Bill Text: CA AB1112 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Before and after school programs: cost study and advisory group.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-08-26 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB1112 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB1112-Amended.html

Amended  IN  Senate  July 15, 2021
Amended  IN  Senate  July 07, 2021
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 13, 2021
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 05, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1112


Introduced by Assembly Member Carrillo
(Coauthor: Assembly Member McCarty)

February 18, 2021


An act to add Section 8203.6 to the Education Code, relating to before and after school programs, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1112, as amended, Carrillo. Before and after school programs: cost study and advisory group.
The After School Education and Safety Program Act of 2002, an initiative statute approved by the voters as Proposition 49 at the November 5, 2002, statewide general election, establishes the After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program under which participating public schools receive grants to operate before and after school programs serving pupils in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 9, inclusive.
Existing federal law establishes the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program to provide pupils with academic enrichment and other activities during nonschool hours or periods when school is not in session, as provided.
This bill would require the State Department of Education to, on or before October 1, 2022, conduct a statewide cost study to determine adequate funding levels in order for expanded learning programs to meet current health and safety needs and state quality standards, establish a statewide expanded learning stakeholder advisory group, coordinate and support the statewide expanded learning stakeholder advisory group in developing recommendations on certain topics relating to funding and coordinating expanded learning programs, and publicly share on the department’s internet website the results of the cost study and the statewide expanded learning stakeholder advisory group’s recommendations. The bill would appropriate an unspecified amount $600,000 from the General Fund to the department to perform those duties, and would authorize the department to use those moneys to contract with qualified local educational agencies or other entities to perform those duties.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: YES   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) California has the largest and highest-rated expanded learning system in the country, serving more than 900,000 pupils annually in more than 4,500 state and federally funded after school and summer programs before the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2) For years, these programs have provided academic and social-emotional support to pupils in under-resourced communities guided by evidence-based practices, state quality standards, and a statewide system of support.
(3) During COVID-19, California’s expanded learning programs had temporary program and funding flexibility to meet urgent pupil, family, and workforce needs. The programs did all of the following:
(A) Found new ways to provide social-emotional support, tutoring, mentoring, and enrichment virtually.
(B) Helped find pupils that were disconnected from distance learning and reengage families.
(C) Delivered technology resources for distance learning, meals for pupils and their families, and other resources and referrals to caregivers.
(D) Some programs were permitted to supervise children of essential workers and other vulnerable groups of pupils while most school campuses remained closed.
(4) A critical approach to reopening school campuses and mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 school closures will be providing expanded learning opportunities for all pupils, with special attention to pupil groups that were disproportionately impacted during the pandemic.
(5) Schools can leverage the expertise and infrastructure of expanded learning programs to build trusting relationships with pupils and families, effectively and creatively blend academic supports with enrichment and healing-centered practices, partner with teachers and administrators to meet school safety plans and provide academic support that complements schoolday instruction, and provide essential childcare for working families.
(6) The state-funded After School Education and Safety (ASES) program and the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program do not receive annual cost-of-living adjustments.
(7) The Budget Act of 2021 provides critical daily rate increases for the ASES program and the 21st CCLC program with one-time federal funding.
(8) The Budget Act of 2021 also establishes an expanded learning program to provide afterschool after school and summer enrichment programming for all classroom-based local educational agencies serving elementary pupils.
(9) California is unique in listing specific grant amounts and rates in the Education Code, as other states have relied on their state education agencies to implement a process to assess and adjust program grant amounts and daily funding rates based on available funding.
(b) (1) Recognizing the need to leverage and sustain California’s expanded learning system for the pupils, families, and school communities that count on them, it is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would develop a process and methodology to determine recommended expanded learning program grant amounts, daily funding rates, and funding priorities for the ASES, the 21st CCLC, and expanded learning programs.
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that the process described in paragraph (1) do all of the following:
(A) Promote equity and prioritize pupils experiencing homelessness, in foster care, eligible for free or reduced-price meals, dual language learners, and other locally prioritized pupils.
(B) Ensure that programs can meet current health and safety and locally prioritized needs.
(C) Analyze the true cost to provide quality learning and care and be responsive to the economic diversity of the state.
(D) Incorporate input from legislators and stakeholders in the school community, including, but not limited to, policymakers, program providers, local educational agencies, educators, families, and pupils.
(E) Develop recommendations and anticipated results for the Legislature.

SEC. 2.

 Section 8203.6 is added to the Education Code, to read:

8203.6.
 (a) On or before October 1, 2022, the department shall do all of the following:
(1) Conduct a statewide cost study to determine adequate funding levels in order for expanded learning programs to meet current health and safety needs and state quality standards.
(2) Establish a statewide expanded learning stakeholder advisory group, or modify the responsibilities of an existing advisory group to fulfill the requirements of this section. The statewide expanded learning stakeholder advisory group shall include, but is not limited to, representatives of the Legislature, state agencies, local educational agencies, community-based organizations, municipal agencies, and families and pupils participating in the state-funded After School Education and Safety program, the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, and other state-funded expanded learning programs.
(3) Coordinate and support the statewide expanded learning stakeholder advisory group in developing recommendations on all of the following:
(A) How to adequately fund the various publicly funded expanded learning programs, including recommended funding amounts for each program.
(B) How to coordinate and leverage the various expanded learning programs to promote equity and help close the opportunity gap.
(C) The development of a process and methodology to adjust funding for expanded learning programs in future years.
(4) Publicly share on the department’s internet website the results of the cost study described in paragraph (1), and the statewide expanded learning stakeholder advisory group’s recommendations developed pursuant to paragraph (3).
(b) (1) The sum of ____ six hundred thousand dollars ($____) ($600,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department to conduct the cost study and to convene and support the statewide expanded learning stakeholder advisory group described in subdivision (a).
(2) From the moneys appropriated in paragraph (1), the department may contract with qualified local educational agencies or other entities to perform the duties described in subdivision (a).

SEC. 3.

 This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
Because expanded learning programs are a key component of reopening schools and pupil recovery from COVID-19 school closures, it is necessary that the State Department of Education be able to start working immediately on the process and methodology to sustain these programs.
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