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Criminal Background Checks
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SB152
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House Vote on Wednesday, April 6
SB152
amends the statute
relative to criminal history records checks for school employees and designated school volunteers. The bill authorizes the release of information regarding the presence or absence of any record of convictions of the applicant of felonies or misdemeanors, rather than the current report indicating the presence or absence of certain felony convictions. NHSBA supports this appropriate expansion of information provided by the criminal history records check. Experience has shown that individuals charged with felonious assault may sometimes plead to a misdemeanor; such plea bargains are not revealed under the current law. The additional information supplied is not included in the hiring prohibitions specified in statute. The additional information is simply provided to the superintendent of the SAU (or ceo of a chartered public school or public academy), to be used for hiring decisions. The superintendent shall maintain the confidentiality of all criminal history information, and if there is no criminal record, shall destroy the information immediately following review. If the information indicates a conviction, the superintendent shall review the information for a hiring decision and destroy the information within 30 days.
The House Education Committee voted Ought to Pass (OTP) 17-2, with the committee recommendation going to the floor of the House next Wednesday. School board members should contact their
local representatives
and urge support of the committee recommendation, and passage of SB152.
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Education Committee Recommendations This Week
House Education Committee
Endorses "Opt in" Requirement for Surveys
SB320
provides that no student shall be required to volunteer or submit to a non-academic survey or questionnaire without written consent of a parent or legal guardian. The bill also creates an exception to this requirement for one such survey, the national
Youth Risk Behavior Survey
(YRBS) developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
. Ought to Pass as Amended (OTP/A) 11-9 Scheduled for House consideration April 6
Charter Schools and a Resource Position at the Dept. of Education
SB483
establishes a committee to study the necessity of creating a chartered public school program officer position and to study appropriations to chartered public schools for the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years. Amid discussion of an immediate need for such a position at the Dept. of Education, the executive session was recessed until April 5.
Senate Education Committee
Military Uniforms at Graduation
HB1225
provides that a student shall have the right to wear a dress uniform issued to the student by a branch of the United States armed forces while participating in the graduation ceremony for the student's high school if the student meets certain requirements
. The student must have completed basic training for, and is an active member of, a branch of the United States armed forces. Ought to Pass (OTP) 4-0 Scheduled for Senate consideration April 7
School Notification of a Change in Placement
HB1283
requires the Department of Health and Human Services to notify the child's school of a change in placement made under RSA 169-C that will result in a change in school assignment. The department and school district are then charged with developing a transition plan for the child
. Ought to Pass (OTP) 4-0 Scheduled for Senate consideration Apr 7
Local Assessment of Academic Areas That Are Not Included in State Assessment
HB1121
clarifies that required critical areas of study not included in the statewide assessment (history, geography, civics, and economics) are subject matters whose assessment remains within the purview of the local school board. OTP/A 3-0
Scheduled for Senate consideration April 7
Withdrawal from a Cooperative School District
HB1303
establishes a commission to study issues relating to pre-existing districts withdrawing from a cooperative school district. While there appears to be consensus among committee members for the need to study these issues, no recommendation was made amid discussion and concern with the membership of the study commission.
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Senate Action on Education Bills
HB231
provides that a school district which initiated and completed a locally funded school renovation project to remedy a safety condition identified by the state fire marshal on or before June 30, 2017 shall be eligible to include any corrected safety condition in a subsequent application for school building aid submitted after June 30, 2017
. OTP/A
HB1145
establishes a committee to study suspensions and expulsions of children in licensed preschools and in kindergarten through grade 3. OTP
HB1408
requires the commissioner of the department of education to conduct a school building inventory and to establish and maintain a school building inventory database. This will provide basic data and information on the condition of public school buildings and sites. OTP The bill has been referred to the Finance Committee for further review.
HB1418
clarifies the requirement for minutes of nonpublic sessions under the right-to-know law. OTP
HB1419
requires minutes of nonpublic sessions to include the vote of each member in all actions taken. OTP
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Upcoming Legislative Education Schedule
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Tuesday, April 5, 2016
House EDUCATION, Room 207, LOB
10:00 a.m. SB 503-FN-A, relative to pre-kindergarten education using "pay for success" financing.
11:00 a.m. Executive session on SB 483-FN, (New Title) establishing a committee to study the necessity of creating a chartered public school program officer position and to study appropriations to chartered public schools for the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years.
Executive session on pending legislation may be held throughout the day, time permitting, from the time the committee is initially convened.
House SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY, Room 304, LOB
10:00 a.m. SB 492, relative to expenditures from the energy efficiency fund: requiring the public utilities commission to allocate certain funds to school districts for energy efficiency projects.
1:00 p.m. Executive session on SB 492, relative to expenditures from the energy efficiency fund.
Senate EDUCATION, Room 103, LOB
9:00 a.m. HB 1300, relative to the content of patriotic exercises in public schools.
9:15 a.m. HB 1497, relative to the limits on disclosure of information used on college entrance exams.
9:35 a.m. HB 1231, relative to school district policy regarding objectionable course material.
9:55 a.m. HB 1232, relative to visits to schools by non-academic government or private organizations.
EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY FOLLOW
