Senate Bill 2049

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 12 OF CHAPTER 508, LAWS OF 2005, TO EXTEND FOR ONE YEAR THE DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND REPORT ON THE FEASIBILITY OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL CONCEPT IN MISSISSIPPI; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 12 of Chapter 508, Laws of 2005, is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 12. (1) There is created and continued a commission to study and report on the feasibility of the charter school concept in the State of Mississippi through best practiced innovations. The commission's study and report shall include, at a minimum:

(a) An assessment of the educational, economical, cultural and social impact of establishing a comprehensive charter school system for Mississippi's traditional public schools;

(b) An evaluation of the specific standards applied during the application process of a charter school system;

(d) An analysis of the cost impact that a charter school program will have upon state and local budgets.

(2) The commission shall be composed of the following thirteen (13) members:

(a) The Chairman of the Education Committee of the Mississippi House of Representatives;

(b) Two (2) members of the Education Committee of the Mississippi House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House;

(d) The Chairman of the Education Committee of the Mississippi Senate;

(e) Two (2) members of the Education Committee of the Mississippi Senate, to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;

(f) The Chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the Mississippi Senate;

(g) The State Superintendent of Education, or his designee;

(h) Two (2) superintendents of education, to be appointed by the State Board of Education, one (1) to be a superintendent of a county public school district in this state and one (1) to be a superintendent of a municipal public school district in this state; and

(i) Two (2) parents of children enrolled in public schools in this state, to be appointed by the Governor.

(3) Appointments made in 2005 shall continue to serve on the commission and any unfilled appointments shall be made within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act, and the commission shall meet and organize * * * on a day to be designated jointly by the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor prior to July 1, 2006. All subsequent meetings of the commission shall be called on a day to be designated by the commission. At its first meeting, the commission shall elect a chairman and vice chairman from its membership, and shall adopt rules for transacting its business and keeping records. All meetings of the commission shall be open to the public and shall provide an opportunity for any interested citizen to be heard and to participate. Notice of the time, date and place of any meeting of the commission shall be announced and made available to the news media at least seven (7) days before the meeting.

(4) All agencies, departments, divisions, boards, bureaus, commissions or institutions of the state, or of any political subdivision thereof, at the request of the chairman of the commission, shall provide to the commission such facilities, assistance and data as will enable the commission to properly carry out its duties.

(5) Members of the commission may not be compensated for the performance of their duties.

(6) The commission shall complete and submit a report of its work and recommendations to the Legislature and to the Governor on or before December 1, 2006. After the presentation of its report to the Legislature and the Governor, the commission shall be dissolved.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.