13-R197
2013 -- H 5649 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 04/10/13
H O U S E R E S
O L U T I O N
CREATING A
SPECIAL HOUSE COMMISSION TO STUDY ALL EDUCATION
HEARINGS AT THE
RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND
SECONDARY
EDUCATION
Introduced By: Representatives MacBeth, McLaughlin, McNamara, and Marshall
Date Introduced: February 27, 2013
RESOLVED,
That a special house commission be and the same is
hereby created
consisting of twelve (12) members: six (6) members shall be
appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives
from among the members of the House of Representatives, not more
than five (5) of whom shall be from the same political
party; one of whom shall be a State
certified special education teacher, to be appointed by the
Speaker of the House; one of whom
shall be a State certified administrator of special
education, to be appointed by the Speaker of the
House; one of whom shall be
a parent of a student who is receiving special education services, to
be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom
shall be the Executive Director of the
Rhode Island Association of
School Committees, or designee; one of whom shall be the President
of the
President
of the Rhode Island Principals Association, or designee.
In
lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory
commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission
created by a general assembly
resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the
general public to serve in lieu
of a legislator, provided that the Majority Leader or
the Minority Leader of the political party
which is entitled to the appointment consents to the
appointment of the member of the general
public.
The
purpose of the commission shall be to study all education hearings at the Rhode
Island department of
elementary and secondary education, including commissioner hearings and
special education due process hearings, and to make
recommendations on improving these
systems. More specifically, the focus of the commission shall
be to insure that the hearing process
balances the rights and needs of the individuals involved,
especially students with disabilities,
while also maintaining educational and academic integrity,
discipline, and authority.
Forthwith
upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at
the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and
shall select from among the legislators a
chairperson and vice-chairperson. Vacancies in said commission
shall be filled in like manner as
the original appointment.
The
membership of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services.
All
departments, boards, commissions, and agencies of the state shall furnish such
advice
and information, documentary and otherwise, to said
commission and its agents as is deemed
necessary or desirable by the commission to facilitate the
purposes of this section.
The
Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable
quarters
for said commission; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the commission shall report its findings and
recommendations to the
Speaker of the House on or
before January 23, 2014, and the commission shall
expire on March
25, 2014.
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LC01404/SUB A
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