AACRE 2008 Legislative Agenda
AACRE-SPONSORED LEGISLATION
AB 1930 (Torrico) would require our state's emergency preparedness, response, and recovery systems to account for the needs of limited English proficient communities.
EXPANDING AND PROTECTING LANGUAGE RIGHTS
SB 305 (Ducheny) would allow English Learner students to take standards-based achievement test in their primary language, resulting in more accurate assessments of their academic achievement.
AB 512 (Lieber) would require certain residential loans that are negotiated in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean to be translated into the language in which the loan agreement was negotiated.
AB 891 (De La Torre) would require that in-language material be provided to the limited English proficient consumers so they can make informed choices about their telecommunication services prior to signing a contract.
SB 1523 (Kuehl) would improve language access for victims of domestic violence by requiring translated notices, improving trainings for law enforcement to communicate with limited English proficient individuals, and allowing interpreter services to be reimbursed for services provided during law enforcement investigation.
AB 2056 (De Leon) would authorize schools to use unexpended funds to provide intensive instruction and services for English language learners who are at risk of not passing one or both portions of the California High School Exit Examination.
AB 2340 (Arambula) would require the governing boards of school districts, to the extent practicable, to schedule adult ESL classes on days that would maximize the participation of working adults, including Saturday and Sunday.
AB 2531 (Mendoza) would require school and district assistance and intervention teams to possess a high degree of knowledge, skills, and expertise in meeting the curriculum and instructional needs of English language learners.
AB 2586 (Torrico) would provide protections, including translated written notices, for tenants living in homes going through foreclosure.
AB 2895 (Brownley) would include information regarding racial and ethnic subgroups in an evaluation of students who have been differentially affected by the high school exit examination.
AB 2974 (Solorio) would establish the English Language Learner Literacy and Accelerated English Language Acquisition Pilot Program and provide a comprehensive program of reading, language arts, and English language development designed for English language learners.
AB 3050 (Assembly Judiciary Committee) would create a pilot project for providing interpreters in civil courts for limited English proficient individuals.
ENDING DISCRIMINATION AND ADVANCING CIVIL RIGHTS
SB 1214 (Cedillo) would add social studies instruction regarding the unconstitutional deportation of citizens and lawful permanent residents to Mexico during the Great Depression.
AB 2204 (De La Torre) would require a title insurance company to strike any racist covenants, conditions, or restrictions from the deed or other instrument before the property is transferred.
AB 2567 (Leno) would require the Governor to proclaim May 22 of each year as Harvey Milk Day, and would encourage schools and educational institutions to conduct suitable commemorative and educational exercises on that date.
AB 2654 (Laird) would clarify and streamline nondiscrimination protections throughout California law.
AB 2660 (Furutani) would encourage social science instruction to discuss the role of Filipinos during World War II.
AB 2762 (Eng) would require schools to establish a protocol for reporting threats of violence that are made between students. In addition, the bill establishes a pilot project grant program to help integrate inter-group relations in the existing curriculum.
AB 2874 (Lieber) would delete the $150,000 limitation on actual damages that may be assessed against a hate crimes perpetrator.
PROMOTING IMMIGRANT RIGHTS
SB 28, 30, and 31 (Simitian) would provide protections of personal data in the use of radio-frequency identification technology in government-issued identification documents.
AB 515 (Lieber) would require the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to establish permissible exposure limits for workplace hazardous substances in order to protect workers, especially immigrant workers in low-wage industries, from exposure to toxic levels.
SB 1094 (Cedillo) would establish a California Office of Immigrant Affairs to promote the integration and civic participation of new citizens in the state.
SB 1301 (Cedillo) and AB 2083 (Nuñez) would allow AB 540 students to apply for institutional financial aid offered by California Community College, California State University, and University of California campuses.
AB 2327 (Caballero) would ensure that evacuees fleeing a disaster are able to secure assistance in a timely and effective manner. The bill recognizes that persons fleeing a disaster commonly lack or lose access to personal documents.
ADVOCATING FOR API COMMUNITY NEEDS
SB 1524 (Romero) would require CALPADS (a data system for K-12 students) to have the ability to disaggregate data related to API pupils in order to provide a more accurate view of academic achievement.