SACRAMENTO – Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonilla (D-Concord) introduced legislation that will provide additional funding for safety and violence prevention programs in California public schools. The new bill, AB 63, will authorize the production and sale of a specialized license plate through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that will bring attention to the problem of youth violence and bullying, while creating supplemental monies to re-establish integral programs that were eliminated due to a lack of funding.
“No child should attend school in fear of being a victim of violence or bullying,” said Assemblywoman Bonilla. “Over the years funding for programs that prevent acts of violence, bullying, or any other school crisis has severely diminished, leaving our kids at greater risk of danger.”
AB 63 not only draws necessary attention to school violence and bullying with a uniquely designed license plate, but more importantly all revenue generated from the sale of the license plates will support programs such as school community policing, bullying and cyberbullying intervention, school personnel training, crisis preparedness, safe school planning, gang risk reduction, and other safety and violence prevention programs approved by the California Department of Education.
“As a mother, it breaks my heart to learn of the recent tragedy of a young boy in Folsom who committed suicide after being bullied at school,” continued Assemblywoman Bonilla. “We must do all we can to prevent incidences like this from happening. Developing creative ways to restore programs that have proven to be effective at protecting our children and increasing student safety is a significant step in the right direction.”
Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonilla (D-Concord) was elected in November 2010 and represents California’s 14th Assembly District, which includes Contra Costa County and Solano County.
An act to add Section 35294.16 to the Education Code and to add Section 5164 to the Vehicle Code, relating to school safety.
Here is a look at AB 63
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
AB 63, as introduced, Bonilla. School safety programs: funding.
The School Safety Violence Protection Act establishes the School Safety and Violence Prevention Strategy Program, which is administered by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, for the purpose of providing grant funding to schools and school districts to promote school safety and violence prevention programs among children and youth in the public schools.
This bill would authorize the Superintendent to consult with the Board of State and Community Corrections, the State Department of Social Services, and the State Department of Public Health on school violence prevention and intervention in order to carry out one or more of the purposes of the programs established under the School Safety and Violence Prevention Strategy Program.
Existing law authorizes a state agency to apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles to sponsor a specialized license plate program, and requires the department to issue specialized license plates for that program, if the state agency complies with specified requirements.
The bill would require the State Department of Education to apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the purpose of creating a specialized license plate program. The bill would require that the fees collected from the sale of the specialized license plates be deposited in the School Violence Prevention Fund, which the bill would establish, and, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be allocated to the State Department of Education in order to carry out one or more of the purposes of the programs established under the School Safety and Violence Prevention Strategy Program.
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 35294.16 is added to the Education Code, to read:
35294.16.
The Superintendent may consult with the Board of State and Community Corrections, the State Department of Social Services, and the State Department of Public Health on school violence prevention and intervention in order to carry out one or more of the purposes for which the programs established pursuant to this article were established, as the statutes governing those programs read on January 1, 2004.
SEC. 2.
Section 5164 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:
5164.
The State Department of Education shall apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to Section 5156 for the purpose of creating a specialized license plate program. Notwithstanding Section 5157, the fees collected from the sale of the specialized license plates shall be deposited in the School Violence Prevention Fund, which is hereby established in the State Treasury. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the moneys in that fund shall be allocated to the State Department of Education in order to carry out one or more of the purposes for which the programs established pursuant to Article 10.4 (commencing with Section 35294.10) of Chapter 2 of Part 21 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code were established, as the statutes governing those programs read on January 1, 2004, or as determined by the State Department of Education for purposes of school violence prevention. The State Department of Education shall comply with all of the requirements of this article that apply to a state agency that sponsors a specialized license plate program.
