December 31, 1999
No. 99 - 37

[Stats. 1999, Chapter 996
(SB 334, Alpert)]

Amends numerous Education Code Sections

The new law eliminates the sunset date on the requirement that schools develop school safety plans. The statute requires that the safety plans be reviewed and updated annually. The statute also requires that, commencing July 1, 2000, each school report on the status of its school safety plan in its annual school accountability report card.

The new law also establishes the School Safety and Violence Prevention Strategy Program to award grants on a competitive basis to schools demonstrating a collaborative and coordinated approach for implementing a comprehensive school safety and violence prevention strategy.

Governor Davis signed this bill but vetoed the $5 Million appropriation to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to carry out the program. He explained the line-item veto: "I approved a $100 million augmentation in the 1999 Budget Act for school safety to fund school district safety initiatives such as school counselors, school psychologist, fencing, and video cameras"; therefore, he reasoned, the additional expenditure was not necessary.