AB 1729 Summary

• Authorizes superintendents and principals to use age-appropriate alternatives to suspension or expulsion designed to address specific student misbehavior.

• Requires suspension to be imposed only when other means of correction fail, except for first offenses involving weapons, drugs, robbery, extortion, or threats to school safety.

• Establishes documented alternatives including conferences with parents, counseling referrals, restorative justice programs, positive behavior support approaches, and after-school programs addressing behavioral issues.

• Allows school districts to document alternative correction methods used and place documentation in student records for future reference.

• Reflects legislative intent that alternatives to exclusion be used for truant, tardy, or absent students.