BILL NUMBER: AB 514INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bonta FEBRUARY 20, 2013 An act relating to school safety. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 514, as introduced, Bonta. School safety: the Safe Schools for Safe Learning Act of 2013. Existing law establishes various laws relating to school safety and violence prevention, and, among other things, requires each school district and county office of education to develop a comprehensive school safety plan for schools operating kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. This bill would express the Legislature's intent to enact legislation that would be known as the Safe Schools for Safe Learning Act of 2013, which would give pupils from the 18th Assembly District a strong voice in developing new strategies for school safety. The bill would also express various findings and declarations of the Legislature relating to school safety. 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. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Child safety should be a priority in our state, and we, as the state Legislature, should ensure that our children are kept safe from any form of violence, especially while children are in school. (b) Our children have the talent and capacity for greatness, if given the opportunity to thrive and grow in a healthy environment. (c) Unfortunately, violence has become a fact of life for many pupils in the 18th Assembly District. For example, Oakland suffered from 131 homicides in 2012. Many children suffer complications from growing up in a violent environment, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, which makes it more difficult to become an engaged and productive pupil at school. (d) Assembly Member Bonta has asked pupils to submit their responses to the question, "What would make you feel safer at school?" The Safe Schools for Safe Learning Act of 2013 will be based on the winning response to that question. (e) We need to create safe and supportive school environments where each child is able to thrive. A school is not just a place for perfunctory instruction. It is also the place where a child learns about humanity, family, and community, free from violence and fear. SEC. 2. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would be known as the Safe Schools for Safe Learning Act of 2013, which would give pupils from the 18th Assembly District a strong voice in developing new strategies for school safety.