SECOND REGULAR SESSION
96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES HOLSMAN (Sponsor), HUMMEL, OXFORD, TALBOY, RIZZO, McMANUS, MORGAN, McCANN BEATTY AND HUGHES (Co-sponsors).
6130L.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To amend chapter 167, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to high school dropout prevention.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 167, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 167.276, to read as follows:
167.276. 1. Beginning with school year 2013-2014, all students desiring to drop out from high school whose age exceeds the compulsory attendance age of the district in which the student attends school shall be required to attend a dropout prevention seminar established under this section.
2. School districts shall offer dropout prevention seminars meeting the requirements established by the department of elementary and secondary education under the authority delegated in this section. Seminars shall last a minimum of four hours and shall not conflict with regular school hours. Seminars may include talks by teachers, guidance counselors, community leaders, area employers, military recruiters, and former high school dropouts, with each speaker explaining the hardships faced by citizens without a high school diploma.
3. The seminars shall be hosted by individual school districts and the district may charge students an enrollment fee not to exceed forty-five dollars per student. This fee shall be refunded to any student who attends a seminar and subsequently graduates from high school. Students may attend a seminar in a district other than their school attendance district, but such students shall not be eligible for reimbursement of the enrollment fee under this subsection.
4. The department of elementary and secondary education shall promulgate rules, no later than January 1, 2013, for the implementation of this section, including specific curriculum guidelines for the dropout prevention seminars.
5. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2012, shall be invalid and void.
6. Under section 23.253 of the Missouri sunset act:
(1) The provisions of the new program authorized under this section shall automatically sunset six years after the effective date of this section unless reauthorized by an act of the general assembly; and
(2) If such program is reauthorized, the program authorized under this section shall automatically sunset twelve years after the effective date of the reauthorization of this section; and
(3) This section shall terminate on September first of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year in which the program authorized under this section is sunset.
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