What is this bill about?
SB 1273 will eliminate the mandatory requirement that schools notify law enforcement for student behavior categorized as an assault or minor possession of cannabis or alcohol, protecting students from unnecessary contact with the criminal justice system.
How does it align with yli’s values?
yli partners with thousands of youth across the state, the majority of whom are low-income youth of color. Many of these young people have had profoundly traumatizing experiences with law enforcement – both directly and as witnesses to the brutal treatment of their peers. These incidents don’t just harm the individuals involved – they reverberate throughout the community, reinforcing the message that youth of color are criminals and are nowhere safe from police violence (see our Racial Justice Platform).
SB 1273 eliminates overreaching state mandates for school notification of law enforcement, encouraging schools to adopt non-punitive, trauma-informed, and health-based approaches to school-related behaviors. Additionally, the bill eliminates criminal penalties for school staff who fail to report incidents of alleged assaults or physical threats against school employees and repeals Education Code section 32210, which has been used to criminalize student behavior more appropriately handled through behavioral supports or school discipline.
What is yli doing about it?
We have just signed this letter of endorsement, and we are voicing our support on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Who else supports this request?
- ACLU CA Action (Sponsor)
- Alliance for Boys and Men of Color (Sponsor)
- Black Organizing Project (Sponsor)
- Black Parallel School Board (Sponsor)
- Coleman Advocates for Children & Youth (Sponsor)
- Disability Rights California (Sponsor)
- Dolores Huerta Foundation (Sponsor)
- East Bay Community Law Center (Sponsor)
- Public Counsel (Sponsor)