California Assembly Bill AB18 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 18AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 6, 2012 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 19, 2012 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 5, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Brownley  (   Coauthors:   Senators   Alquist   and Lowenthal   )  DECEMBER 6, 2010 An act to add and repeal Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 33625) of Part 20 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to education finance. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 18, as amended, Brownley. Education finance: California  Task Force on School Finance  Commission  . 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 their provision of instruction at the public elementary and secondary schools they operate and maintain. Existing law establishes a public school funding system that includes, among other elements, the provision of funding to local educational agencies through state apportionments, the proceeds of property taxes collected at the local level, and other sources. This bill would establish a  13-member   19-member  California  Task Force on  School Finance  Commission  as of January 1, 2013, to review and analyze alternative formulas for allocating funds to public schools in California for the purpose of identifying and recommending a formula or formulas that best meet the needs of California's public school system and public school pupils. The bill would specify criteria to be used by the  commission   task force  to evaluate funding formulas. The bill would provide that  6   8  of the members of the  commission   task force  would be appointed by the Governor,  3   5  appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly,  3   5  appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and that the Superintendent of Public Instruction or his or her designee would be a member of, and serve as chair of, the  commission  task force  . The bill would require the  commission   task force  to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature on or before  February  April  1, 2013. This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2013, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2014. 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. Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 33625) is added to Part 20 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read: CHAPTER 5. CALIFORNIA  TASK FORCE ON  SCHOOL FINANCE  COMMISSION  33625. (a) The California  Task Force on  School Finance  Commission  is hereby established as of January 1, 2013. The  commission   task force  shall review and analyze alternative formulas for allocating funds to public schools in California for the purpose of identifying and recommending a formula or formulas that best meet the needs of California's public school system and public school pupils. The criteria used to evaluate different funding formulas shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following: (1) The degree to which the formula results in a level of funding for each local educational agency that matches that local educational agency's needs as determined by pupil demographics, grade level enrollment, regional cost differences, and other cost factors identified by the  commission   task force  . (2) The degree to which the formula facilitates the attainment of educational policy objectives. (3) The degree to which the formula can be modified to reflect changing conditions and policy objectives. (4) The degree to which the formula can be easily administered and understood by policymakers and the public. (b) The  commission   task force  shall consist of  13   19  members, who shall be representative of the diversity of the state population,  12   18  of whom shall be appointed as follows: (1)  Six   Eight  members shall be appointed by the Governor. (2)  Three   Five  members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. (3)  Three   Five  members shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. (c) The Superintendent or his or her designee shall be a member of and serve as chair of the  commission   task force  . (d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the  commission   task force  include representation from urban, suburban, and rural school districts; currently employed teachers, administrators, and classified school employees; school board members; parents; historically underserved pupil populations; and members of the research community with expertise in school finance. (e) The  commission   task force  shall do all of the following: (1) Identify key issues related to the fair, efficient, and equitable distribution of resources among and within local educational agencies. (2) Identify means by which a funding formula can maximize local decisionmaking authority while ensuring that statewide policy objectives are met. (3) Solicit comments and suggestions from professional educators and administrators, parents, school finance experts, and other interested parties. (4) Develop alternative formulas for distributing resources to local educational agencies. The formulas to be considered shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following: (A) Modifications to the current system of general purpose funding plus categorical program funding. (B) General purpose funding plus categorical program block grants. (C) Weighted pupil formula. (5) Simulate the distribution of funds under alternative formulas. (6) Identify, for each formula simulated, a target level of funding for each local educational agency. (7) Make recommendations regarding a methodology for transitioning to a new funding formula. (f) The  commission   task force  shall report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature on or before  February   April  1, 2013, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. (g) For purposes of this section: (1) "Local educational agency" means school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools. (2) "Target level of funding" means the level of funding that is not less than the amount yielded when a formula is applied to the total level of funding, exclusive of federal and lottery funds, allocated to local educational agencies for the 2012-13 fiscal year, plus the school district share of the outstanding maintenance factor computed pursuant to Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution as of July 1, 2012. (h) This chapter shall become inoperative on July 1, 2013, and, as of January 1, 2014, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2014, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.