Posted: | January 8, 2013 10:35 AM |
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From: | Representative Dan Truitt |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Mandate Waiver Program (Previous House Bill 2231) |
I am preparing to re-introduce legislation amending the Public School Code to bring back the Mandate Waiver Program that expired at the end of 2010. While Congress has narrowly averted the fiscal cliff, it is clear that trying economic times remain ahead. It is imperative that in these difficult times, we must provide our schools with the ability to find savings and eliminate unnecessary costs in their own budgets. This bill will allow our public schools to suspend certain costly mandates after adopting a resolution at a public meeting. The resolution must include a memorandum detailing the rationale for the suspension of the mandate(s), along with a justification of how the change will improve instructional programs or allow the school entity to operate in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner. Any school entity adopting a mandate suspension resolution must notify the Pennsylvania Department of Education, which will have the ability to disapprove any resolutions. Additionally, any school entity that approves a mandate suspension resolution will be required to assess the economic and/ or educational benefits of suspending the mandate every three years. Certain mandates affecting health, safety, and prohibiting discrimination are specifically excluded from mandate waivers. I feel that this legislation provides for a commonsense approach to mandate relief. This approach will allow schools to determine the mandates that most directly affect their budget, while still providing oversight from the Department of Education. Attached is last Session’s bill. I hope you will join me in sponsoring this legislation. Thank you. Previous co-sponsors include: TRUITT, BAKER , BROOKS , CAUSER , CLYMER , CUTLER , DENLINGER , EVERETT , FABRIZIO , GABLER, GINGRICH , GRELL , GROVE, HESS , HICKERNELL , HUTCHINSON , KAUFFMAN , M. K. KELLER , KNOWLES, KORTZ , KRIEGER, MAJOR , MICOZZIE , MILLER , PERRY , PICKETT , RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW , ROAE , ROSS, SAYLOR , SCHRODER , SONNEY , STEVENSON , SWANGER , VULAKOVICH , WATSON , ROCK , CREIGHTON , HENNESSEY , COX and GILLESPIE |
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View Attachment |
Introduced as HB135