BILL NUMBER: AB 2519 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 22, 2016
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 19, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Calderon
FEBRUARY 19, 2016
An act to amend Sections 32280, 32281, and 32282 of the Education
Code, relating to school safety.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2519, as amended, Calderon. School safety plans.
(1) Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature for all
public schools teaching kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12,
inclusive, operated by a school district, to develop, in cooperation
with specified community partners, a comprehensive school safety
plan, as defined.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to include
coaches among the community partners. The bill would also express the
intent of the Legislature to expand the scope of the safety plan.
(2) Existing law provides that each school district and county
office of education is responsible for the overall development of all
comprehensive school safety plans for its schools operating
kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
This bill would expand the school safety plans to address
sanctioned activities before and after school. To the extent this
expansion would impose additional duties on school districts and
county offices of education, the bill would impose a state-mandated
local program.
(2)
(3) Existing law requires the schoolsite council of
each school of a school district and of a county office of education
to write and develop a comprehensive school safety plan relevant to
the needs and resources of that particular school, except as
specified for small school districts. Existing law authorizes the
schoolsite council to delegate this responsibility to a school safety
planning committee made up of specified members. Existing law
requires the comprehensive school safety plan to include, among other
things, the identification of appropriate strategies and programs
that will provide or maintain a high level of school safety and
address the school's procedures for complying with existing laws
related to school safety, including the development of specified
procedures and policies.
This bill would include a coach of the school, if the school has a
coach, to the list of specified members to serve on a school safety
planning committee. The bill would additionally require a
comprehensive school safety plan to include any other strategies
aimed at the prevention of, response to, and education about,
potential incidents involving crime, violence, or medical emergency
on the school campus, including sanctioned activities before
and after school. campus. By imposing
additional duties on school districts and county offices of education
regarding the development of school safety plans, the bill would
impose a state-mandated local program.
(3)
(4) 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. Section 32280 of the Education Code is amended to read:
32280. It is the intent of the Legislature that all California
public schools teaching kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12,
inclusive, operated by a school district, in cooperation with local
law enforcement agencies, community leaders, parents, pupils,
teachers, administrators, coaches, and other persons who may be
interested in the prevention of campus crime and violence and the
health and safety of the campus community, to develop a comprehensive
school safety plan that addresses the safety concerns identified
through a systematic planning process. For the purposes of this
section, law enforcement agencies include local police departments,
county sheriffs' offices, school district police or security
departments, probation departments, and district attorneys' offices.
For purposes of this section, a "safety plan" means a plan to develop
strategies aimed at the prevention of, response to, and education
about, potential incidents involving crime, violence, or medical
emergency on the school campus, including sanctioned activities
before and after school.
SEC. 2. Section 32281 of the Education Code is amended to read:
32281. (a) Each school district and county office of education is
responsible for the overall development of all comprehensive school
safety plans for its schools operating kindergarten or any of grades
1 to 12, inclusive. inclusive, including
sanctioned activities before and after school.
(b) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (d) with regard to a
small school district, the schoolsite council established pursuant to
former Section 52012, as it existed before July 1, 2005, or Section
52852 shall write and develop a comprehensive school safety plan
relevant to the needs and resources of that particular school.
(2) The schoolsite council may delegate this responsibility to a
school safety planning committee made up of the following members:
(A) The principal or the principal's designee.
(B) One teacher who is a representative of the recognized
certificated employee organization.
(C) One parent whose child attends the school.
(D) One classified employee who is a representative of the
recognized classified employee organization.
(E) One coach of the school, if the school has a coach.
(F) Other members, if desired.
(3) The schoolsite council shall consult with a representative
from a law enforcement agency in the writing and development of the
comprehensive school safety plan.
(4) In the absence of a schoolsite council, the members specified
in paragraph (2) shall serve as the school safety planning committee.
(c) Nothing in this article shall limit or take away the authority
of school boards as guaranteed under this code.
(d) (1) Subdivision (b) shall not apply to a small school
district, as defined in paragraph (2), if the small school district
develops a districtwide comprehensive school safety plan that is
applicable to each schoolsite.
(2) As used in this article, "small school district" means a
school district that has fewer than 2,501 units of average daily
attendance at the beginning of each fiscal year.
(e) (1) When a principal or his or her designee verifies through
local law enforcement officials that a report has been filed of the
occurrence of a violent crime on the schoolsite of an elementary or
secondary school at which he or she is the principal, the principal
or the principal's designee may send to each pupil's parent or legal
guardian and each school employee a written notice of the occurrence
and general nature of the crime. If the principal or his or her
designee chooses to send the written notice, the Legislature
encourages the notice be sent no later than the end of business on
the second regular work day after the verification. If, at the time
of verification, local law enforcement officials determine that
notification of the violent crime would hinder an ongoing
investigation, the notification authorized by this subdivision shall
be made within a reasonable period of time, to be determined by the
local law enforcement agency and the school district. For purposes of
this section, an act that is considered a "violent crime" shall meet
the definition of Section 67381 and be an act for which a pupil
could or would be expelled pursuant to Section 48915.
(2) Nothing in this subdivision shall create any liability in a
school district or its employees for complying with paragraph (1).
(f) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), a school district or
county office of education may, in consultation with law enforcement
officials, elect to not have its schoolsite council develop and write
those portions of its comprehensive school safety plan that include
tactical responses to criminal incidents that may result in death or
serious bodily injury at the schoolsite. The portions of a school
safety plan that include tactical responses to criminal incidents may
be developed by administrators of the school district or county
office of education in consultation with law enforcement officials
and with a representative of an exclusive bargaining unit of
employees of that school district or county office of education, if
he or she chooses to participate. The school district or county
office of education may elect not to disclose those portions of the
comprehensive school safety plan that include tactical responses to
criminal incidents.
(2) As used in this article, "tactical responses to criminal
incidents" means steps taken to safeguard pupils and staff, to secure
the affected school premises, and to apprehend the criminal
perpetrator or perpetrators.
(3) Nothing in this subdivision precludes the governing board of a
school district or county office of education from conferring in a
closed session with law enforcement officials pursuant to Section
54957 of the Government Code to approve a tactical response plan
developed in consultation with those officials pursuant to this
subdivision. Any vote to approve the tactical response plan shall be
announced in open session following the closed session.
(4) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to reduce or
eliminate the requirements of Section 32282.
SEC. 3. Section 32282 of the Education Code is amended to read:
32282. (a) The comprehensive school safety plan shall include,
but not be limited to, both of the following:
(1) Assessing the current status of school crime committed on
school campuses and at school-related functions.
(2) Identifying appropriate strategies and programs that will
provide or maintain a high level of school safety and address the
school's procedures for complying with existing laws related to
school safety, which shall include the development of all of the
following:
(A) Child abuse reporting procedures consistent with Article 2.5
(commencing with Section 11164) of Chapter 2 of Title 1 of Part 4 of
the Penal Code.
(B) Disaster procedures, routine and emergency, including
adaptations for pupils with disabilities in accordance with the
federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101
et seq.). The disaster procedures shall also include, but not be
limited to, both of the following:
(i) Establishing an earthquake emergency procedure system in every
public school building having an occupant capacity of 50 or more
pupils or more than one classroom. A school district or county office
of education may work with the Office of Emergency Services and the
Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission to develop and establish
the earthquake emergency procedure system. The system shall include,
but not be limited to, all of the following:
(I) A school building disaster plan, ready for implementation at
any time, for maintaining the safety and care of pupils and staff.
(II) A drop procedure whereby each pupil and staff member takes
cover under a table or desk, dropping to his or her knees, with the
head protected by the arms, and the back to the windows. A drop
procedure practice shall be held at least once each school quarter in
elementary schools and at least once a semester in secondary
schools.
(III) Protective measures to be taken before, during, and
following an earthquake.
(IV) A program to ensure that pupils and both the certificated and
classified staff are aware of, and properly trained in, the
earthquake emergency procedure system.
(ii) Establishing a procedure to allow a public agency, including
the American Red Cross, to use school buildings, grounds, and
equipment for mass care and welfare shelters during disasters or
other emergencies affecting the public health and welfare. The school
district or county office of education shall cooperate with the
public agency in furnishing and maintaining the services as the
school district or county office of education may deem necessary to
meet the needs of the community.
(C) Policies pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 48915 for
pupils who committed an act listed in subdivision (c) of Section
48915 and other school-designated serious acts that would lead to
suspension, expulsion, or mandatory expulsion recommendations
pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 48900) of Chapter 6 of
Part 27 of Division 4 of Title 2.
(D) Procedures to notify teachers of dangerous pupils pursuant to
Section 49079.
(E) A discrimination and harassment policy consistent with the
prohibition against discrimination contained in Chapter 2 (commencing
with Section 200) of Part 1.
(F) The provisions of any schoolwide dress code, pursuant to
Section 35183, that prohibits pupils from wearing "gang-related
apparel," if the school has adopted that type of a dress code. For
those purposes, the comprehensive school safety plan shall define
"gang-related apparel." The definition shall be limited to apparel
that, if worn or displayed on a school campus, reasonably could be
determined to threaten the health and safety of the school
environment. A schoolwide dress code established pursuant to this
section and Section 35183 shall be enforced on the school campus and
at any school-sponsored activity by the principal of the school or
the person designated by the principal. For purposes of this
paragraph, "gang-related apparel" shall not be considered a protected
form of speech pursuant to Section 48950.
(G) Procedures for safe ingress and egress of pupils, parents, and
school employees to and from school.
(H) A safe and orderly environment conducive to learning at the
school.
(I) The rules and procedures on school discipline adopted pursuant
to Sections 35291 and 35291.5.
(J) Any other strategies aimed at the prevention of, response to,
and education about, potential incidents involving crime, violence,
or medical emergency on the school campus, including
sanctioned activities before and after school. campus.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that schools develop
comprehensive school safety plans using existing resources, including
the materials and services of the partnership, pursuant to this
chapter. It is also the intent of the Legislature that schools use
the handbook developed and distributed by the School/Law Enforcement
Partnership Program entitled "Safe Schools: A Planning Guide for
Action" in conjunction with developing their plan for school safety.
(c) Each schoolsite council or school safety planning committee,
in developing and updating a comprehensive school safety plan, shall,
where practical, consult, cooperate, and coordinate with other
schoolsite councils or school safety planning committees.
(d) The comprehensive school safety plan may be evaluated and
amended, as needed, by the school safety planning committee, but
shall be evaluated at least once a year, to ensure that the
comprehensive school safety plan is properly implemented. An updated
file of all safety-related plans and materials shall be readily
available for inspection by the public.
(e) As comprehensive school safety plans are reviewed and updated,
the Legislature encourages all plans, to the extent that resources
are available, to include policies and procedures aimed at the
prevention of bullying.
(f) The comprehensive school safety plan, as written and updated
by the schoolsite council or school safety planning committee, shall
be submitted for approval pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section
32288.
SEC. 4. 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.