Bill Text: CA AR98 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Resolution 98

Introduced

Bill Title: Relative to Bilingual and Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 55-14)

Status: (Passed) 2024-05-02 - Read. Adopted. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 5086.). [AR98 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AR98-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

House Resolution

No. 98

Introduced by Assembly Member Alvarez

April 23, 2024

Relative to Bilingual and Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

HR 98, as introduced, Alvarez.

WHEREAS, In California, the number of bilingual and multilingual learners continues to grow, as approximately 40 percent of pupils in California schools are now, or once were, English learners, with about half of those currently learning English while the other half have mastered the language; and

WHEREAS, In California, nearly 60 percent of children under the age of five have a least one parent who speaks a language other than English, and multiple studies have also shown that English learners do best when they are in some form of a bilingual setting; and

WHEREAS, The observance of Bilingual and Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month was a national initiative to highlight that knowing more than one language can provide tangible academic, cognitive, economic, and sociocultural advantages; and

WHEREAS, The month of April is now commemorated throughout the nation by acknowledging the immense potential to transform education systems to prepare bilingual and multilingual learners for their futures; and

WHEREAS, Programs that have included support for pupils to develop their first language skills have tended to have larger improvements in student learning; and

WHEREAS, California continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring that multilingual and bilingual learners get to succeed; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly takes pleasure in honoring the rich contributions of bilingual and multilingual learners, and proclaims the month of April 2024 as Bilingual and Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month; and be it further

Resolved, That transmit copies of this resolution to the Legislature, the California State Librarian, and the author for appropriate distribution.