H.B. 209

1

TASK FORCE ON SCHOOL DISTRICT SIZE
2 1999 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: David N. Cox
5 Marlon O. Snow

6 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; CREATING THE TASK FORCE ON
7 SCHOOL DISTRICT SIZE; PROVIDING FOR MEMBERSHIP; DELINEATING
8 RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROCEDURES; PROVIDING A REPORTING DATE;
9 APPROPRIATING $29,500 FROM THE GENERAL FUND; AND PROVIDING A REPEAL
10 DATE.
11 This act enacts uncodified material.
12 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
13 Section 1. Task Force on School District Size -- Creation -- Membership -- Interim
14 rules followed -- Compensation -- Staff.
15 (1) There is created the Task Force on School District Size consisting of the following
16 h [ eight ] S [ ELEVEN ] h TWELVE s members:
17 (a) three members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than
18 two of whom may be from the same political party; h [ and ] h
19 (b) five members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House
20 of Representatives, no more than three of whom may be from the same political party h ; AND
20a (c) THREE MEMBERS APPOINTED AS FOLLOWS:
20b (i) ONE MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE UTAH SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION;
20c (ii) ONE MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE UTAH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION;
20d S(III) ONE MEMBER APPOINTED FROM THE UTAH STATE PARENT TEACHERS ASSOCIATION s
20e AND
20f S [ (iii) ] (iv) s THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION OR
20g THE SUPERINTENDENT'S DESIGNEE h
21 (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed under
22 Subsection (1)(a) as a cochair of the task force.
23 (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
24 of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(b) as a cochair of the task force.
25 (3) In conducting its business, the task force shall comply with the rules of legislative
26 interim committees.
27 (4) h (a) h Salaries and expenses of the h LEGISLATIVE h members of the task force shall
27a be paid in
27a accordance with

28 Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rule 15.03.
28a h (b) NONLEGISLATIVE MEMBERS SHALL SERVE WITHOUT COMPENSATION BUT MAY BE
28b REIMBURSED FOR EXPENSES AND MILEAGE AS ESTABLISHED BY THE DIVISION OF FINANCE. h
29 (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support to
30 the task force.
31 Section 2. Duties -- Interim report.
32 (1) The task force shall review and make recommendations on the following issues:
33 (a) the size of public school districts in the state as related to responsiveness to local
34 patrons, including whether an optimum size or a mechanism for creating h [ smaller ] h districts out
34a of
35 h [ larger ] h existing districts should be established in statute;
36 (b) the benefits of having smaller school districts and smaller schools within those
37 districts; h [ and ]
37a (c) THE BENEFITS OF CONSOLIDATING SMALLER DISTRICTS;
37b (d) PROCESSES THAT FACILITATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT; h
38 h [ (c) ] (e) h the potential for any increased h OR DECREASED h costs associated with
38a having smaller districts and
39 smaller schools, and how those costs, if h [ any ] INCREASED h , could be mitigated.
40 (2) A final report, including any proposed legislation shall be presented to the Education
41 Interim Committee before November 30, 1999.
42 Section 3. Appropriation.
43 Except as provided in H.B. 4, Appropriations Coordination Act, there is appropriated from
44 the General Fund for fiscal year 1998-99:
45 (1) $3,500 to the Senate to pay for the compensation and expenses of senators on the task
46 force;
47 (2) $6,000 to the House of Representatives to pay for the compensation and expenses of
48 representatives on the task force; and
49 (3) $20,000 to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to pay for staffing
50 the task force.
51 Section 4. Repeal date.
52 This act is repealed November 30, 1999.



Legislative Review Note
as of 12-29-98 2:15 PM

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

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel