House File 573 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY FORD Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act requiring secondary school students to take a college 2 entrance examination prior to graduating from high school and 3 making an appropriation. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 2487HH 82 6 kh/gg/14 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION == COLLEGE ENTRANCE 1 2 EXAMINATION REIMBURSEMENT TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS. There is 1 3 appropriated from the general fund of the state to the 1 4 department of education for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1 5 2007, and ending June 30, 2008, the following amount, or so 1 6 much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purposes of 1 7 reimbursing school districts for the costs of providing 1 8 college entrance examinations prior to a student's graduation 1 9 from high school pursuant to section 280.18: 1 10 .................................................. $ 500,000 1 11 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 280.18 COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION 1 12 == REQUIREMENT. 1 13 1. The board of directors of each school district and the 1 14 authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school 1 15 shall adopt a policy requiring each student to take the 1 16 college entrance examination published by the American college 1 17 testing program, inc., prior to graduating from high school. 1 18 2. If a student taking the college entrance examination 1 19 pursuant to subsection 1 is eligible for free or reduced price 1 20 meals under the federal National School Lunch Act and the 1 21 federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. } 1751=1785, 1 22 the school district shall reimburse a qualifying student, or 1 23 the parent or legal guardian of a qualifying student, for the 1 24 amount of the fee for the examination paid by the student, 1 25 parent, or legal guardian, and the school district shall be 1 26 reimbursed by the department from funds appropriated to the 1 27 department for the payment of claims for examination costs 1 28 submitted by the school district. 1 29 3. To be reimbursed in accordance with subsection 2, the 1 30 qualifying student, or parent or legal guardian of a 1 31 qualifying student, attending an accredited nonpublic school, 1 32 or receiving competent private instruction, who paid the 1 33 college entrance examination fee, shall submit a claim to the 1 34 school district in which the student resides, by August 15, on 1 35 a form approved by the department, which includes proof of the 2 1 amount of fee paid for the examination by the individual and 2 2 proof that the qualifying student took the examination and 2 3 received a score from the American college testing program, 2 4 inc. 2 5 4. By September 1 of the school year following the school 2 6 year in which the college entrance examination fees were paid, 2 7 the school district shall submit its claims for reimbursements 2 8 paid pursuant to subsection 1 to the department of education. 2 9 5. By October 1 of the school year following the school 2 10 year in which the college entrance examination fees were paid, 2 11 the department of education shall distribute to each school 2 12 district, from moneys appropriated to the department for this 2 13 purpose, an amount of aid to each school district that 2 14 submitted claims as provided in subsection 3, equal to the 2 15 total amount of the college entrance examination fee 2 16 reimbursements paid by the school district. If the funds 2 17 appropriated for the reimbursement of college entrance 2 18 examination costs are insufficient to reimburse school 2 19 districts as provided in this section, the department shall 2 20 prorate the amount distributed to school districts based upon 2 21 the amount appropriated. A school district shall be 2 22 reimbursed for the costs of reimbursing examination fees for 2 23 the same student only once. 2 24 6. The costs of reimbursing college entrance examination 2 25 fees as provided in this section shall not be included in the 2 26 computation of district cost under chapter 257, but shall be 2 27 shown in the budget as an expense from miscellaneous income. 2 28 Any moneys received by a school district for the payment of 2 29 student college entrance examination fees under this section 2 30 shall not affect district cost limitations of chapter 257. 2 31 The moneys paid to a school district as provided in this 2 32 section are miscellaneous income as defined in section 257.2. 2 33 7. "Qualifying student", for purposes of this section, 2 34 means a student who took a college entrance examination 2 35 pursuant to this section and received the examination results 3 1 from the American college testing program, inc. 3 2 EXPLANATION 3 3 This bill requires the board of directors of each school 3 4 district and the authorities in charge of each accredited 3 5 nonpublic school to adopt a policy requiring each student to 3 6 take the college entrance examination published by the 3 7 American college testing program, inc., prior to graduating 3 8 from high school. School districts must reimburse the 3 9 examination fee amounts paid by or for students who are 3 10 eligible for free or reduced price meals, but the school 3 11 districts shall be reimbursed by the department of education 3 12 from moneys appropriated to the department to pay for those 3 13 costs. 3 14 For FY 2007=2008, the bill appropriates $500,000 to the 3 15 department to reimburse school districts that submit claims to 3 16 the department. 3 17 To be reimbursed, the student, or the student's parent or 3 18 guardian who paid the fee amount for an examination for a 3 19 public or nonpublic student or a student receiving competent 3 20 private instruction who is eligible for free or reduced price 3 21 meals, shall submit a claim to the school district in which 3 22 the student resides. The claim must include proof of the 3 23 amount paid and proof that the student took the exam and 3 24 received the results. 3 25 If the moneys appropriated are insufficient to pay for all 3 26 of the claims submitted to the department, the department is 3 27 directed to prorate the amount distributed to school districts 3 28 based upon the amount appropriated. A school district shall 3 29 be reimbursed for the reimbursement of examination fees for a 3 30 specific student only once. 3 31 LSB 2487HH 82 3 32 kh:rj/gg/14