SB 2296

This bill establishes a task force for educational leadership composed of members of the general assembly selected by the speakers, representatives from the office of the governor selected by the governor, representatives from the department of education selected by the commis sioner, and the attorney general. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN This bill requires the task force , within 120 days from the effective date of this bill , to publish a comprehensive plan to assume full responsibility for education programs currently administered by the United States department of education, including Title funds, special education, and civil rights. The plan must include, at a minimum , (i) s tatutory changes required to assume administrative control over federal education programs; ( ii ) r ecommended waivers, transfers, or block grants to be requested from the federal government; ( iii ) i dentification of federal education mandates that the state will decline to administer on grounds that the mandate should not be statutorily required; and ( iv ) l egislation suitable for immediate introduction. REVIEW BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION This bill requires the department of education , within 60 days of the effective date of this bill , to conduct an inventory of all existing federal education programs and grants administered by this state, including the funding amounts, statutory authority, and reporting requirements, and submit the inventory to the general assembly. REVIEW BY ATTORNEY GENERAL This bill requires the attorney general, within 60 days of the effective date of this bill , to conduct a review of all state statutes and rules that reference or incorporate federal education statutes or regulations. IMPLEMENTATION This bill requires members of the general assembly serving on the task force to introduce legislation to implement the comprehensive plan within 60 days following the date on which the comprehensive plan is published, or when the general assembly next convenes in a regular session, whichever occurs first. If the general assembly fails to enact legislation to implement the comprehensive plan within one year of its publication, then the department of education must administratively implement recommendations of the comprehensive plan that do not require statutory changes, to the extent permitted by law. WAIVER REQUESTS AND NEGOTIATIONS This bill authorizes t he task force to cooperate with other states to pursue joint waiver requests and coordinated negotiations with the United States department of education to accelerate the return of educational authority to this state. REPORT – TERMINATION OF TASK FORCE This bill requires the department of education to publish a report, no later than two years from the effective date of this bill , using metrics specified in the comprehensive plan to measure student outcomes, fiscal efficiency, and regulatory burdens, to allow the public to compare outcomes under new state educational leadership relative to earlier periods of federal education con trol. The task force for educational leadership ceases to exist the day after the department of education publishes the report .