S.B. 77

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MIDDLE SCHOOLS TASK FORCE
2 1998 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: David H. Steele
5 Lyle W. Hillyard
6 Scott N. Howell
Joseph L. Hull
Howard C. Nielson

7 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; CREATING A MIDDLE SCHOOLS TASK
8 FORCE; PROVIDING FOR MEMBERSHIP; PROVIDING DUTIES AND FOR AN
9 INTERIM REPORT; PROVIDING FOR A $24,500 APPROPRIATION; AND PROVIDING
10 A REPEAL DATE.
11 This act enacts uncodified material.
12 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
13 Section 1. Middle Schools Task Force -- Creation -- Membership -- Quorum -- Staff.
14 (1) (a) There is created the Middle Schools Task Force consisting of the following 15
15 members:
16 (i) three members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than two
17 of whom may be from the same political party;
18 (ii) five members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House
19 of Representatives, no more than three of whom may be from the same political party;
20 (iii) one member shall be from the governor's office;
21 (iv) one member shall be from the State Office of Education;
22 (v) one member shall be from the Utah School Boards Association;
23 (vi) one member shall be a middle school principal;
24 (vii) two members shall be middle school teachers, one of whom teaches in grade 7 and
25 one of whom teaches in grade 8; and
26 (viii) one member shall be a parent of a middle school student.
27 (b) The members listed in Subsections (1)(a)(iii) through (viii) shall be appointed by the

1 governor in consultation with the State Board of Education.
2 (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed under
3 Subsection (1)(a)(i) as a cochair of the task force.
4 (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
5 of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(a)(ii) as a cochair of the task force.
6 (3) (a) A majority of the members of the task force constitute a quorum.
7 (b) The action of a majority of a quorum constitutes the action of the task force.
8 (4) (a) Salaries and expenses of legislative members of the task force shall be paid in
9 accordance with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rule 15.03.
10 (b) Members of the task force who are not legislators receive no additional compensation
11 for their work associated with the task force.
12 (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support
13 to the task force.
14 Section 2. Duties -- Interim report.
15 (1) The task force shall review and make recommendations on the following issues related
16 to middle schools in the state's public education system:
17 (a) preparing teachers and administrators to be able to work effectively in middle schools;
18 (b) the need for and use of counselors and other support personnel in middle schools;
19 (c) class sizes at the middle school level;
20 (d) innovative and creative methods for delivering educational services, such as the use
21 of interdisciplinary teams in teaching;
22 (e) staff inservice and mentoring programs;
23 (f) restructuring of programs, which could include the reallocation of resources;
24 (g) discipline and safety concerns for both students and faculty; and
25 (h) any other related middle school issues formally approved by a majority of the task
26 force.
27 (2) A final report, including any proposed legislation, shall be presented to the Education
28 Interim Committee before December 31, 1998.
29 Section 3. Appropriation.
30 There is appropriated from the General Fund for fiscal year 1997-98:
31 (1) $3,500 to the Senate to pay for compensation and expenses of senators on the task

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1 force;
2 (2) $6,000 to the House of Representatives to pay for compensation and expenses of
3 representatives on the task force; and
4 (3) $15,000 to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to pay for staffing
5 the task force.
6 Section 4. Repeal date.
7 This act is repealed December 31, 1998.




Legislative Review Note
as of 11-20-97 1:14 PM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

Committee Note

The Education Interim Committee recommended this bill.

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