(1) Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to post, and annually update, on the State Department of Education’s internet website and provide to each school district a list of statewide resources, including community-based organizations, that provide support to youth, and their families, who have been subjected to school-based discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying, including school-based discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying on the basis of religious affiliation, nationality, race, or ethnicity, or perceived religious affiliation, nationality, race, or ethnicity.
This bill would instead (A) require the Superintendent to additionally post, and annually update, on the department’s internet website and notify local educational agencies of the availability of the
above-described list of resources that provide support for youth, and their families, who have been subjected to school-based discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying, (B) add the basis of neurodiversity or perceived neurodiversity to that list of resources, and (C) require those resources related to the basis of neurodiversity or perceived neurodiversity to include those developed by the University of California and California State University Collaborative for Neurodiversity and Learning.
(2) Existing law requires, commencing with the 2020–21 academic year, each local educational agency, as defined, to ensure that specified information related to pupil safety is readily accessible in a prominent location on the local educational agency’s existing internet website in a manner that is easily accessible to parents or guardians and pupils.
This bill would require, commencing with the 2025–26
academic year, each local educational agency to additionally ensure that the resources related to neurodiversity developed by the University of California and California State University Collaborative for Neurodiversity and Learning are readily accessible in a prominent location on the local educational agency’s internet website in a manner that is easily accessible to parents or guardians and pupils. To the extent the bill imposes additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would create a state-mandated local program.
(3) Existing law requires the department to develop and post on its internet website an online training module to assist all school staff, school administrators, parents, pupils, and community members in increasing their knowledge of the dynamics of bullying and cyberbullying.
This bill would require the online training module to include information about how to support
pupils who are bullied for being or being perceived as neurodivergent and include links to the resources related to neurodiversity developed by the University of California and California State University Collaborative for Neurodiversity and Learning.
(4) 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 the statutory provisions noted above.