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The “opt-out” notification high school military recruiter bill co-sponsored by Bay Area Assemblymembers Loni Hancock and Sally Lieber has moved on to the California State Senate, but solid Republican opposition and lack of full Democratic support mean that the bill continues to have little chance of surviving a possible gubernatorial veto.  

The Hancock-Lieber notification bill passed the Assembly last week on a 45-33 vote, with Republicans voting in a block against it. In addition two Democrat Assemblymembers, Nicole Parra of the Central Valley and Tom Umberg of Anaheim, voted against the measure. 

The bill would require that high schools include an “opt out” military recruiter checkout box on the emergency information contact forms filled out every year by the state’s students and parents. 

Supporters of the bill estimate this would dramatically increase the number of students and parents who choose to prevent high schools from releasing the student’s contact information to military recruiters. 

Military recruiter access to student information is required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act unless the parent or student notifies the school that such access is not desired.