Bill Text: CA SB1204 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Homeless children and youths: local educational agencies: collaboration.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-18 - April 1 hearing postponed by committee. [SB1204 Detail]
Download: California-2019-SB1204-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 1204
| Introduced by Senator Jones |
February 20, 2020 |
An act to add Section 48851.4 to the Education Code, relating to homeless children and youths.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1204, as introduced, Jones.
Homeless children and youths: local educational agencies: collaboration.
(1) Existing federal law, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, provides grants to states to carry out activities relating to the education of homeless children and youths, as defined, including, among others, providing services and activities to improve the identification of homeless children and youths and to enable them to enroll in, attend, and succeed in school. The act requires a state plan submitted for the receipt of the grant to include assurances that local educational agencies will designate an appropriate staff person to act as a local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youths and a description of how the state will ensure that local educational agencies and their liaisons will comply with specified requirements of the act, including the identification of homeless children and youths.
Under
existing state law, public schools, including charter schools, and county offices of education are required to immediately enroll a homeless child or youth seeking enrollment, except as specified. Existing law requires a local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youths to ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths is disseminated in schools within the liaison’s local educational agency that provide services pursuant to the act.
This bill would require a local educational agency, as defined to include a school district, county office of education, charter school, or special education local plan area, to collaborate with other organizations that provide services to homeless children and youths to enhance the identification of, and the provision of services to, those children and youths. The bill would require these collaborations to include, but not necessarily be limited to, working with organizations that
provide counseling services, social welfare services, meal services, and housing services.
By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(2) 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.
