Assembly Bill AB 170

BILL NUMBER: AB 170 AMENDED

BILL TEXT

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 17, 2007

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 10, 2007

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 28, 2007

INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Saldana

(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Plescia)

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Adams, Beall, Blakeslee, DeVore, Garrick, Jeffries, Krekorian, Mendoza, Sharon Runner, Salas and Wolk( Coauthor: Senator Hollingsworth )

JANUARY 23, 2007

An act to add Section 8236.1 to the Education Code, relating to child care.

AB 170, as amended, Saldana. Child care: state preschool programs.

The Child Care and Development Services Act requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer state preschool programs according to specified funding priorities. The act requires that priority for receiving state preschool services be given to low-income families who meet eligibility standards established by the Superintendent.

This bill would exclude the amount of the basic allowance for housing provided to an individual serving in active duty who is on federal active duty, state active duty, active duty for special work, or Active Guard and Reserve duty in the military that is equal to the lowest rate of the allowance for the military housing area in which the individual resides from income for purposes of determining eligibility for state preschool services.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.

State-mandated local program: no.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) California is home to a large number of military personnel, including 150,000 active duty personnel.

(2) Military families are a unique population with unique circumstances. The children of military families face constant transition, including family mobility and parental deployment.

(3) Military families move more than twice as often as civilian families. Forty percent of officers and 60 percent of enlisted personnel move during the school year. Thus, the lower the rank of the military family member, the more often the family moves.

(4) During a time of war, military families endure the strains of long-term separation as one or both parents may be deployed overseas.

(5) During parental deployment children are often anxious, stressed, and confused. Preschools can be a place where stability and routine can provide security. The classroom routine helps to cushion the impact of parental deployment.

(6) Preschool can be a determining factor in the early academic success of a pupil from a military family by providing educational enrichment, as well as a stable and nurturing learning environment.

(b) Given these special circumstances, it is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to ensure that military families have access to the preschool services that their children need.

SECTION 1. SEC. 2. Section 8236.1 is added to the Education Code, to read:

8236.1. For purposes of determining eligibility for state preschool services pursuant to this article, the income of an individual serving in active duty who is on federal active duty, state active duty, active duty for special work, or Active Guard and Reserve duty in the military does not include the amount of the basic allowance for housing pursuant to Section 403 of Title 37 of the United States Code provided to the individual that is equal to the lowest rate of the allowance for the military housing area in which the individual resides.