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H.B. 101

             1     

FEE WAIVER REIMBURSEMENTS

             2     
2007 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Jack R. Draxler

             5     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill establishes state reimbursement of school fee waivers.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    establishes state reimbursement of school fee waivers;
             13          .    requires the State Board of Education to adopt administrative rules;
             14          .    prescribes conditions for school districts and charter schools to receive the
             15      reimbursement; and
             16          .    makes technical changes.
             17      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             18          None
             19      Other Special Clauses:
             20          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2007.
             21      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             22      AMENDS:
             23          53A-12-103, as last amended by Chapter 119, Laws of Utah 2005
             24     
             25      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             26          Section 1. Section 53A-12-103 is amended to read:
             27           53A-12-103. Waiver of fees.



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


             59          (4) With regard to children who are in the custody of the Division of Child and Family
             60      Services who are also eligible under Title IV-E of the federal Social Security Act, a local
             61      school [boards] board or charter school governing board shall require fee waivers or
             62      alternatives in accordance with Subsections (1) through (3).
             63          (5) (a) The State Board of Education shall reimburse a school district or charter school
             64      for the actual cost of fee waivers granted to eligible students in grades seven through twelve
             65      pursuant to this section, except that the reimbursement amount per eligible student may not
             66      exceed the fee waiver schedule amount in place in that school district or charter school at the
             67      beginning of the 2006-07 school year.
             68          (b) A school district or charter school may only receive a reimbursement under this
             69      Subsection (5) if the school district or charter school complies with rules adopted pursuant to
             70      Subsection (6).
             71          [(5)] (6) In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking
             72      Act, the State Board of Education shall make rules:
             73          (a) requiring a parent or guardian of a student applying for a fee waiver to provide
             74      documentation and certification to the school verifying:
             75          (i) the student's eligibility to receive the waiver; and
             76          (ii) that the alternatives for satisfying the fee requirements under Subsection (2) have
             77      been complied with to the fullest extent reasonably possible according to the individual
             78      circumstances of both the fee waiver applicant and the school; [and]
             79          (b) specifying the acceptable forms of documentation for the requirement under
             80      Subsection [(5)] (6)(a), which shall include verification based on income tax returns or current
             81      pay stubs[.];
             82          (c) specifying procedures for the application for and distribution of funds under
             83      Subsection (5); and
             84          (d) requiring that a school district or charter school receiving funds pursuant to this
             85      section:
             86          (i) classify revenues collected and expended at the school level in accordance with a
             87      uniform chart of accounts;
             88          (ii) separately identify revenues from fees;
             89          (iii) separately identify how revenues from fees are expended;


             90          (iv) report revenues collected and expended at the school level:
             91          (A) to the state superintendent, for inclusion in the annual report of the state
             92      superintendent provided by Section 53A-1-301 ; and
             93          (B) as part of the annual audit report required under Section 51-2a-201 ; and
             94          (v) fully allocate reimbursement funds to affected schools in proportion to the amount
             95      of fee waivers granted.
             96          [(6)] (7) Notwithstanding the requirements under [Subsection (5)] Subsections (6)(a)
             97      and (b), a school is not required to keep documentation on file after the verification is
             98      completed.
             99          Section 2. Effective date.
             100          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2007.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-4-07 10:57 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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