Bill Text: CA AB5 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 5

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

Bill Title: The Safe and Supportive Schools Act.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-09-23 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 220, Statutes of 2023. [AB5 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB5-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 5

Introduced by Assembly Member Zbur

December 05, 2022

An act relating to educational equity.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 5, as introduced, Zbur. The Safe and Supportive Schools Program.

Existing law establishes the system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state and provides for the establishment of local educational agencies to operate these schools and provide instruction to pupils. Existing law states the policy of the State of California to afford all persons in public schools, regardless of their disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other specified characteristic, equal rights and opportunities in the educational institutions of the state. Existing law requires, no later than July 1, 2021, the State Department of Education to develop resources or, as appropriate, update existing resources for in-service training on schoolsite and community resources for the support of LGBTQ lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) pupils, and strategies to increase support for LGBTQ pupils, as specified. Existing law encourages schools operated by a school district or county office of education and charter schools to use those resources to provide training at least once every 2 years to teachers and other certificated employees of those schools that serve pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to ensure (1) that teachers and other certificated employees of schools operated by a school district or county office of education or charter schools have the tools and training they need to support and meet the needs of LGBTQ+ pupils and (2) that California schools are safe and supportive for all pupils, teachers, and other certificated employees. It is the intent of the legislature to enact subsequent legislation to specify the timeline for implementation of teacher and other certificated employee cultural competency training programs developed by the department.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

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

SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation, that shall be known, and may be cited, as the “Safe and Supportive Schools Program,” to ensure (1) that teachers and other certificated employees of schools operated by a school district or county office of education or charter schools have the tools and training they need to support and meet the needs of LGBTQ+ pupils and (2) that California schools are safe and supportive for all pupils, teachers, and other certificated employees. It is the intent of the legislature to enact subsequent legislation to ensure that the Safe and Supportive Schools Program specifies the timeline for implementation of teacher and other certificated employee cultural competency training programs developed by the State Department of Education.