THEN GREAT.
AND IF, IF YOU THINK THIS IS THE
APPROPRIATE THE WAY IT IS
CERTAINLY WOULD, WOULD BE OPEN
TO HEARING, YOU KNOW, YOUR YOUR
ARGUMENT ON THAT. BUT GIVEN
WHERE THIS IS GOING AND WHERE WE
STAND AT TODAY, I'D BE
SUPPORTIVE OF THIS MOVING
FORWARD TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU, MR. HOOVER. I JUST WANT TO
ECHO THOSE COMMENTS. I WON'T
REPEAT, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE
AMENDMENTS YOU'VE TAKEN. I
DEFINITELY CAME IN WITH SOME
CONCERNS AND I DEFINITELY WILL
BE SUPPORTING THE BILL TODAY.
BUT, YEAH, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU
WORKING ON THOSE AMENDMENTS.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SO I HAD
AN OPPORTUNITY TO, NERD OUT A
LITTLE BIT ON THE AUDITING
STANDARDS. A LOT. I'D LIKE TO
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL BEING HERE, HOW WOULD
YOU FEEL ABOUT A POSSIBLE
FURTHER AMENDMENT TO LIMIT, THE
INDEPENDENTLY OPERATED CHARTERS
TO THE YELLOW BOOK STANDARD? SO
WE WOULD BE OPPOSED TO THAT. WE
OPERATE UNDER THE PRINCIPLES AND
STANDARDS FOR OFFICES OF
INSPECTORS GENERAL, AND THEY
ALLOW FOR AUDITS TO BE CONDUCTED
UNDER EITHER THE YELLOW BOOK OR
THE RED BOOK. ALSO SO, WHAT IS
BEING PROPOSED IS IN CONFLICT
WITH WHAT THE PRINCIPLES AND
STANDARDS FOR INSPECTORS GENERAL
SAY ABOUT INDEPENDENCE. AND I'D
LIKE TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU. THE
PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS
IDENTIFY SIX CONDITIONS UNDER
WHICH THE OIG WOULD NOT HAVE
COMPLETE FREEDOM TO MAKE AN
INDEPENDENT AND OBJECTIVE
JUDGMENT. AMONG THESE CONDITIONS
ARE INTERFERENCE OR UNDUE
INFLUENCE IN THE OIG S APPROACH
TO BE USED IN OUR WORK. SO IT
IT, IT INFRINGES ON OUR
INDEPENDENCE. OKAY SO WHILE
HISTORICALLY IF GENERALLY ABIDED
BY THE YELLOW BOOK, YOU WANT
THAT OPTION, YOU DIDN'T WANT
YOUR, YOUR HANDS TIED. THAT IS
CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND
I'LL JUST ADD MR. MURATSUCHI
THAT THE ISSUE THAT HAS BROUGHT
FORWARD FROM 2014, OVER A DECADE
AGO, THAT WAS AN ISOLATED
INCIDENT, THERE'S BEEN IN THE
AUDITS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED SINCE
THEN. THEY HAVE BEEN MOSTLY
AROUND CHARTER SCHOOL DIVISION
OPERATIONS. THERE'S BEEN FIVE
AUDITS SINCE 2016. THE BULK OF
THE AUDITS AROUND CHARTER
SCHOOLS HAS BEEN PRIOR TO 2014,
SO WE BELIEVE THAT THE CONCERN
THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD IS
NOT A VALID CONCERN RIGHT NOW.
SHOULD THERE BE ANY CONCERNS
DOWN THE ROAD? AND IF SB NINE
ONE BECOMES ENACTED, ENTITIES,
INCLUDING CSA, COULD ALWAYS
PURSUE LEGISLATION TO AMEND THE
BILL AND UPDATE THE LAW IF
NECESSARY. BUT AT THIS POINT, WE
DON'T THINK IT'S A VALID CONCERN
THAT STANDS ON ITS OWN. OKAY.
THANK YOU. AND I APPRECIATE, YOU
KNOW, MY MEETING WITH THE
CHARTER SCHOOLS WHERE YOU,
REITERATED YOUR POSITION THAT
THAT THAT THE CHARTER SCHOOL
ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS FULL
TRANSPARENCY IN TERMS OF, OF
CHARTER SCHOOL OPERATIONS AND
THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO HOLD
BACK ANY, ANY POTENTIAL BAD
ACTORS ACCOUNTABLE, AND SO TO
THAT END, I, I DO RECOGNIZE THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE OFFICE OF
INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR OUR
STATE'S LARGEST, ESPECIALLY FOR
OUR STATE'S LARGEST SCHOOL
DISTRICT, AND SO I'M, HAPPY TO
SUPPORT THE BILL, AS AMENDED,
SENATOR GONZALEZ, SEEING NO
FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE
COMMITTEE. VÆ, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
CLOSE, WELL, I WANT TO THANK YOU
AND THE COMMITTEE AS WELL FOR
THEIR WORK WITH US, BUT WE HAVE
CERTAINLY TAKEN QUITE A FEW
AMENDMENTS THAT I THINK STRIKE A
REALLY GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN
ENSURING THAT THERE IS
INDEPENDENCE AND IMPARTIALITY ON
BEHALF OF THE OIG, BUT ALSO IN A
PLACE WHERE, I THINK TO ASSEMBLY
MEMBER ALVAREZ'S POINT TO ENSURE
THAT THERE IS EQUITABLE,
APPLICABLE APPLICABILITY AS
WELL, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TALKING
WITH THE OPPOSITION, AND I LOOK
FORWARD TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND
THANK YOU AND ASK FOR AN AYE
VOTE. THANK YOU. MOTION'S BEEN
MADE AND SECONDED. YES ROLL CALL
PLEASE. FILE ITEM NINE SB 991.
THE MOTION IS TO PASS AS AMENDED
TO APPROPRIATE MURATSUCHI Ã
MURATSUCHI I LARA A LARA I ADDIS
ADDIS I ALVAREZ ALVAREZ I BONTA
I ONTO I HOOVER HOOVER I MCCARTY
MCCARTY I BELL IS OUT. THANK
YOU, CONSENT CALENDAR ENTERTAIN
A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT MOTIONS
MADE BY MR. ALVAREZ, SECONDED BY
VICE CHAIR FLORA, OKAY. THE
CONSENT MOTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS
SB 98 DO PASS, AS AMENDED, TO
APPROPRIATIONS AS SB 920 DO PASS
TO MILITARY AND VETERANS
AFFAIRS. SB 939 DO PASS, AS
AMENDED, TO HIGHER EDUCATION. SB
1094 DO PASS, AS AMENDED TO
APPROPRIATIONS. SB 1138 DO PASS
TO MILITARY AND VETERANS
AFFAIRS, SB 1315 DO PASS, AS
AMENDED, TO APPROPRIATIONS. SB
1329 DO PASS TO APPROPRIATIONS
AS SB 1341 DO PASS TO
APPROPRIATIONS, SB 1410 DO PASS
TO APPROPRIATIONS, SB 1412 DO
PASS TO APPROPRIATIONS, SB 1429
DO PASS TO APPROPRIATIONS OR
EXCUSE ME, DO PASS, AS AMENDED,
TO APPROPRIATIONS. MURATSUCHI Ã
MURATSUCHI F LARA LARA I ADDIS.
ADDIS I ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ I BONTA
. ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR ONTO I
HOOVER. HOOVER I MCCARTY.
MCCARTY. I ALL RIGHT, LET'S,
TAKE UP THE CALENDAR FOR OTHER
BILLS THAT ARE ON CALL. SO WE'LL
TAKE UP THE BILLS ON CALL FIRST,
MADAM SECRETARY, FILE ITEM
SEVEN, SB 954. THE MOTION IS Dð.
PASS TO HEALTH COMMITTEE. THE
CHAIR VOTING AYE. VICE CHAIR NOT
VOTING. ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ. I
MCCARTY. MCCARTY. I. FIVE ZERO.
THE BILL IS OUT. FILE ITEM 23,
SB 1445. THE MOTION IS DUE. PASS
TO THE FLOOR WITH THE CHAIR
VOTING AYE AND THE VICE CHAIR
NOT VOTING ADDIS. ADDIS I
ALVAREZ. ALVAREZ. I MCCARTY.
MCCARTY I. 5 TO 1. THE BILL IS
OUT.
FILE ITEM 16 SB 1318. THE MOTION
IS Dð. PASS, AS AMENDED, TO
APPROPRIATIONS WITH THE CHAIR
AND VICE CHAIR VOTING I ADDIS.
ADDIS I BONTA, BONTA I MCCARTY
MCCARTY I. 6 TO 1 THE BILL IS
OUT. I'LL CALL THE BILLS TO ADD
ON FOR GIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD ON. FILE
ITEM TWO SB 333. THE MOTION IS
DUE PASSED TO APPROPRIATIONS.
ADDIS. ADDIS I MCCARTY. CARDI I.
6060 THE BILL IS OUT. FILE ITEM
FOR SB 483. THE MOTION IS TO
PASS TO THE FLOOR. ADDIS ADDIS I
MCCARTY. MCCARTY. I SEVEN ZERO.
THE BILL IS OUT ON FILE ITEM
EIGHT SB 956. THE MOTIONS DO
PASS TO APPROPRIATIONS. FLORA
LARA I ALVAREZ. FILE ITEM EIGHT
SB 956. ALVAREZ. I MCCARTY.
MCCARTY I070. THE BILL IS OUT.
FILE ITEM TEN SB 997. THE MOTION
IS TO PASS, AS AMENDED, TO
APPROPRIATIONS. ADDIS ADDIS I
MCCARTY. MCCARTY I70. THE BILL
IS OUT. FILE IT IN 14 SB 1194.
THE MOTION IS TO PASS, AS
AMENDED, TO APPROPRIATIONS.
ADDIS. ADDIS I BONTA NOT VOTING
ON TO NOT VOTING MCCARTY.
MCCARTY. I 6060. THE BILL IS OUT
. FILE ITEM 20 SB 1411. THE
MOTION IS TO PASS AS AMENDED, TO
HIGHER EDUCATION. ADDIS ADDIS I
BONTA I BONTA I MCCARTY MCCARTY
I 070. THE BILL IS OUT. FILE
ITEM 24 SB 1471. THE MOTION IS
TO PASS, AS AMENDED, TO THE
FLOOR. ALVAREZ ALVAREZ I
MCCARTY. MCCARTY I70. THE BILL
IS OUT. ALL RIGHT. I THINK
THAT'S A WRAP. THIS HEARING IS
ADJOURNED.