Code Section Group

Education Code - EDC

TITLE 2. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION [33000 - 65001]

  ( Title 2 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010. )

DIVISION 2. STATE ADMINISTRATION [33000 - 33596]

  ( Division 2 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010. )

PART 20. STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES [33000 - 33596]

  ( Part 20 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010. )

CHAPTER 3. State Department of Education [33300 - 33479.9]

  ( Heading of Chapter 3 amended by Stats. 1980, Ch. 1059, Sec. 2. )

ARTICLE 9.5. California Youth Leadership Project [33425 - 33428]
  ( Article 9.5 added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 379, Sec. 2. )

33425.
  

(a) The California Youth Leadership Project is hereby established under the department for the purpose of promoting youth civic engagement through meaningful opportunities to improve the quality of life for California’s disconnected and disadvantaged youth.

(b) The California Youth Leadership Project shall support and promote youth civic engagement by awarding scholarships to youth between 14 and 18 years of age. Furthermore, youths awarded scholarships by the California Youth Leadership Project shall be given the opportunity to make meaningful recommendations regarding legislation and policies that impact their own lives and the lives of the thousands of other youth in California whose voices often go unheard. An organization that operates civic engagement programs may submit applications for participation in the project on behalf of interested youth.

(c) The California Youth Leadership Project shall allocate scholarship award funds to organizations that submit applications on behalf of youth who are selected to receive scholarship awards under this article. These organizations shall do, without limitation, all of the following for the youth who receive scholarship awards under this article:

(1) Provide youth participants tools to examine and discuss policy and fiscal issues affecting the interests, needs, and conditions of the youth of California.

(2) Provide youth participants the opportunity to formally advise and make recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor on specific issues affecting youth. These issues may include, but need not be limited to, all of the following:

(A) Education.

(B) Employment.

(C) Access to state and local governmental services.

(D) The environment.

(E) Behavioral and physical health.

(F) Safety.

(G) Technology.

(H) Criminal justice.

(I) Homelessness.

(J) Foster care.

(K) Child welfare.

(L) Emancipation.

(M) Financial literacy.

(N) Substance abuse.

(O) Driver’s license requirements.

(P) Poverty.

(Q) Increased youth participation in state and local government.

(R) Issues affecting youth with disabilities.

(S) Any other policy or fiscal issues deemed appropriate by the department.

(3) Provide youth participants the opportunity to consult with any existing local level youth advisory commissions and community-based, grassroots youth-led organizations for input and potential solutions on issues related to youth.

(4) Provide youth participants the opportunity to convene and conduct meetings to fulfill the purposes of this chapter.

(5) Provide youth participants the opportunity to act as an information center on California youth policy and fiscal issues, including, but not limited to, the issues listed in paragraph (2).

(6) When available, enable individual youth to travel to the State Capitol to learn the legislative process and, on occasion, to testify at legislative hearings.

(d) An organization that receives a scholarship award on behalf of youth under this article shall use these funds only for youth-related activities described in subdivision (c).

(e) For purposes of this article, disconnected and disadvantaged youth described in subdivision (a) include, but are not limited to, youth who are homeless between 18 and 24 years of age, youth with disabilities, youth who are from minority racial or ethnic groups, youth who are in or have been emancipated from foster care, youth who have been in or are on parole from the juvenile justice system, youth who are from low-income households, youth who are high school dropouts or are at risk of dropping out of school, youth who are pregnant or are young mothers, and other youth who could benefit from participation in the California Youth Leadership Project.

(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 379, Sec. 2. (SB 803) Effective January 1, 2013.)

33426.
  

(a) The California Youth Leadership Project shall be overseen by the California Youth Leadership Project Committee.

(b) The California Youth Leadership Project Committee shall be established and oversee the California Youth Leadership Project and distribute funds pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 18736) of Chapter 3 of Part 10.2 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code and this article.

(c) Members of the California Youth Leadership Project Committee, in making youth scholarship awards, shall take into consideration that awarded youth represent the racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, physical, and educational diversity of California. Priority for awarding scholarships under this article shall be given to at-promise or disadvantaged youth between 14 and 18 years of age, as their participation in the California Youth Leadership Project will provide keen insight into many of the issues that youth face in their day-to-day lives.

(d) (1) The California Youth Leadership Project Committee shall be chaired by the Superintendent, or their designee, and shall include no more than six members.

(2) The Superintendent shall appoint the following four members to the California Youth Leadership Project Committee:

(A) A representative from a statewide nonprofit youth organization.

(B) A representative from a community-based nonprofit organization that serves youth or deals with youth-related issues, including, but not limited to, the issues described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 33425.

(C) A representative of a local educational agency or school district.

(D) A youth between 14 and 18 years of age who has participated in a youth leadership program involving lobbying the Legislature on issue areas affecting youth. This person shall serve only in an advisory capacity.

(3) The California Health and Human Services Agency may also, but is not required to, appoint a member to the California Youth Leadership Project Committee.

(4) To the extent possible, a member of the California Youth Leadership Project Committee, appointed under any of subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of paragraph (2) shall have experience and be trained to work with youth between 14 and 18 years of age on any of the issues described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 33425, and shall have special experience in civic engagement, advocacy, and at least one of the following issue areas affecting youth:

(A) Crisis prevention or intervention.

(B) Drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse prevention or intervention.

(C) Foster care.

(D) Juvenile justice.

(E) Homelessness.

(F) Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights and social justice.

(G) Mental health.

(H) Youth with disabilities.

(e) The members of the California Youth Leadership Project Committee shall serve on a voluntary basis and shall not receive a salary.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 800, Sec. 7. (AB 413) Effective January 1, 2020.)

33427.
  

Duties of the California Youth Leadership Project Committee shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(a) Develop and provide applications for the California Youth Leadership Project scholarship and collect applications from youth who would like to apply.

(b) Determine ways to promote the program and make applications available.

(c) Establish criteria for the selection of youth, and make awards based on those criteria and the purposes of this chapter.

(d) Ensure that there is no discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, national origin, age, gender, marital status, disability, sex, or sexual orientation.

(e) Establish the time, location, and number of annual meetings of the committee. The committee shall meet no less than once each year.

(f) If necessary, enter into a mutually agreed upon interagency agreement with the department to carry out administrative duties related to the project.

(g) Submit an annual budget and report to the department.

(h) (1) Determine when there are sufficient funds to support the project. If the committee determines that there are insufficient funds to cover all costs, the activities of the California Youth Leadership Project shall cease.

(2) State funds shall not be used to support the California Youth Leadership Project except as provided in Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 18736) of Chapter 3 of Part 10.2 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 379, Sec. 2. (SB 803) Effective January 1, 2013.)

33428.
  

(a) The funds for the California Youth Leadership Project shall be allocated from the California Youth Leadership Fund pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 18736) of Chapter 3 of Part 10.2 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, or from private funds directed to the department and allocated to the California Youth Leadership Project Committee for the purpose of funding activities of the California Youth Leadership Project.

(b) The California Youth Leadership Project may accept gifts and grants from any source, public or private, to help perform its functions, pursuant to this article.

(c) The California Youth Leadership Project Committee shall have the authority to define its program and utilize its funds in any way necessary to carry out the duties of this article, including, but not limited to, partnering with nonprofit groups or state agencies to perform various duties required by this article, as long as the program or activity is not in violation of a state law or regulation.

(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 379, Sec. 2. (SB 803) Effective January 1, 2013.)

EDCEducation Code - EDC9.5.