ENGROSSED SENATE
BILL NO. 603 	By:	Ford of the Senate

			and

		Coody of the House

An Act relating to schools; creating the Task Force on Concurrent Enrollment; stating duties; providing for membership, appointment, designation of officers, quorum, staff support, and travel reimbursement; requiring report of findings and recommendations by certain deadline; providing for noncodification; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new section of law not to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
A.  There is hereby created until November 30, 2009, the Task Force on Concurrent Enrollment.  The task force shall conduct a comprehensive review of the concurrent enrollment program authorized pursuant to Section 628.13 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
B.  The task force shall study the following:
1.  The current status of the concurrent enrollment program;
2.  The eligibility and approval process for student participation in the program;
3.  The feasibility of concurrent enrollment courses provided at technology center schools;
4.  The academic credit granted to students on their high school transcript for post-secondary coursework; and
5.  Similar programs of bordering states.
C.  The task force shall consist of fifteen (15) members as follows:
1.  Four shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate as follows:
a.	two shall be members of the State Senate,
b.	one shall be a representative of a statewide organization of school board members, and
c.	one shall be a superintendent in the public schools, from a district with average daily membership greater than or equal to five hundred (500) and less than twenty five thousand (25,000);
2.  Four shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives as follows:
a.	two shall be members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives,
b.	one shall be a representative of a statewide organization of school district administrators, and
c.	one shall be a superintendent in the public schools, from a district with average daily membership less than five hundred (500);
3.  Four shall be appointed by the Governor as follows:
a.	two shall be superintendents in the public schools from districts with average daily membership greater than twenty five thousand (25,000),
b.	one shall be a president of a regional university, and
c.	one shall be a president of a community college;
4.  The Director of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, or designee;
5.  The Chancellor of the State Regents for Higher Education, or designee; and
6.  The State Superintendent of Public Instruction, or designee;
D.  The President Pro Tempore of the State Senate shall designate the chair of the task force.  The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives shall designate the vice-chair of the task force.  Appointments to the task force shall be made by July 31, 2009.  Meetings of the task force shall be held at the call of the chair of the task force.  Members shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authorities.  A majority of the members of the task force shall constitute a quorum to transact business, but no vacancy shall impair the right of the remaining members to exercise all of the powers of the task force.  A vacancy on the task force shall be filled by the original appointing authority.  Staff support for the task force shall be provided by the staff of the State Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
E.  Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for serving on the task force, but shall receive travel reimbursement as follows:
1.  State employees who are members of the task force shall be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties by their respective agencies in accordance with the State Travel Reimbursement Act;
2.  All other task force members shall be reimbursed by the appointing authority for travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in accordance with the State Travel Reimbursement Act; and
3.  Legislative members shall be reimbursed in accordance with Section 456 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
F.  The task force shall submit a report by November 30, 2009, to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate, and the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.  The report shall include findings and recommendations for any statutory or regulatory changes necessary to improve the program, improve access to post-secondary courses for high school students, and ensure uniform application of policies for the concurrent enrollment program.
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effective July 1, 2009.
SECTION 3.  It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
Passed the Senate the 26th day of February, 2009.

	
Presiding Officer 	of the Senate

Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 2009.

	
Presiding Officer	of the House
	of Representatives