California Assembly Bill AB2033 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2033AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 4, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 1, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Salas (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Bigelow, Gray, and Perea) (Principal coauthors: Senators Cannella, Galgiani, Nielsen, and Vidak) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian,  Alejo,  Bocanegra, Bradford, Buchanan,  Ian Calderon,  Conway, Cooley, Dababneh,  Dahle,  Daly, Eggman, Fox, Frazier, Harkey, Holden, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Logue, Maienschein, Mullin,  Nestande,  Olsen, Pan, Patterson, V. Manuel Prez, Quirk-Silva, Williams, and Yamada) (Coauthors: Senators Anderson,  Block,  Berryhill, Hueso, and Roth) FEBRUARY 20, 2014 An act to amend Section 52461 of  , and to add Section 52463 to,  the Education Code, relating to career technical  education.   education, and making an appropriation therefor.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2033, as amended, Salas. Agricultural career technical education: grant funding.  Existing   (1)     Existing  law establishes the Agricultural Career Technical Education Incentive Program, which requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to award a grant, for the purpose of purchasing or leasing agricultural career technical education equipment, to an applicant school district that operates an agricultural career technical education program and that meets specified requirements. Existing law requires the governing board of each school district to annually adopt or update a local control and accountability plan that contains specified information. This  bill would continuously appropriate the sum of $4,134,000 in each fiscal year beginning with the 2015-16 fiscal year from the General Fund to the State Department of Education for purposes of funding the Agric   ultural Career Technical Education Incentive Program. The  bill would require the Superintendent to award a grant to a school district that, in addition to meeting the existing requirements, demonstrates how the expenditure of the grant funds will be consistent with its adopted local control and accountability plan. The bill would also express various findings and declarations of the Legislature relating to agricultural career technical education.  (2) Funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.  Vote: majority. Appropriation:  no   yes  . Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1.  (a)    The Legislature finds and declares as follows:  (1)   (a)  California, as the leading agriculture producing state in the nation for over 60 years, has a compelling interest in ensuring that its school system supports and promotes the continued development of innovative and thoughtful agricultural leaders.  (2)   (b)  The Agricultural Career Technical Education Incentive Program (Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 52460) of Chapter 9 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code) has given clear guidance and direction to school districts throughout California in developing and promoting high-quality program standards.  (3)   (c)  The Agricultural Career Technical Education Incentive Program has provided financial incentives for school districts to embark on a systematic and sustained process for improving the delivery and effectiveness of agricultural education throughout California.  (4)   (d)  The Future Farmers of America organization, which is integral to high school instruction, has long proven itself as an outstanding teaching strategy that promotes excellence in agricultural education for pupils throughout California. The goal of the California Future Farmers of America organization is to teach and promote premier leadership, personal growth, and career success among its members.  (5)   (e)  The Future Farmers of America has a long and well-established tradition of providing meaningful, relevant leadership development experiences that have had a positive effect on the lives of thousands of pupils in their communities.  (6)   (f)  California's reputation for leadership in a variety of innovative and expanding science, technology, engineering, and agricultural industries has been made possible through the availability of well-trained and educated personnel.  (7)   (g)  Cocurricular pupil leadership organizations enhance the classroom instruction process, provide opportunities to learn in a laboratory, and provide leadership training opportunities.  (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that funds appropriated for the Agricultural Career Technical Education Incentive Program in the annual Budget Act shall be no less than the amount appropriated during the 2013-14 fiscal year.  SEC. 2. Section 52461 of the Education Code is amended to read: 52461. The Superintendent shall award grants to applicant school districts that meet the following requirements: (a) The school district shall contribute an amount of funds equal to the amount of the grant to the purchase or lease of equipment for use in agricultural career technical education programs. (b) The school district shall certify to the Superintendent that the grant funds received and the matching funds contributed by the school district shall be used solely for the purpose of purchasing or leasing equipment for use in agricultural career technical education programs. (c) The school district shall demonstrate how the expenditure of the grant funds will be consistent with its local control and accountability plan adopted pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 52060) of Chapter 6.1.  SEC. 3.   Section 52463 is added to the   Education Code   , to read:   52463. (a) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, the sum of four million one hundred thirty-four thousand dollars ($4,134,000) is hereby continuously appropriated from the General Fund to the department in each fiscal year beginning with the 2015-16 fiscal year, to be allocated for purposes of funding the Agricultural Career Technical Education Incentive Program established pursuant to this article. (b) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the funds appropriated pursuant to this section shall be deemed to be "General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts," as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the fiscal year in which the funds are appropriated, and included within the "total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B," as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the fiscal year in which the funds are appropriated.