H97 - 2015 Appropriations Act, Sec. 8A.5: State Board Authority to Consolidate Contiguous County School Administrative Units (SL 2015-241)

Overview: Sec. 8A.5 of S.L. 2015-241 authorizes the State Board of Education (SBE) to consolidate and merge contiguous county school administrative units or a group of county school administrative units in which each county unit is contiguous with at least one other county unit in the group. The SBE must have a written plan that sets out the conditions of the merger. Any merger of county units or reorganization of county units will not have the effect of abolishing any special taxes that have been approved in the affected units.

A merger ordered by the SBE becomes effective on July 1 immediately following the earlier of the 31st legislative day or the day of adjournment of the next regular session of the General Assembly that begins at least 25 days after the date the SBE approved the merger. If a bill specifically disapproving the merger is introduced in either house of the General Assembly before the 31st legislative day of that session, the merger becomes effective on the July 1 immediately following the earlier of either the day an unfavorable final action is taken on the bill or the day that the General Assembly adjourns without ratifying a bill that specifically disapproves the merger. A merger that is specifically disapproved by a bill enacted into law before the merger becomes effective does not become effective.

A bill specifically disapproves a merger if it contains a provision that refers to the written plan of the merger and states that the merger is disapproved. Any member of the General Assembly can introduce a bill during the first 30 legislative days of any regular session to disapprove a merger that has been approved by the SBE and that has not become effective.

This section became effective July 1, 2015.