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Bill to require schools and colleges to notify campus communities of immigration-enforcement presence advances
Summary
SB 98 would require K–12 districts and higher-education campuses to notify students, staff and parents when immigration-enforcement agents are present; the committee passed the bill to Higher Education.
Senator Perez introduced SB 98, known in committee as the SAFE Act, which would require K–12 schools and higher-education institutions to notify students, staff and parents when immigration-enforcement agents are present on or near campus. The Education Committee passed the measure to the Higher Education Committee.
Perez said there is no existing statutory requirement for administrators to inform campus communities when immigration officers are on site; supporters said timely notification helps prevent panic, protect attendance and allow schools to respond to protect students’ access to education.
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and student witnesses — including representatives of the California Community Colleges student senate — testified in support, describing attendance declines and shifts to online instruction caused by fear of enforcement. Supporters included county offices of education, unions and student groups from the University of California and Cal State systems.
The committee voted to pass SB 98 to the Higher Education Committee; the recorded tally later showed the bill out of committee on a 7-2 vote.
