BILL NUMBER: AB 455INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Medina (Coauthor: Assembly Member Quirk) FEBRUARY 19, 2013 An act to amend Sections 56351.8 and 56351.9 of the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 455, as introduced, Medina. Pupil instruction: special education: braille reading and mathematics standards. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to form an advisory task force to develop standards for the mastery of the braille code as a child progresses through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the Superintendent to utilize this advisory task force to develop standards for visually impaired pupils to learn, and achieve mastery of, the braille mathematics code, and requires the task force to report those standards to the State Board of Education by March 1, 2006. This bill would require those standards to be aligned to the common core academic content standards and would require the task force to report the new standards to the state board by March 1, 2015. Existing law requires the state board to adopt braille reading and mathematics standards for visually impaired pupils by June 1, 2006. This bill would require the state board to adopt braille reading and mathematics standards for visually impaired pupils that are aligned to the common core academic content standards by June 1, 2015. The bill would require county offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas to provide visually impaired pupils opportunities for instruction to master those standards adopted by the state board, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. 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 these statutory provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 56351.8 of the Education Code is amended to read: 56351.8. (a) The Superintendent shall utilize the advisory task force established pursuant to Section 56351.7 to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards for pupils described in subdivision (b) to learn, and to achieve mastery of, the braille mathematics code as they progress through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. (b) The standards described in subdivision (a) shall be developed for pupils who, due to a visual impairment, are functionally blind or may be expected to have a need to learn the braille code as their primary literacy mode for learning. (c) The task force shall, by March 1,20062015 , report to the state board with the standards it develops pursuant to subdivision (a). SEC. 2. Section 56351.9 of the Education Code is amended to read: 56351.9. (a) By June 1,20062015 , the state board shall adopt braille reading and mathematics standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards for pupils who, due to a visual impairment, are functionally blind or may be expected to have a need to learn the braille code as their primary literacy mode for learning. (b) County offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas shall provide to pupils described in subdivision (a) opportunities for instruction to master the braille reading and mathematics standards described in subdivision (a). SEC. 3. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.