Bill Text: CA AB1572 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: School transportation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From committee without further action. [AB1572 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB1572-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 1572	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Campos

                        JANUARY 4, 2016

   An act to add Section 39800.1 to the Education Code, relating to
school transportation.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1572, as introduced, Campos. School transportation.
   Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district
to provide for the transportation of pupils to and from school
whenever in the judgment of the board the transportation is advisable
and good reasons exist to do so.
   This bill would entitle a pupil who attends a school that is
eligible for Title 1 federal funding to free transportation to and
from school provided by the local educational agency, if certain
conditions are met. The bill would require the local educational
agency to designate a liaison to implement a plan developed, in
consultation with specified stakeholders, to ensure that all entitled
pupils receive free transportation in a timely manner.
   By requiring new duties on a local educational agency, the bill
would impose a state-mandated local program.
   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (1) According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, without
a high school diploma, Americans are almost twice as likely to live
in poverty.
   (2) Several independent academic studies indicate a marked
increase in school participation and graduation rates among children
who were guaranteed transportation to and from school.
   (3) According to a recent report by California Attorney General
Kamala Harris, poverty and financial instability is the number one
cause of truancy in the state.
   (b) Based on the findings and declarations in subdivision (a), it
is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would
support school participation and high school attainment among
low-income youth.
  SEC. 2.  Section 39800.1 is added to the Education Code, to read:
   39800.1.  (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a pupil attending a
school that is eligible for Title 1 federal funding shall be entitled
to free transportation, from the local educational agency, to and
from school, if either of the following conditions are met:
   (1) The pupil resides more than one-half mile from the school.
   (2) The neighborhood through which the pupil must travel to get to
school is unsafe due to stray dogs, no sidewalks, known gang
activity, or other reasons documented by stakeholders pursuant to
subdivision (c).
   (b) (1) A local educational agency shall designate a liaison that
shall be responsible for implementing a plan to ensure that all
pupils entitled to free transportation pursuant to subdivision (a)
receive the transportation.
   (2) The liaison shall be trained to identify and accommodate the
special rights of homeless youth, as defined pursuant to the federal
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et
seq.).
   (c) The plan required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) shall be
developed with the consultation of teachers, school administrators,
regional local transit authorities, the Air Resources Board, the
Department of Transportation, parents, pupils, and other
stakeholders.
   (d) If free, dependable, and timely transportation is not
available for pupils entitled to transportation services pursuant to
this section, the local educational agency shall ensure that the
pupils entitled to the transportation are provided free
transportation using its existing funds, unless the local educational
agency determines that lack of transportation does not reduce pupil
school attendance.
  SEC. 3.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.