Chapter 298
2006 -- H 6853 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 07/03/06
A N A C T
RELATING
TO EDUCATION
Introduced
By: Representatives McNamara, Crowley, Lewiss, Savage, and Gallison
Date
Introduced: January 19, 2006
It is enacted by the General Assembly as
follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter
16-5 of the General Laws entitled "State Aid" is hereby amended
by adding thereto the following section:
16-5-34.
Statewide purchasing system. -- The department of elementary and
secondary
education, pursuant to the collaborative
established in Rhode Island General Laws section. 6-2-
9.2 along with the department of administration,
shall develop a plan for the establishment and
implementation of a statewide purchasing system
for all public schools in this state. Said
statewide purchasing system shall develop
requests for proposals relating to goods and services to
enhance and support the mission of public
schools and public education in general throughout this
state, including, but not limited to, the
purchase of the following goods, supplies, and services:
(a) General
school supplies such as paper goods, office supplies, and cleaning products
that are or may be utilized by school
departments;
(b) Textbooks,
telecommunications, wireless services, and software that have been
identified by local school departments as needed
to support local curriculum objectives;
(c) A statewide
school transportation system for children with special needs. Local
school departments shall be eligible to
participate in this system by purchasing transportation
services on a fee-for-service basis. It is
stated herein that the goals and intent of establishing this
state-wide transportation system for children
with special needs shall be as follows:
(1) To reduce
the duplication of bus routes;
(2) To improve
services to children through the development of shorter, more efficient
routes that minimize the amount of time spent by
the student traveling on school transportation to
and from school and school-related/sponsored
activities; and
(3) To reduce
transportation costs to local educational authorities through greater
efficiency and cost-effective measures.
(d) General
non-medical and dental insurance products and services, provided however,
that the statewide purchasing system shall
permit districts to establish their own benefit and
coverage levels.
(e) The
department of elementary and secondary education, in collaboration with the
department of administration, shall also develop
policies and procedures to reduce the cost of
health care insurance to local school
departments by developing a collaborative process which
shall include local educational authorities and
representatives of local educational unions in
discussions of cost saving efficiencies that
could be achieved by including these employees in a
state health insurance contract.
SECTION 2. This
act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC00519/SUB
A
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