CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2221

Introduced by Assembly Member Cristina Garcia

February 12, 2020

An act to add Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 49445) to Chapter 9 of Part 27 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to pupil health.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2221, as introduced, Cristina Garcia. Pupil Support Training Program.
Existing law requires the governing board of any school district to give diligent care to the health and physical development of pupils and authorizes the governing board of a school district to employ properly certified persons for the work.
This bill would require a school district that maintains any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to establish at each school of the school district a pupil peer support training program to provide training to volunteer pupils on how to act as a peer support. The bill would require the training under the program to be administered by school psychologists, counselors, or other qualified peer support trainers holding a pupil personnel services credential. By imposing additional duties on school districts to establish a pupil peer support training program, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

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


SECTION 1.

 Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 49445) is added to Chapter 9 of Part 27 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:
Article  3.5. Pupil Peer Support Training Program

49445.
 (a) (1) A school district that maintains any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, shall establish at each school of the school district a pupil peer support training program to provide training to volunteer pupils on how to act as a peer support.
(2) The training under the program shall be administered by school psychologists, counselors, or other qualified peer support trainers holding a pupil personnel services credential.
(b) Pupils in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, may volunteer to participate in the program.
(c) The requirements of this section are in addition to any other requirement in law and are not intended to take the place of another established form of care.

SEC. 2.

 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.