STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, No. 3080

with Senate Floor Amendments

(Proposed by Senator RUIZ)

ADOPTED: MARCH 20, 2023

      This bill establishes the position of Youth Disconnection Prevention and Recovery Ombudsperson and establishes the “School Disconnection Prevention Task Force.”

      These Senate floor amendments change the membership of the task force from 25 to 23 by reducing the number of formerly disconnected individuals from two to one and reducing the number of community-based organizations from two to one. The amendments also modify the responsibilities of the task force to include conducting a landscape analysis of school disconnection in the State, and researching the potential to create an early warning system to prevent disconnection from school. Under the amendments, the task force would be required to submit its final report no later than one year after the task force organizes.  The amendments remove the requirement for the Governor or a designee to appear before Senate or Assembly committees if the Governor has not appointed a Youth Disconnection Prevention and Recovery Ombudsperson within one year of the effective date of the act.

      These Senate floor amendments also add an appropriation of $200,000 to effectuate the provisions of the bill.

      Finally, the amendments modify certain terminology, including changing guidance counselor to school counselor, changing students to individuals, and changing a reference to single parent households to parental engagement.