Bill Text: CA AB773 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Voter education: high school pupils.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2020-01-21 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB773 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB773-Amended.html
Bill Title: Voter education: high school pupils.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2020-01-21 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB773 Detail]
Download: California-2019-AB773-Amended.html
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Amended
IN
Assembly
April 22, 2019 |
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Amended
IN
Assembly
April 03, 2019 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
| Assembly Bill | No. 773 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Gonzalez (Coauthor: Senator Dodd) |
February 19, 2019 |
An act to amend Section 49040 of, and to add Section 49042 to, the Education Code, relating to voter education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 773, as amended, Gonzalez.
Voter education: high school pupils.
(1) Existing law requires the last 2 full weeks in April and in September to be known as “high school voter education weeks,” during which time persons authorized by the county elections official are allowed to register to vote pupils and school personnel on high school campuses.
This bill would instead make April, or January in a year with a presidential election, and September “high school voter education months.”
(2) Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission to ensure voter education information is included in the American government and civics curriculum at the high school level, as specified.
This bill would require the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Superintendent, to develop
educational programming to provide designated voter education information to pupils in grade 12 in high schools maintained by a school district, county office of education, or charter school. The bill would require county elections officials to customize the educational programming to include information specific to that county’s election system. The bill would require a school district, county office of education, or charter school to implement the educational programming during a presentation or assembly at the high school campus. To the extent the bill would create new duties for county elections officials, school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, it would constitute a state-mandated local program.
(3) 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.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 49040 of the Education Code is amended to read:49040.
(a) The months of April, or January in a year with a presidential election, and September shall be known as, “high school voter education months,” during which time persons authorized by the county elections official shall be allowed to register pupils and school personnel on any high school campus in areas designated by the administrator of the high school, or the administrator’s designee, which are reasonably accessible to all pupils.(b) (1) This section does not preclude a person from registering to vote pupils and school personnel on a high school campus as is otherwise permitted by the Elections Code.
(2) This section does not preclude voter education during any other time of the school year.
SEC. 2.
Section 49042 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 49041, to read:49042.
(a) The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Superintendent, shall develop educational programming for pupils in grade 12 that shall be implemented in high schools maintained by a school district, county office of education, or charter school. The programming shall include, but is not necessarily limited to, information about the following topics:(1) Eligibility for, and requirements relating to, registering to vote.
(2) Various methods to register to vote, including the ability to preregister to vote.
(3) Acquiring official,
nonpartisan election and voter information from county and state elections officials, including, but not necessarily limited to, accessing their respective internet websites.
(4) How to locate a polling place or vote center.
(5) What to expect when voting in person at a polling place or vote center.
(6) How to complete and submit a ballot through various methods, including vote by mail and in person at a polling place or vote center.
(7) An individual’s rights as a voter.
(8) Accessible voting options for voters with disabilities.
(b) County elections officials, in coordination with school districts, county offices of education, or charter schools, may shall further customize the educational programming developed pursuant to subdivision (a) this section to include information specific to that county’s election system, including, but not necessarily limited to, information on ballot design, nonpartisan election guides, and election type.
(c) A school district, county office of education, or charter school shall do all of
the following:
(1) Implement educational programming pursuant to subdivision (a) this section for pupils in grade 12 at each high school maintained by the school district, county office of education, or charter school.
(2) Implement the educational programming during a presentation or assembly, not to exceed two hours in duration, at the high school campus.
(3) Offer pupils the opportunity to register
or preregister to vote during the presentation or assembly conducted pursuant to paragraph (2). This registration or preregistration shall be accomplished through the use of a device that may include, but is not necessarily limited to, a laptop computer, smartphone, or tablet that can access the voter registration internet website of the Secretary of State.
(d) As used in this section, “educational programming” means a presentation accomplished through the use of methods that may include, but are not necessarily limited to, live speakers, audio-visual content, printed material, PowerPoint, or through a combination of those methods.
