California Assembly Bill AB1583 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1583INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Committee on Education (Brownley (Chair), Ammiano, Arambula, Carter, Eng, Solorio, and Torlakson) APRIL 23, 2009 An act to amend Sections 41510, 41511, and 41512 of the Education Code, relating to education finance. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1583, as introduced, Committee on Education. Education finance: School Safety Consolidated Competitive Grant. Existing law establishes the public school system in this state, and, among other things, provides for the establishment of school districts throughout the state and for the provision of instruction at the public elementary and secondary schools that these districts operate and maintain. Existing law establishes a public school funding system that includes, among other elements, various programs, known as categorical programs, pursuant to which funds are allocated to local educational agencies for specialized programs governed by state or federal statutes. Existing law establishes procedures pursuant to which a school district or county office of education may transfer funds apportioned to it as part of a block grant for specified categorical programs for use for other purposes. This bill would revise provisions establishing the School Safety Consolidated Competitive Grant to authorize the expenditure of funds previously apportioned for other purposes and to make various technical and conforming changes. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated 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 legislation to make changes in California's system of funding for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, education in order to accomplish all of the following: (a) Simplify the funding system, and provide increased stability, predictability, transparency, and flexibility in funding. (b) Provide more flexibility in local decisionmaking, including flexibility in the use of funds. (c) Eliminate restrictions, barriers, and obstacles to local decisionmaking. (d) Eliminate, permanently and to the extent possible, categorical spending programs, at the same time as ensuring that the system meets the legislative priority of providing an adequate and equitable education to all students regardless of background or need. SEC. 2. Section 41510 of the Education Code is amended to read: 41510. (a) There is hereby established the  school safety consolidated competitive grant   School Safety Consolidated Competitive Grant  . Notwithstanding any other provision of law,  commencing with the 2005-06 fiscal year,  the Superintendent  of Public Instruction  , in partnership with the Attorney General's  Office   office  , shall distribute grant funds through a competitive process to school districts in order to carry out one or more of the purposes for which the programs listed in Section 41511 and Article 10.4 (commencing with Section 35294.10) of Chapter 2 of Part 21 were established, as the statutes governing  those   the  programs  listed in subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, of Section 41511 as it  read on January 1, 2004  , and the program listed in subdivision (g) of Section 41511 as it read on January 1, 2010  . A grant may be made for up to a five-year period. (b) If a school district has a school safety plan for each of the schools under its jurisdiction, a school district may expend funds received pursuant to this article subject to the parameters, conditions, or guidelines established by the Superintendent  of Public Instruction  and the Attorney General's office for this purpose. For purposes of this article, a school safety plan may be integrated into  any   a  single plan developed by a school. (c) For purposes of this article, "school district" includes a county office of education if county offices of education are eligible to receive funds for the programs that are listed in Section 41511. The block grant of a county office of education shall be based only on those programs  listed in subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, of Section 41511  for which it was eligible to receive funds in the 2003-04  fiscal year, and the program listed in subdivision (g) of Section 41511 if it was eligible to receive funds in the 2009-10  fiscal year. SEC. 3. Section 41511 of the Education Code is amended to read: 41511. Funding for the  school safety consolidated competitive grant   School Safety Consolidated Competitive Grant  shall include the funding previously apportioned to school districts for carrying out the purposes of the following programs: (a) Safe school planning and partnership minigrants, as funded pursuant to Item  6110-226-0001   6110-228-0001  of Section 2.00 of the annual Budget Act. (b) School community policing as set forth in  former  Article 6 (commencing with Section 32296) of Chapter 2.5 of Part 19  of Division 1 of Title 1, as it read on December 31, 2007  . (c) Gang-risk intervention as set forth in  former  Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 58730) of Part 31  of Division 4 of Title 2, as it read on December 31, 2005  . (d) Safety plans for new schools, as funded pursuant to Item 6110-228-0001 of Section 2.00 of the annual Budget Act. Grant funds distributed to a school district in order to carry out the purpose of this subdivision are offsetting revenues within the meaning of subdivision (e) of Section 17556 of the Government Code for any reimbursable mandated cost claim for the development of school safety plans as required by Section 32281 of the Education Code. A school district that accepts funds in order to carry out the purpose of this subdivision shall reduce its estimated and actual mandate reimbursement claim by the amount of funding provided to it in order to carry out the purposes of this subdivision. (e) School community violence prevention, as funded pursuant to Item 6110-228-0001 of Section 2.00 of the annual Budget Act. (f) Conflict resolution, as funded pursuant to Item 6110-228-0001 of Section 2.00 of the annual Budget Act.  (g) School Safety Consolidated Competitive Grant, as set forth in this article.  SEC. 4. Section 41512 of the Education Code is amended to read: 41512. The Superintendent  of Public Instruction  shall work in partnership with the  Office   office  of the Attorney General to ensure proper and efficient distribution of grant funds to school districts in order to carry out one or more of the purposes for which the programs listed in Section 41511 and Article 10.4 (commencing with Section 35294.10) of Chapter 2 of Part 21 were established, as the statutes governing  those   the  programs  listed in subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, of Section 41511  read on January 1, 2004  , and the program listed in subdivision (g) of Section 41511 read on January 1, 2010  .