First Substitute S.B. 122

Senator Aaron Osmond proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
PARENTAL RIGHTS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Aaron Osmond

             5     
House Sponsor: Rich Cunningham

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill addresses certain rights of a parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a public
             10      school.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    specifies certain rights of a parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a public
             14      school; and
             15          .    requires a school district, charter school, or the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the
             16      Blind to annually notify a student's parent or guardian of certain rights.
             17      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             18          None
             19      Other Special Clauses:
             20          None
             21      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             22      ENACTS:
             23           53A-11-1501 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             24           53A-15-1502 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             25           53A-15-1503 , Utah Code Annotated 1953


             26     
             27      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             28          Section 1. Section 53A-11-1501 is enacted to read:
             29     
Part 15. Parental Rights

             30          53A-11-1501. Definitions.
             31          As used in this part:
             32          (1) "LEA" means a school district, charter school, or the Utah Schools for the Deaf and
             33      the Blind.
             34          (2) "Reasonably accommodate" means an LEA shall make its best effort to allow a
             35      parent or guardian to exercise a parental right specified in Section 53A-15-1503 :
             36          (a) without substantial impact to staff and resources; and
             37          (b) while balancing:
             38          (i) the parental rights of parents or guardians; and
             39          (ii) the educational needs of students.
             40          Section 2. Section 53A-15-1502 is enacted to read:
             41          53A-15-1502. Annual notice of parental rights.
             42          An LEA shall annually notify a parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the LEA of
             43      the parent's or guardian's rights as specified in this part.
             44          Section 3. Section 53A-15-1503 is enacted to read:
             45          53A-15-1503. Parental right to academic accommodations.
             46          (1) A student's parent or guardian is the primary person responsible for the education of
             47      the student, and the state is in a secondary and supportive role to the parent or guardian. As
             48      such, a student's parent or guardian has the right to reasonable academic accommodations from
             49      the student's LEA as specified in this section.
             50          (2) An LEA shall comply with a parent's or guardian's request to retain a student on
             51      grade level based on the student's academic ability or the student's social, emotional, or
             52      physical maturity.
             53          (3) An LEA shall reasonably accommodate a parent's or guardian's initial selection of a
             54      teacher or request for a change of teacher.
             55          (4) An LEA shall reasonably accommodate the request of a student's parent or guardian
             56      to visit and observe any class the student attends.


             57          (5) An LEA shall reasonably accommodate the request of a student's parent or guardian
             58      to excuse the student from attendance for a family vacation or visit to a health care provider,
             59      without obtaining a note from the provider, if the student completes all assignments and takes
             60      all assessments.
             61          (6) An LEA shall reasonably accommodate a parent's or guardian's determination of
             62      the level of rigor of a class or subject that a student is ready or able to experience.
             63          (7) Consistent with Section 53A-13-108, which requires the State Board of Education
             64      to establish graduation requirements that use competency-based standards and assessments, an
             65      LEA shall allow a student to earn course credit towards high school graduation without
             66      completing a course in school by:
             67          (a) testing out of the course; or
             68          (b) demonstrating competency in course standards.
             69          (8) An LEA shall reasonably accommodate a parent's or guardian's request to meet
             70      with a teacher if the parent or guardian is unable to attend a regularly scheduled parent teacher
             71      conference.
             72          (9) At the request of a student's parent or guardian, an LEA shall excuse the student
             73      from taking a test that is administered statewide or the National Assessment of Educational
             74      Progress.
             75          (10) (a) An LEA shall provide for the distribution of a copy of a school's discipline and
             76      conduct policy to each student in accordance with Section 53A-11-903 .
             77          (b) An LEA shall notify a parent or guardian of a student's violation of a school's
             78      discipline and conduct policy and allow a parent or guardian to respond to the notice in
             79      accordance with Chapter 11, Part 9, School Discipline and Conduct Plans.


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