AB 215 — School employees: dismissal or suspension: hearings.

Summary

Existing law prohibits a permanent school employee from being dismissed, except for one or more of certain enumerated causes, including immoral or unprofessional conduct. This bill would also include egregious misconduct, as defined, as a basis for dismissal. Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to give notice to a permanent employee of its intention to dismiss or suspend the employee, together with a written statement of charges, at the expiration of 30 days from the date of service of the notice, unless the employee demands a hearing. This bill would additionally apply the above to egregious misconduct. The bill would authorize the governing board of a school district, if the governing board has given the above notice, based on written charges, to amend charges less than 90 days before the hearing on the charges only upon a showing of good cause. The bill would require that the employee be given a meaningful opportunity to respond to the amended charges. The bill would authorize proceedings, based solely on charges of egregious misconduct, to be initiated via an alternative process, which this bill would establish, as provided. Existing law prohibits the governing board of a school district from giving notice of dismissal or suspension of a permanent employee between May 15 and September 15 of any year. This bill would authorize any notice of dismissal or suspension to be given at any time of year, as provided. The bill would require a notice of dismissal or suspension given outside of the instructional year of the schoolsite where the employee is physically employed to be in writing and served personally upon the employee. The bill would also revise various procedures for providing a notice of dismissal or suspension, and would impose various requirements for the filing of a demand for a hearing and the conduct of hearings by the Office of Administrative Hearings. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to immediately suspend an employee and give him or her notice of dismissal upon the filing of written charges relating to immoral conduct, conviction of a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude, with incompetency due to mental disability, or with willful refusal to perform regular assignments without reasonable cause, as provided. This bill would authorize an employee who has been placed on suspension pursuant to the above provisions to serve and file with the Office of Administrative Hearings a motion for immediate reversal of suspension, as provided. Existing law provides that upon being charged, as specified, with certain sex or controlled substance offenses, a certificated employee be placed on either a compulsory leave of absence or an optional leave of absence for certain enumerated violations. This bill would revise the definitions of "charged with a mandatory leave of absence offense" and "charged with an optional leave of absence offense" for purposes of those provisions governing when a certificated employee is required to be placed on either a compulsory leave of absence or an optional leave of absence. Because these revisions would increase the number of employees subject to immediate placement on compulsory leave of absence, thereby increasing the duties of school districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires in a dismissal or suspension proceeding against a permanent employee, if a hearing is requested by the employee, that the hearing be commenced within 60 days from the date of the employee's demand for a hearing. This bill would, for dismissal or suspension proceedings that are not based solely on charges of egregious misconduct, require that the hearing be commenced within 6 months from the date of the employee's demand for a hearing, and be completed by a closing of the record within 7 months of the date of the employee's demand for a hearing. The bill would revise various procedures for the conduct of those hearings, as prescribed, including the authority to waive the conductibility of the hearing by a Commission on Professional Competence and instead have the hearing conducted by a single administrative law judge. The bill would require, in a dismissal or suspension proceeding carried out under the above provisions, that the parties make specified disclosures in lieu of certain written discovery, as prescribed, and would authorize the parties to obtain discovery by oral deposition. The bill would require the governing board of the school district and the state to share equally the expenses of the hearing if the Commission on Professional Competence determines that the employee should be dismissed or suspended. This bill would provide separate hearing procedures for dismissal or suspension proceedings that are based solely on charges of egregious misconduct, as provided. The bill would also make conforming changes to these provisions. 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 these statutory provisions.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 06/25/14 - Chaptered Current pdf June 25, 2014
• Enrolled 06/16/14 - Enrolled pdf June 16, 2014
• Amended 05/20/14 - Amended Senate pdf May 20, 2014
• Amended 05/12/14 - Amended Senate pdf May 12, 2014
• Amended 04/03/14 - Amended Senate pdf April 03, 2014
• Introduced 01/31/13 - Introduced pdf January 31, 2013
• AB215 View text html

Action History

1. June 25, 2014

   Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 55, Statutes of 2014.

2. June 25, 2014

   Approved by the Governor.

3. June 20, 2014

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11:45 a.m.

4. June 12, 2014

   Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 5491.).

5. June 09, 2014

   In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. May be considered on or after June 11 pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.

6. June 09, 2014

   Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 3780.).

7. May 27, 2014

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

8. May 23, 2014

   From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (May 23).

9. May 20, 2014

   From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.

10. May 19, 2014

    In committee: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

11. May 12, 2014

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

12. May 08, 2014

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 30).

13. April 22, 2014

    Re-referred to Com. on ED.

14. April 07, 2014

    Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

15. April 07, 2014

    Withdrawn from committee.

16. April 03, 2014

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E.Q.

17. May 21, 2013

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

18. May 15, 2013

    Referred to Com. on E.Q.

19. May 02, 2013

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

20. May 02, 2013

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 1216.)

21. April 18, 2013

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

22. April 17, 2013

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 17).

23. April 02, 2013

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: to consent calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

24. February 07, 2013

    Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

25. February 01, 2013

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 3.

26. January 31, 2013

    Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

• Block · Cosponsor
• Buchanan · Primary
• Correa · Cosponsor
• Liu · Cosponsor
• Monning · Cosponsor
• Olsen · Cosponsor
• Padilla · Cosponsor

Votes

Subjects