Section 160.254

Title XI EDUCATION AND LIBRARIES

Chapter 160

Effective - 28 Aug 2004, 5 histories, see footnote   (history) 

  160.254.  General assembly joint committee on education created — appointment — meetings — chairman — quorum — duties — expenses. — 1. There is hereby established a joint committee of the general assembly, which shall be known as the "Joint Committee on Education", which shall be composed of seven members of the senate and seven members of the house of representatives. The senate members of the committee shall be appointed by the president pro tem of the senate and the house members by the speaker of the house.

  2. The committee may meet and function in any year that the president pro tem of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives appoint members to serve on the committee. In the event of three consecutive absences on the part of any member, such member may be removed from the committee.

  3. The committee shall select either a chairman or cochairmen, one of whom shall be a member of the senate and one a member of the house. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. Meetings of the committee may be called at such time and place as the chairman or chairmen designate.

  4. The committee shall:

  (1) Review and monitor the progress of education in the state's public schools;

  (2) Receive reports from the commissioner of education concerning the public schools;

  (3) Conduct a study and analysis of the public school system;

  (4) Make recommendations to the general assembly for legislative action; and

  (5) Conduct an in-depth study concerning all issues relating to the equity and adequacy of the distribution of state school aid, teachers' salaries, funding for school buildings, and overall funding levels for schools and any other education funding-related issues the committee deems relevant.

  5. The committee may make reasonable requests for staff assistance from the research and appropriations staffs of the house and senate and the committee on legislative research, as well as the department of elementary and secondary education, the department of higher education, the coordinating board for higher education, the state tax commission, all school districts and other political subdivisions of this state, teachers and teacher groups, business and other commercial interests and any other interested persons.

  6. Members of the committee shall receive no compensation but may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses associated with the performance of their official duties.

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(L. 1985 H.B. 463 § 3, A.L. 2004 S.B. 968 and S.B. 969)