Select committee on education funding.

2017
STATE OF WYOMING
17LSO-0374
ENGROSSED
2.1

HOUSE BILL

NO.

HB0225

Select committee on education funding.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Harshman, Burkhart, Connolly, Flitner, Freeman, Madden, Miller, Nicholas, B., Northrup and Paxton and Senator(s) Bebout and Coe

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to education; creating the joint select committee on education funding; specifying membership and duties of the select committee; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

(a)

There is created a
joint
select
committee on education
funding
consisting of
fourteen
(1
4
)

members
as follows
:

(i)

Two (2) members of the
house education committee;

(
ii
)

Two (2) members of the senate education committee;

(
iii
)

Two (2) members of the house revenue committee;

(
iv
)

Two (2) members of the senate revenue committee;

(
v
)

One
(
1
) member of the
house
appropriations committee;

(
vi
)

One
(
1
) member
of the
senate
appropriations
committee
;

(
vii
)

Two (2)
at
‑
large
members of the house of representatives;

(
viii
)

Two (2)
at
‑
large
members of the senate.

(b)

The speaker of the
house of representatives
shall appoint the house members
of the
select
committee
not later than
March 20, 2017
, one (1) of whom
the speaker shall designate
as cochairman.
Not more than
five
(
5
) members from the
house of representative
s
shall be from the same political party.
The president of the senate shall appoint the senate members of the
select
committee
not later
than
March 20, 2017
, one (1) of whom
the president shall designate
as
co
chairman.
Not more than
five
(
5
) members from the senate shall be from the same political party.

(c)

The
select
committee shall study and recommend solutions
to
the projected budget shortfall for funding related to public education in the state of Wyoming
.

The recommendations shall consider solutions necessary to provide funding for schools until the next
recalibration of the education resource block grant model
under W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309(
t).
The
select
committee shall focus on
four
(
4
)
major issues related to school funding as follows:

(i)

The potential for reductions in education spending;

(ii
)

Options for u
se of
existing funds
;

(iii)

Consideration of diversions of existing revenue streams and investment income
;

(i
v
)

Options to increase revenues
including options that are time limited until the next
recalibration of the education resource block grant model
under W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309(
t)
.

(d)

The
select
committee shall
also
study and recommend options for permanent funding solutions for school capital construction and major maintenance.

(e
)

The
select
committee
may

form subcommittees to study any of the issues specified in subsection (c) of this section and any other issue within the select committee's purview.

(f
)

The
select
committee shall solicit input and recommendations from the school finance data advisory committee established under W.S. 21
‑
2
‑
203(
d) related to the issues specified in subsection (c) of this section. The
school finance data advisory committee shall report to the
select
committee within the timelines specified by the cochairmen in order for the report of the
school finance data
advisory committee to be considered
.

(g)

The governor shall appoint
four (4
) advisory groups to provide input and recommendations to the
select
committee
. The
state superintendent
shall
appoint one (1) member to each advisory group.

The governor
and state superintendent
shall
consult with the Wyoming school boards association prior to appointing members of the advisory groups and the governor shall
ensure that the members of the advisory groups include stakeholders representing school districts, teachers,
parents of students,
small businesses of one hundred (100) employees or less, large businesses of more than one hundred (100) employees

and the general public, provided that no one (1) group shall be required to include representatives of all stakeholders.
Each member of an advisory group who is not a state employee may receive
per diem and mileage for attending and traveling to and from
select
committee or subcommittee
meetings in the same manner and amount as
state employees
.

(
h
)

The
select
committee shall be staffed by the legislative service office. The department of education, the department of revenue
, the school facilities division of the state construction department, the school facilities commission
and the state budget
division of the department of administration and information
shall serve in an advisory capacity to the
select
committee and shall provide technical and other information to the
select
committee upon request.

(j
)

The
select
committee
shall
introduce legislation consistent with its recommendations to the legislature for consideration during the
next session of the legislature
.
The
select
committee may, if it determines necessary, recommend
to the governor and the presiding officers of the house and senate
that the legislature convene in a special session prior to the
2018
budget session to consider legislation recommended by the
select
committee.

(k
)

The
select
committee may
seek out expert opinions related to the issues specified in subsection
s
(c)
and (d)
of this section and may
hire consultants as necessary to
complete the
study
and recommendations required under this section.

(m
)

The
select
committee, including meetings of subcommittees, shall meet not less than
seven (7) times during the 2017 interim
throughout
the state
in locations determined by the cochairmen
. To the extent practical, the
select
committee or a subcommittee of the
select
committee shall meet at least once in each of the seven (7) appointment districts as provided in W.S. 9
‑
1
‑
218(
b).

(n
)

The
select
committee shall complete its work and recommendations not later than
September 1, 2017
.

(o
)

The
select
committee created by this section shall exist until
December 31, 201
8
.

Section 2.

(a)

There is appropriated
one hundred
nine
thousand dollars (
$1
09
,
0
00.00)

from the
general
fund to the
legislative service office.

This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of t
his act
and ending June 30, 201
9
.

This appropriation shall only be expended for the purpose
s
of
the
select
committee on education funding
expenses
as provided in section 1 of this act.

A
ny unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on
June 30, 201
9
.

(b)

There is appropriated
forty
‑
six thousand dollars ($46
,000.00)
from the
general
fund to the
governor's office
. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 201
9
.

This appropriation shall only be expended for the purpose of
providing reimbursement for advisory group members under subsection (g) of section 1 of this act.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on
June 30, 201
9
.

Section 3.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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HB0225