Bill Text: CA AB2607 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Public schools: educational equity.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-15 - From printer. May be heard in committee March 16. [AB2607 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB2607-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2607
| Introduced by Assembly Member Lowenthal |
February 14, 2024 |
An act to amend Section 201 of the Education Code, relating to public schools.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2607, as introduced, Lowenthal.
Public schools: educational equity.
Existing law provides that all pupils have the right to participate fully in the educational process, free from discrimination and harassment, and that California’s public schools have an affirmative obligation to combat racism, sexism, and all other forms of bias, and a responsibility to provide equal educational opportunity.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those provisions and correct cross-references in related provisions.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 201 of the Education Code is amended to read:201.
(a) All pupils have the right to participate fully in the educational process, free from discrimination and harassment.(b) California’s public schools have an affirmative obligation to combat racism, sexism, and all other forms of bias, and a responsibility to provide equal educational opportunity.
(c) Harassment on school grounds directed at an individual on the basis of personal characteristics or status creates a hostile environment and jeopardizes equal educational opportunity as guaranteed by the California Constitution and the United States
Constitution.
(d) There is an urgent need to prevent and respond to acts of hate violence and bias-related incidents that are occurring at an increasing rate in California’s public schools.
(e) There is an urgent need to teach and inform pupils in the public schools about their rights, as guaranteed by the federal and state constitutions, in order to increase pupils’ awareness and understanding of their rights and the rights of others, with the intention of promoting tolerance and sensitivity in public schools and in society as a means of responding to potential harassment and hate violence.
(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that each public school undertake educational activities to counter discriminatory incidents on school grounds and, within constitutional bounds, to minimize and eliminate a hostile
environment on school grounds that impairs the access of pupils to equal educational opportunity.
(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that this chapter shall be interpreted as consistent with Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 11135) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1981, 2000d et seq.), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1681, 1681 et seq.), Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794(a)),
794), the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.), the federal Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1701, 1701
et seq.), the Unruh Civil Rights Act (Secs. 51 to 53,
incl., Civ. C.), (Section 51 of the Civil Code), and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Pt. (Part 2.8 (commencing with Sec. 12900), Div. 3, Gov. C.), Section 12900) of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code),
except where this chapter may grant more protections or impose additional obligations, and that the remedies provided herein shall not be the exclusive remedies, but may be combined with remedies that may be provided by the above statutes.
