AB 279

Introduced by Assembly Member Patel
An act to add Section 60605.14 to the Education Code, relating to school libraries.
school libraries
School libraries: model library standards.
Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt standards, rules, and regulations for school library services. Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission, among other duties, to recommend the adoption of minimum standards for courses of study in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools to the state board upon request. Existing law requires the courses of study in public schools to conform to those minimum standards when adopted.
This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2028, and every 8 years thereafter, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the state board, to consider recommending revisions to the standards for school library services to the state board. The bill would require, if the Superintendent decides to recommend revisions, the Superintendent to convene a
			 group of experts to assist the Superintendent in developing the recommended revisions. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the Instructional Quality Commission, to hold a minimum of 2 public hearings in order for the public to provide input on the recommended revisions. The bill would require the Superintendent, within 18 months of convening the experts, to present to the state board the revised content standards for school library services, which the state board is required to adopt, reject, or modify, as provided. The operation of the bill would be subject to an appropriation being made for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 60605.14 is added to the
Education Code
, to read:
60605.14.
(a) On or before July 1, 2028, and every eight years thereafter, the Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, shall consider recommending revisions to the standards for school library services developed pursuant to Section 18101.
(b) If the Superintendent decides to recommend revisions to the state board, the Superintendent shall convene a group of experts
						in the fields of literacy, technology, and media to assist the Superintendent in developing recommended revisions to the standards for school library services.
(1) The Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, shall select the experts and ensure that the group of experts includes, but is not necessarily limited to, all of the following:
(A) Teachers who work regularly with trending technologies, media literacy, artificial intelligence, and social media in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
(B) Credentialed teacher librarians.
(C) Schoolsite principals.
(D) School district or county office of education administrators.
(E) University professors.
(F) Representatives of private sector business or industry with a background in technology, media, and social media.
(G) Representatives from nonprofit organizations or institutions of higher education with expertise in multilingual learners, a background in multilingual education, or both.
(2) The Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, shall ensure that one-half of the members of the group of experts are credentialed teacher librarians.
(c) (1) The Superintendent, in consultation with the Instructional Quality Commission, shall hold a minimum of two public hearings in order for the public to provide input on the revisions recommended pursuant to this section.
(2) The public hearings and meetings required by this subdivision shall be held pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
(d) Within 18 months of convening the experts pursuant to subdivision (b), the Superintendent shall present to the state board the revised content standards for school library services.
(e) (1) Within four
						months of presenting the revised content standards to the state board, the state board shall adopt, reject, or modify any revisions to the content standards.
(2) If the state board modifies the revised content standards recommended by the Superintendent pursuant to paragraph (1), the state board shall, in a meeting conducted pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, provide written reasons for its revisions. The state board shall not adopt revised content standards at the same meeting it provides its written reasons, but shall instead adopt these revisions at a subsequent meeting.
(3) If the state board rejects the revised standards for school library services recommended by the Superintendent pursuant to paragraph (1), the state board shall transmit to the Superintendent, the
						Governor, and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, consistent with Section 9795 of the Government Code, a specific written explanation of the reasons for the rejection of the revised content standards presented by the Superintendent.
(f) The operation of this section is subject to an appropriation being made for purposes of this section in the annual Budget Act or another statute.