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First Substitute H.B. 68

Representative LaWanna Lou Shurtliff proposes the following substitute bill:

             1      SCHOOL FEE WAIVER AMENDMENTS
             2      2006 GENERAL SESSION
             3      STATE OF UTAH
             4      Chief Sponsor: LaWanna Lou Shurtliff
             5      Senate Sponsor: ____________
             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill provides compensation to school districts and charter schools for impacts of
             10      fee waivers.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    appropriates money to compensate school districts and charter schools for impacts
             14      of fee waivers;
             15          .    allows school districts and charter schools to receive up to $40 per student given a
             16      fee waiver;
             17          .    beginning on July 1, 2008, makes compensation for impacts of fee waivers
             18      contingent upon compliance with certain financial reporting requirements; and
             19          .    directs the State Board of Education to make rules.
             20      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          This bill appropriates:
             22          .    as an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, $1,500,000 from
             23      the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2006-07 to the State Board of Education.
             24      Other Special Clauses:
             25          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2006.

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             26      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             27      AMENDS:
             28          53A-12-103, as last amended by Chapter 119, Laws of Utah 2005
             29     
             30      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             31          Section 1. Section 53A-12-103 is amended to read:
             32           53A-12-103. Waiver of fees.
             33          (1) (a) A local school board or charter school governing board shall require, as part of
             34      an authorization granted under Section 53A-12-102 , that adequate waivers or other provisions
             35      are available to ensure that no student is denied the opportunity to participate because of an
             36      inability to pay the required fee, deposit, or charge.
             37          (b) (i) If, however, a student must repeat a course or requires remediation to advance or
             38      graduate and a fee is associated with the course or the remediation program, it is presumed that
             39      the student will pay the fee.
             40          (ii) If the student or the student's parent or guardian is financially unable to pay the fee,
             41      the board shall provide for alternatives to waiving the fee, which may include installment
             42      payments and school or community service or work projects for the student.
             43          (iii) In cases of extreme financial hardship or where the student has suffered a
             44      long-term illness, [or] death in the family, or other major emergency and where installment
             45      payments and the imposition of a service or work requirement would not be reasonable, the
             46      student may receive a partial or full waiver of the fee required under Subsection (1)(b)(i).
             47          (iv) The waiver provisions in Subsections (2) and (3) apply to all other fees, deposits,
             48      and charges made in the secondary schools.
             49          (2) (a) [The board shall require each] Each school [in the district] that charges a fee
             50      under this chapter [to] shall provide a variety of alternatives for satisfying the fee requirement
             51      to those who qualify for fee waivers, in addition to the outright waiver of the fee.
             52          (b) The local school board or charter school governing board shall develop and provide
             53      a list of alternatives [for the schools], including such options as allowing the student to
             54      provide:
             55          (i) tutorial assistance to other students;
             56          (ii) assistance before or after school to teachers and other school personnel on school

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             57      related matters; and
             58          (iii) general community or home service.
             59          (c) Each school may add to the list of alternatives provided by the board, subject to
             60      approval by the board.
             61          (3) A local school board or charter school governing board may establish policies
             62      providing for partial fee waivers or other alternatives for those students who, because of
             63      extenuating circumstances, are not in a financial position to pay the entire fee.
             64          (4) With regard to children who are in the custody of the Division of Child and Family
             65      Services who are also eligible under Title IV-E of the federal Social Security Act, local school
             66      boards and charter school governing boards shall require fee waivers or alternatives in
             67      accordance with Subsections (1) through (3).
             68          (5) In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
             69      State Board of Education shall make rules:
             70          (a) requiring a parent or guardian of a student applying for a fee waiver to provide
             71      documentation and certification to the school verifying:
             72          (i) the student's eligibility to receive the waiver; and
             73          (ii) that the alternatives for satisfying the fee requirements under Subsection (2) have
             74      been complied with to the fullest extent reasonably possible according to the individual
             75      circumstances of both the fee waiver applicant and the school; and
             76          (b) specifying the acceptable forms of documentation for the requirement under
             77      Subsection (5)(a), which shall include verification based on income tax returns or current pay
             78      stubs.
             79          (6) Notwithstanding the requirements under Subsection (5), a school is not required to
             80      keep documentation on file after the verification is completed.
             81          (7) (a) The State Board of Education shall distribute funds appropriated to compensate
             82      school districts and charter schools for impacts of fee waivers as provided in this Subsection
             83      (7).
             84          (b) The State Board of Education shall distribute the funds to school districts and
             85      charter schools on the basis of the number of students given fee waivers in each school district
             86      and charter school.
             87          (c) Each school district and charter school shall receive up to $40 for each student

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             88      given a fee waiver, but a school district or charter school may not receive an amount per
             89      student that exceeds the school district's or charter school's average fee waiver.
             90          (d) The State Board of Education shall make rules specifying procedures for the
             91      application for and distribution of funds under this Subsection (7).
             92          (e) Beginning on July 1, 2008, a school district or charter school may not receive a
             93      distribution of funds under this Subsection (7) unless the school district or charter school
             94      accounts for revenues collected and expended at the school level in accordance with rules of
             95      the State Board of Education which shall:
             96          (i) require that revenues collected and expended at the school level be classified in
             97      accordance with a uniform chart of accounts;
             98          (ii) provide for the identification of revenues from fees and how fees are expended; and
             99          (iii) require that revenues collected and expended at the school level be:
             100          (A) reported to the state superintendent for inclusion in the annual report of the state
             101      superintendent provided by Section 53A-1-301 ; and
             102          (B) included in the annual audit report required under Section 51-2a-201 .
             103          Section 2. Appropriation.
             104          As an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, there is appropriated
             105      from the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2006-07, $1,500,000 to the State Board of
             106      Education to compensate school districts and charter schools for impacts of fee waivers as
             107      provided by Section 53A-12-103 .
             108          Section 3. Effective date.
             109          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2006.

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