An Act To Ensure That Charter School Students Have Access to Extracurricular Activities
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1228
Committee Amendment CA_A_H285 (House)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §2415

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "H" to H.P. 850, L.D. 1228, Bill, "An Act To 
Ensure That Charter School Students Have Access to Extracurricular Activities" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 2 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §2415, sub-§2-A is enacted to read: 
2-A. Participation in activities. A school administrative unit shall make resources 
and services available to an eligible student in accordance with this subsection. For 
purposes of this subsection, "eligible student" means a student enrolled in a public charter 
school who is eligible to attend a school in that school administrative unit, including a 
student who resides in the unorganized territory. 
A. An eligible student is eligible to participate in cocurricular activities sponsored by 
the school administrative unit if: 
(1) The student or the student's parent or guardian applies in writing to the 
principal of the school and receives the written approval of the principal or the 
principal's designee, which may not unreasonably be withheld; and 
(2) The student complies with the applicable behavioral, disciplinary and other 
rules governing regularly enrolled students participating in the activities. 
B. An eligible student is eligible to try out for extracurricular activities sponsored by 
the school administrative unit if the following requirements are satisfied: 
(1) The student applies in writing to the principal of the school and agrees to 
abide by the same rules of participation as are applicable to regularly enrolled 
students participating in the activity and provides evidence that th'e rules of 
participation are being met; 
(2) The student complies with the same physical examination, immunization, 
insurance, age and semester eligibility requirements as are applicable to regularly 
enrolled students participating in the activity. All required documentation must 
be provided by the student upon request by the school unit; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
\t. 
COMMIITEE AMENDMENT" I+· to H.P. 850, L.D. 1228 
(3) The student meets the same academic standards as those established for 
regularly enrolled students participating in the activity and provides evidence that 
the academic standards are being met; 
( 4) The student abides by the same transportation policy as that established for 
regularly enrolled students participating in the activity; and 
(5) The student pays the same fees as regularly enrolled students participating in 
the activity pay. 
The school may not impose an eligibility standard for participation in extracurricular 
activities by an eligible student that is not imposed on all other students. 
If an eligible student participates in cocurricular or extracurricular activities under this 
subsection, the public charter school in which the eligible student is enrolled shall pay to 
the school the amount of the EPS per-pupil funding received by the 12ublic charter school 
for cocurricular and extracurricular activities, as calculated pursuant to section 15680, on 
a pro rata basis, except that the public charter school is not required to pay in any fiscal 
year more than 100% of the fiscal year amount of the EPS per-pupil funding received by 
the public charter school for cocurricular and extracurricular activities.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, revises the substance 
of the bill to provide that a school administrative unit is required to make both 
extracurricular and cocurricular activities available to a student enrolled in a public 
charter school who is eligible to attend a school of that school administrative unit, 
including a student who resides in the unorganized territory. The amendment defines 
"eligible student." 
The amendment provides that an eligible student is eligible to participate in 
cocurricular activities sponsored by the school administrative unit upon approval of the 
principal or the principal's designee, which may not unreasonably be withheld. The 
student must comply with the applicable behavioral, disciplinary and other rules 
governing regularly enrolled students participating in the activities. 
Like the bill, the amendment provides that an eligible student is eligible to try out for 
extracurricular activities sponsored by the local school unit on the same basis as a student 
receiving homeschool instruction may do under current law. The amendment adds a 
requirement that the student pay the same fees as regularly enrolled students participating 
in the activity pay. The local school unit may not impose any eligibility standards for 
participation in extracurricular activities by an eligible student that are not imposed on all 
other students. 
The amendment also provides that, if an eligible student participates in cocurricular 
or extracurricular activities, the public charter school in which the eligible student is 
enrolled is required to pay to the local school unit the amount of the EPS per-pupil 
funding received by the public charter school for cocurricular and extracurricular 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"A"to H.P. 850, L.D. 1228 
activities, except that the public charter school is not required to pay in any fiscal year 
more than 100% of the fiscal year amount of the BPS per-pupil funding received by the 
public charter school for cocurricular and extracurricular activities. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/20/17 feac 
LD 1228 
LR2045(02) 
An Act To Ensure That Charter School Students Have Access to Extracurricular Activities 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment * ( 
~ ~}, ~ J 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
No state fiscal impact 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Requiring local school administrative units (SAU's) to allow eligible students enrolled in a public charter school to 
participate in its extracurricular and cocurricular activities under certain conditions will have no fiscal impact to the 
State. The fiscal impact to local SAU's and the public charter schools in which the eligible students attend as a result 
of the public charter school being required to pay the local SAU the BPS-per-pupil funding received by the public 
charter school for cocurricular and extracurricular activities can not be determined and will depend on the number of 
eligible students in a public charter school that choose to participate in a SAU's extracurricular and cocurricular 
activities. 
LR2045(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1