H.B. 425

This document includes House Floor Amendments incorporated into the bill on Mon, Mar 10, 2014 at 8:13 PM by lerror. -->              1     

STATE EDUCATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY ACT

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Steve Eliason

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Margaret Dayton

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies and enacts provisions relating to federal funding of education
             10      programs.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    defines a term;
             14          .    prohibits a local school official from entering into certain agreements related to
             15      federal funding of education programs under certain circumstances;
             16          .    establishes a penalty;
             17          .    requires the State Board of Education to report a violation of the prohibition to the
             18      Education Interim Committee; and
             19          .    makes technical changes.
             20      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          None
             22      Other Special Clauses:
             23          None
             24      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             25      AMENDS:
             26           53A-1-902 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 112
             27           53A-1-903 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 342


             28      ENACTS:
             29           53A-1-910 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             30     
             31      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             32          Section 1. Section 53A-1-902 is amended to read:
             33           53A-1-902. Definitions.
             34          As used in this part:
             35          (1) (a) "Cost" means an estimation of state and local money required to implement a
             36      federal education agreement.
             37          (b) "Cost" does not include capital costs associated with implementing a federal
             38      education agreement.
             39          (2) "Education entities" means the entities that may bear the state and local costs of
             40      implementing a federal program, including:
             41          (a) the State Board of Education;
             42          (b) the state superintendent and the State Office of Education;
             43          (c) a local school board;
             44          (d) a school district and its schools;
             45          (e) a charter school governing board; and
             46          (f) a charter school.
             47          (3) "Federal education agreement" means a legally binding document or representation
             48      that requires a school official to implement a federal program that originates from the U.S.
             49      Department of Education and that has, as a primary focus, an impact on the educational
             50      services at a district or charter school.
             51          (4) "Federal programs" include:
             52          (a) the No Child Left Behind Act;
             53          (b) the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, Public Law
             54      105-17, and subsequent amendments; and
             55          (c) other federal educational programs.
             56          (5) "Local school official" includes a:
             57          (a) local school board;
             58          (b) school district's superintendent, business administrator, and employees; and


             59          (c) charter school's governing board members, administrators, and employees.
             60          [(5)] (6) "No Child Left Behind Act" means the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20
             61      U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.
             62          [(6)] (7) "School official" includes:
             63          (a) the State Board of Education;
             64          (b) the state superintendent;
             65          (c) employees of the State Board of Education and the state superintendent;
             66          (d) local school boards;
             67          (e) school district superintendents and employees; and
             68          (f) charter school board members, administrators, and employees.
             69          Section 2. Section 53A-1-903 is amended to read:
             70           53A-1-903. Federal programs -- School official duties.
             71          (1) School officials may:
             72          (a) except as provided in Section 53A-1-910, apply for, receive, and administer funds
             73      made available through programs of the federal government;
             74          (b) only expend federal funds for the purposes for which they are received and are
             75      accounted for by the state, school district, or charter school; and
             76          (c) reduce or eliminate a program created with or expanded by federal funds to the
             77      extent allowed by law when federal funds for that program are subsequently reduced or
             78      eliminated.
             79          (2) School officials shall:
             80          (a) prioritize resources, especially to resolve conflicts between federal provisions or
             81      between federal and state programs, including:
             82          (i) providing first priority to meeting state goals, objectives, program needs, and
             83      accountability systems as they relate to federal programs; and
             84          (ii) providing second priority to implementing federal goals, objectives, program needs,
             85      and accountability systems that do not directly and simultaneously advance state goals,
             86      objectives, program needs, and accountability systems;
             87          (b) interpret the provisions of federal programs in the best interest of students in this
             88      state;
             89          (c) maximize local control and flexibility;


             90          (d) minimize additional state resources that are diverted to implement federal programs
             91      beyond the federal money that is provided to fund the programs;
             92          (e) request changes to federal educational programs, especially programs that are
             93      underfunded or provide conflicts with other state or federal programs, including:
             94          (i) federal statutes;
             95          (ii) federal regulations; and
             96          (iii) other federal policies and interpretations of program provisions; and
             97          (f) seek waivers from all possible federal statutes, requirements, regulations, and
             98      program provisions from federal education officials to:
             99          (i) maximize state flexibility in implementing program provisions; and
             100          (ii) receive reasonable time to comply with federal program provisions.
             101          (3) The requirements of school officials under this part, including the responsibility to
             102      lobby federal officials, are not intended to mandate school officials to incur costs or require the
             103      hiring of lobbyists, but are intended to be performed in the course of school officials' normal
             104      duties.
             105          Section 3. Section 53A-1-910 is enacted to read:
             106          53A-1-910. H. [ State Board of Education approval of local ] Local .H school
             106a      official federal
             107      education agreements H. prohibition .H -- Reporting of notified violations -- Penalty.
             108          (1) On or after May 13, 2014, a local school official may not enter into a federal
             109      education agreement H. [ to receive $50,000 or more in federal funds without approval from the
             110      State Board of Education.
] if the State Board of Education has disallowed participation in the

             110a      federal program implemented in the federal education agreement. .H
             111          (2) If a local school official violates Subsection (1), the State Board of Education:
             112          (a) shall report the violation to the Education Interim Committee at the first Education
             113      Interim Committee meeting held after 30 days following the day on which the State Board of
             114      Education received notice of the violation; and
             115          (b) may reduce state money to be distributed to the local school official's school district
             116      or charter school by an amount up to two times the amount of federal money that the local
             117      school official's school district or charter school H. [ has ] .H received under the federal education
             118      agreement that violates Subsection (1).





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    as of 2-26-14 4:47 PM


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