There is hereby created in the Office of Emergency Services the Comprehensive Alcohol and Drug Prevention Education component of the Suppression of Drug Abuse in Schools Program in public elementary schools in grades 4 to 6, inclusive. Notwithstanding Section 13861 or any other provision in this code, all Comprehensive Alcohol and Drug Prevention Education component funds made available to the Office of Emergency Services in accordance with the Classroom Instructional Improvement and Accountability Act shall be administered by and disbursed to county superintendents of schools in this state by the Director of Emergency Services. All applications for that funding shall be reviewed and evaluated by the Office of Emergency Services, in consultation with the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department of Education.

(a) The Director of Emergency Services is authorized to allocate and award funds to county department superintendents of schools for allocation to individual school districts or to a consortium of two or more school districts. Applications funded under this section shall comply with the criteria, policies, and procedures established under subdivision (b) of this section.

(b) As a condition of eligibility for the funding described in this section, the school district or consortium of school districts shall have entered into an agreement with a local law enforcement agency to jointly implement a comprehensive alcohol and drug abuse prevention, intervention, and suppression program developed by the Office of Emergency Services, in consultation with the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department of Education, containing all of the following components:

(1) A standardized age-appropriate curriculum designed for pupils in grades 4 to 6, inclusive, specifically tailored and sensitive to the socioeconomic and ethnic characteristics of the target pupil population. Although new curricula shall not be required to be developed, existing curricula may be modified and adapted to meet local needs. The elements of the standardized comprehensive alcohol and drug prevention education program curriculum shall be defined and approved by the Governor’s Policy Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, as established by Executive Order No. D-70-80.

(2) A planning process that includes assessment of the school district’s characteristics, resources, and the extent of problems related to juvenile drug abuse, and input from local law enforcement agencies.

(3) A school district governing board policy that provides for a coordinated intervention system that, at a minimum, includes procedures for identification, intervention, and referral of at-promise alcohol- and drug-involved youth, and identifies the roles and responsibilities of law enforcement, school personnel, parents, and pupils.

(4) Early intervention activities that include, but are not limited to, the identification of pupils who are high risk or have chronic drug abuse problems, assessment, and referral for appropriate services, including ongoing support services.

(5) Parent education programs to initiate and maintain parental involvement, with an emphasis for parents of at-risk pupils.

(6) Staff and in-service training programs, including both indepth training for the core team involved in providing program services and general awareness training for all school faculty and administrative, credentialed, and noncredentialed school personnel.

(7) In-service training programs for local law enforcement officers.

(8) School, law enforcement, and community involvement to ensure coordination of program services. Pursuant to that coordination, the school district or districts and other local agencies are encouraged to use a single community advisory committee or task force for drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse prevention programs, as an alternative to the creation of a separate group for that purpose under each state or federally funded program.

(c) The application of the county superintendent of schools shall be submitted to the Office of Emergency Services. Funds made available to the Office of Emergency Services for allocation under this section are intended to enhance, but shall not supplant, local funds that would, in the absence of the Comprehensive Alcohol and Drug Prevention Education component, be made available to prevent, intervene in, or suppress drug abuse among schoolage children. For districts that are already implementing a comprehensive drug abuse prevention program for pupils in grades 4 to 6, inclusive, the county superintendent shall propose the use of the funds for drug prevention activities in school grades other than 4 to 6, inclusive, compatible with the program components of this section. The expenditure of funds for that alternative purpose shall be approved by the Director of Emergency Services.

(1) Unless otherwise authorized by the Office of Emergency Services, each county superintendent of schools shall be the fiscal agent for any Comprehensive Alcohol and Drug Prevention Education component award, and shall be responsible for ensuring that each school district within that county receives the allocation prescribed by the Office of Emergency Services. Each county superintendent shall develop a countywide plan that complies with program guidelines and procedures established by the Office of Emergency Services pursuant to subdivision (d). A maximum of 5 percent of the county’s allocation may be used for administrative costs associated with the project.

(2) Each county superintendent of schools shall establish and chair a local coordinating committee to assist the superintendent in developing and implementing a countywide implementation plan. This committee shall include the county drug administrator, law enforcement executives, school district governing board members and administrators, school faculty, parents, and drug prevention and intervention program executives selected by the superintendent and approved by the county board of supervisors.

(d) The Director of Emergency Services, in consultation with the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department of Education, shall prepare and issue guidelines and procedures for the Comprehensive Alcohol and Drug Prevention Education component consistent with this section.

(e) The Comprehensive Alcohol and Drug Prevention Education component guidelines shall set forth the terms and conditions upon which the Office of Emergency Services is prepared to award grants of funds pursuant to this section. The guidelines shall not constitute rules, regulations, orders, or standards of general application.

(f) Funds awarded under the Comprehensive Alcohol and Drug Prevention Education Program shall not be subject to Section 10318 of the Public Contract Code.

(g) Funds available pursuant to Item 8100-111-001 and Provision 1 of Item 8100-001-001 of the Budget Act of 1989, or the successor provision of the appropriate Budget Act, shall be allocated to implement this section.

(h) The Director of Emergency Services shall collaborate, to the extent possible, with other state agencies that administer drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse prevention education programs to streamline and simplify the process whereby local educational agencies apply for drug, alcohol, and tobacco education funding under this section and under other state and federal programs. The Office of Emergency Services, the State Department of Health Care Services, the State Department of Education, and other state agencies, to the extent possible, shall develop joint policies and collaborate planning in the administration of drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse prevention education programs.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 800, Sec. 23. (AB 413) Effective January 1, 2020.)