BILL NUMBER: SB 1290INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Alquist FEBRUARY 23, 2012 An act relating to charter schools. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1290, as introduced, Alquist. Charter schools. The Charter Schools Act of 1992 permits teachers and parents to petition the governing board of a school district to approve a charter school to operate independently from the existing school district structure as a method of accomplishing, among other things, improved pupil learning. The Charter Schools Act specifies the procedures for the submission, review, and approval or denial of a petition to establish a standard or countywide charter school. Existing law exempts charter schools from the laws governing school districts except those of the Charter Schools Act, those establishing minimum age for public school attendance, specified building code regulations, and other specified laws. Existing law requires a charter school to comply with its charter. The Charter Schools Act limits the duration of charters to a period not to exceed 5 years and authorizes the chartering authority to grant one or more subsequent renewals for an additional period of 5 years. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would amend the Charter Schools Act in a manner that would make the state more competitive when applying for a grant pursuant to the federal Charter School Program. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. 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 that would amend the Charter Schools Act of 1992 in a manner that would make the state more competitive when applying for a grant pursuant to the federal Charter School Program.