An Act To IO Amend Certain Education Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1576
Committee Amendment CA_A_H585 (House)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §2404

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1069, L.D. 1576, Bill, "An Act To 
IO 
Amend Certain Education Laws" 
Amend the bill in section I in subsection 19 by inserting after paragraph B the 
following: 
'C. Once the commissioner makes a designation under this subsection, the student 
must be enrolled in the receiving school administrative unit. If dissatisfied with the 
commissioner's decision, the superintendent of the school administrative unit where 
the student resides or the superintendent of the receiving school administrative unit 
may, within IO calendar days of the commissioner's decision, request that the state 
board review the designation. 
The state board shall review the commissioner's 
determinations and communicate with the commissioner, the superintendents and the 
parent of the student. The state board may approve or disapprove the designation. 
The state board shall make a decision within 45 calendar days of receiving the 
request and shall provide to the commissioner, the superintendents and the parent of 
the student a written decision describing the basis of the state board's determination. 
The state board's decision is final and binding.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 4 (page 2, lines 31 to 35 in L.D.) and 
inserting the following: 
'Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §2404, sub-§2, 1G, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 414, §5, is 
amended to read: 
G. 
Aey A public charter school authorized by a local school board or by a 
collaborative among local school boards and any noncharter public school converting 
partially or entirely to a public charter school shall adopt and maintain a policy that 
gives enrollment preference to pupils who reside within a school administrative unit 
whose school board authorizes that public charter school or within the former 
attendance area of that noncharter public school.' 
Page I -127LR2591(02)-1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1069, L.D. 1576 
Amend the bill in section 12 in subsection 7 in the 3rd and 4th lines (page 7, lines 6 
and 7 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "the school administrative unit that has" and 
inserting the following: 'the Department of Education as having' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 13. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment makes the following changes to the bill. 
1. It provides that once the Commissioner of Education makes a designation to emoll 
a student who resides in a school administrative unit that neither maintains a school nor 
contracts with another school administrative unit, the student must be emolled in the 
receiving school administrative unit designated by the commissioner. If dissatisfied with 
the commissioner's decision, the superintendent of the school administrative unit where 
the student resides or the superintendent of the receiving school administrative unit may, 
within 10 calendar days of the commissioner's decision, request that the State Board of 
Education review the transfer; the state board may approve or disapprove the 
commissioner's designation. 
2. 
It amends the enrollment preference provision in the public charter school 
eligibility statute to require, rather than allow, as in the bill, a public charter school 
authorized by a local school board or by a collaborative among local school boards to 
give emollment preference to residents of the school administrative unit or units whose 
school board or school boards authorized the public charter school. 
3. It provides that, when the Department of Health and Human Services places a 
state ward in an out-of-state residential treatment center, the Commissioner of Education 
may designate the Department of Education as having responsibility for the oversight of 
the child's individualized education program. 
4. It strikes the proposal in the bill that authorizes the Commissioner of Education to 
provide additional funds to a school administrative unit based on a budgetary hardship 
resulting from a special education placement. 
nsCAi.NOrE REQlJIUD 
(See attldled) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 03/20/16 
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LD 1576 
LR2591(02) 
An Act To Amend Certain Education Laws 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'A' ( l-l -58'5) 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Additional costs to the Department of Education and the State Board of Education to implement the requirements of 
this legislation can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR2591(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I