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Amend the bill by striking out all of section 2 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §2415, sub-§2-A  is enacted to read:
 
2-A.  Participation in activities.     A school administrative unit shall make resources and services available to an eligible student in accordance with this subsection. For purposes of this subsection, "eligible student" means a student enrolled in a public charter school who is eligible to attend a school in that school administrative unit, including a student who resides in the unorganized territory.
 
A.  An eligible student is eligible to participate in cocurricular activities sponsored by the school administrative unit if:
 
(1) The student or the student's parent or guardian applies in writing to the principal of the school and receives the written approval of the principal or the principal's designee, which may not unreasonably be withheld; and
 
(2) The student complies with the applicable behavioral, disciplinary and other rules governing regularly enrolled students participating in the activities.
 
B.  An eligible student is eligible to try out for extracurricular activities sponsored by the school administrative unit if the following requirements are satisfied:
 
(1) The student applies in writing to the principal of the school and agrees to abide by the same rules of participation as are applicable to regularly enrolled students participating in the activity and provides evidence that the rules of participation are being met;
 
(2) The student complies with the same physical examination, immunization, insurance, age and semester eligibility requirements as are applicable to regularly enrolled students participating in the activity. All required documentation must be provided by the student upon request by the school unit;
 
(3) The student meets the same academic standards as those established for regularly enrolled students participating in the activity and provides evidence that the academic standards are being met;
 
(4) The student abides by the same transportation policy as that established for regularly enrolled students participating in the activity; and
 
(5) The student pays the same fees as regularly enrolled students participating in the activity pay.
 
The school may not impose an eligibility standard for participation in extracurricular activities by an eligible student that is not imposed on all other students.
 
If an eligible student participates in cocurricular or extracurricular activities under this subsection, the public charter school in which the eligible student is enrolled shall pay to the school the amount of the EPS per-pupil funding received by the public charter school for cocurricular and extracurricular activities, as calculated pursuant to section 15680, on a pro rata basis, except that the public charter school is not required to pay in any fiscal year more than 100% of the fiscal year amount of the EPS per-pupil funding received by the public charter school for cocurricular and extracurricular activities.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, revises the substance of the bill to provide that a school administrative unit is required to make both extracurricular and cocurricular activities available to a student enrolled in a public charter school who is eligible to attend a school of that school administrative unit, including a student who resides in the unorganized territory. The amendment defines "eligible student."
The amendment provides that an eligible student is eligible to participate in cocurricular activities sponsored by the school administrative unit upon approval of the principal or the principal's designee, which may not unreasonably be withheld. The student must comply with the applicable behavioral, disciplinary and other rules governing regularly enrolled students participating in the activities.
Like the bill, the amendment provides that an eligible student is eligible to try out for extracurricular activities sponsored by the local school unit on the same basis as a student receiving homeschool instruction may do under current law. The amendment adds a requirement that the student pay the same fees as regularly enrolled students participating in the activity pay. The local school unit may not impose any eligibility standards for participation in extracurricular activities by an eligible student that are not imposed on all other students.
The amendment also provides that, if an eligible student participates in cocurricular or extracurricular activities, the public charter school in which the eligible student is enrolled is required to pay to the local school unit the amount of the EPS per-pupil funding received by the public charter school for cocurricular and extracurricular activities, except that the public charter school is not required to pay in any fiscal year more than 100% of the fiscal year amount of the EPS per-pupil funding received by the public charter school for cocurricular and extracurricular activities.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)