California Assembly Bill AB1876 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1876AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Lopez FEBRUARY 10, 2016 An act to add Section 51420.5 to the Education Code, relating to pupils. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1876, as amended, Lopez. Pupils: diploma alternatives: language options. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a high school equivalency certificate and an official score report, or an official score report only, to a person who has not completed high school and who meets specified requirements, including, among others, having taken all or a portion of a general education development test that has been approved by the State Board of Education and administered by a testing center approved by the State Department of Education, with a score determined by the state board to be equal to the standard of performance expected from high school graduates. Commencing  July  January  1,  2017,   2019,  this bill would prohibit the department from approving or renewing approval of a contractor or testing center to administer the tests described above unless the contractor or testing center provides those tests in the top 5 primary languages used in the  contractor or testing center's service area.   state, as determined by the department based on United States Census data.  The bill would require  that  an examinee  to be able   be permitted  to take the test in the  offered  language of his or her  choice.   choice of the top 5 primary languages used in the state.  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. The Legislature finds and declares both of the following: (a) The intention in enacting the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act was to provide for effective communication between all levels of government in this state and the people of this state who are precluded from utilizing public services because of language barriers. (b) It is in the interest of California to reduce language barriers in obtaining high school equivalency certificates. SEC. 2. Section 51420.5 is added to the Education Code, to read: 51420.5. (a) Commencing  July   January  1,  2017,   2019,  the department shall not approve or renew approval of a contractor or testing center to administer tests for purposes of Section 51420 unless the contractor or testing center provides the general educational development tests that have been approved by the state board in the top five primary languages used in the  contractor or testing center's service area.   state, as determined by the department based on United States Census data.  (b) An examinee shall be  able   permitted  to take the test in the  offered  language of his or her  choice.   choice of the top five primary languages used in the state.  (c) This section is intended to supplement and not supplant any other requirements the department adopts for the approval of contractors or testing centers under this article.