Pupil discipline: expulsions: procedures.

Assembly Member Bonta's legislation revises California's student expulsion procedures by establishing new requirements for rehabilitation plans and readmission processes. The bill mandates that school districts provide expelled students with individualized rehabilitation plans that include periodic reviews and preliminary readmission assessments at least 45 days before the expulsion term ends.

Under the new provisions, school districts must assist students in accessing resources needed to complete rehabilitation requirements and cannot deny readmission due to financial constraints or lack of transportation. Districts are prohibited from charging families for rehabilitation-related costs or services. The legislation also modifies readmission criteria, allowing districts to extend expulsions only if students fail to meet rehabilitation requirements despite having access to necessary resources, or if they continue to exhibit documented behaviors that led to the original expulsion.

The bill expands requirements for county-level educational service plans for expelled students, mandating the inclusion of special education accommodations, multiple program options, and transition support services. Districts must maintain additional data on expulsions, including average term lengths and extension rates. These changes create new administrative responsibilities for school districts and county offices of education, with provisions for state reimbursement of associated costs.