H. R. 4850—27
Stat. 593), is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2004’’ and
inserting ‘‘September 30, 2005’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Emergency
Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003.
SEC. 337. (a) Section 106(b) of the District of Columbia Public
Works Act of 1954 (sec. 34–2401.25(b), D.C. Official Code) is
amended by striking paragraph (5).
(b) Section 212(b) of such Act (sec. 34–2112(b), D.C. Official
Code) is amended by striking paragraph (5).
(c) The amendments made by this section shall apply with
respect to quarters occurring during fiscal year 2005 and each
succeeding fiscal year.
SEC. 338. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act,
there is hereby appropriated for the Office of the Inspector General
such amounts in local funds, as are consistent with the annual
estimates for the expenditures and appropriations necessary for
the operation of the Office of the Inspector General as prepared
by the Inspector General and submitted to the Mayor and forwarded
to the Council pursuant to D.C. Official Code 2–302.08(a)(2)(A)
for fiscal year 2005: Provided, That the Office of the Chief Financial
Officer shall take such steps as are necessary to implement the
provisions of this subsection.
SEC. 339. The paragraph under the heading ‘‘Federal Payment
for Incentives for Adoption of Children’’ in Public Law 106–113,
approved November 29, 1999 (113 Stat. 1501), is amended to add
the following proviso: ‘‘: Provided further, That the funds provided
under this heading for the establishment of a scholarship fund
for District of Columbia children of adoptive families, and District
of Columbia children without parents due to the September 11,
2001 terrorist attack to be used for post high school education
and training, once obligated by the District to establish the scholar-
ship fund, shall remain obligated and be retained by the District
for 25 years from the date of obligation to allow for any individual
who is within the class of persons to be assisted by this provision
to reach post high school and to present expenditures to be extin-
guished by the fund’’.
SEC. 340. AUTHORITY OF OPCSFS. (a) Section 161(3)(E)(i) of
Public Law 106–522 shall be amended to include a new section
known as (E)(i)(IV) to establish regulations for administering lease
guarantees through the credit enhancement fund to public charter
schools in the District of Columbia.
(b) The first sentence of section 143 of the District of Columbia
Appropriations Act of 2003 (Public Law 108–7; 117 Stat. 130)
approved April 20, 2003 is amended by striking the phrase, ‘‘under
the authority of the Department of Banking and Financial Institu-
tions’’ and inserting ‘‘under the authority of the Mayor’’ in its
place.
SEC. 341. PROCESS FOR FILING CHARTER PETITIONS. D.C. Code
38–1802.01 is amended by adding a new subsection (e) as follows:
‘‘(e) A petition to establish a public charter school in the District
of Columbia, or to convert a District of Columbia public school
or an existing private or independent school, is a public document.’’.
SEC. 342. AMENDMENTS TO CHARTER SCHOOL LAW. (a) PROCESS
FOR FILING CHARTER PETITIONS.—Section 2201 of the District of
Columbia School Reform Act of 1995 (D.C. Code 38–1802.01) is
amended—
H. R. 4850—28
(1) in subsection (a)(3)(B), by striking ‘‘two-thirds’’ and
inserting ‘‘51 percent’’; and
(2) in subsection (b)(3)(B), by striking ‘‘two-thirds’’ and
inserting ‘‘51 percent’’.
(b) EMPLOYEES.—Section 2207 of the District of Columbia
School Reform Act of 1995 (D.C. Code 38–1802.07) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(d) TEACHERS REMAINING
AT CONVERTED PUBLIC CHARTER
SCHOOLS.—A teacher employed at a District of Columbia public
school that converts to a public charter school under section 2201
shall have the option of remaining at the charter school during
the school’s first year of operation after receiving an extended
leave of absence under subsection (a)(1). After this 1-year period,
the teacher may continue to be employed at the public charter
school, at the sole discretion of the public charter school, or shall
maintain current status within the District of Columbia public
school system.’’.
(c) PUBLIC SCHOOL SERVICES TO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS.—
Section 2209(b) of the District of Columbia School Reform Act
of 1995 (D.C. Code 38–1802.09(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, regulation, or order relating to the disposition
of a facility or property described in subparagraph (B),
or to the disposition of any property of the District of
Columbia, the Mayor and the District of Columbia govern-
ment shall give a right of first offer, which right shall
be annually reinstated with respect to any facility or prop-
erty not previously disposed of, or under contract to be
disposed of, to an eligible applicant whose petition to estab-
lish a public charter school has been conditionally approved
under section 2203(d)(2), or a Board of Trustees, with
respect to the purchase, lease, transfer, or use of a facility
or property described in subparagraph (B).’’;
(B) by amending subparagraph (B)(iii) to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(iii) With respect to which—
‘‘(I) the Board of Education has transferred
jurisdiction to the Mayor and over which the Mayor
has jurisdiction on the effective date of this sub-
clause; or
‘‘(II) over which the Mayor or any successor
agency gains jurisdiction after the effective date
of this subclause.’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(C) TERMS
OF
PURCHASE
OR
LEASE.—The terms of
purchase or lease of a facility or property described in
subparagraph (B) shall—
‘‘(i) be negotiated by the Mayor;
‘‘(ii) include rent or an acquisition price, as
applicable, that is at least 25 percent less than the
appraised value of the property (based on use of the
property for school purposes); and
‘‘(iii) include a lease period, if the property is to
be leased, of not less than 25 years, and renewable
for additional 25-year periods as long as the eligible