2016 -- H 7772

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LC005131

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - RECOVERY HIGH SCHOOLS ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Azzinaro, Slater, Hull, and Naughton

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2016

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-95-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-95 entitled "The

Recovery High Schools Act [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education

Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-95-4. Transfer of aid. -- (a) Any school district in Rhode Island that may have a

student or students who are currently or were last enrolled in said district and who are considered

by the sending district to be both clinically and academically appropriate for referral diagnosed

with substance use disorder or dependency, as defined by the diagnostic and statistical manual of

mental disorders IV-TR may be referred to a Rhode Island recovery high school may be referred

by a clinician licensed pursuant to chapter 35 of title 42 for voluntary enrollment in such school.

If said student is admitted to said school, the sending school district shall ensure that payment

pursuant to subsection (b) herein for students who attend the recovery high school is paid, and

further, that upon completion of all other graduation requirements, said student or students shall

receive a diploma.

      (b) A sending school district shall transfer the per pupil allotment it receives core

instructional amount pursuant to chapter 16-7.2 ("The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief

Act") to a recovery high school for any student attending the recovery high school and meeting

the following criteria: (1) The student is currently enrolled in the district or currently resides in

the municipality in which the district is located; (2) The student is considered by a clinician

licensed pursuant to 42-35, to be clinically appropriate, using the criteria for substance use

disorders as defined in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders IV-TR; and (3)

The student meets all matriculation criteria as outlined by the sending district and the department

of elementary and secondary education, with determination of academic eligibility based on

existing documentation provided by the district. The district and the recovery high school shall

arrange to confer a diploma when a student completes state and district-mandated graduation

requirements. The local share of education funding shall be paid to the recovery high school in

the same manner as the local share of education funding is paid to charter public schools, the

William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School, and the Metropolitan Regional Career

and Technical Center, as outlined in § 16-7.2-5.

     (c) The state shall appropriate no less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000)

annually for the administration and programmatic costs of each recovery high school.

      (c)(d) A recovery high school shall submit to the board of regents council on elementary

and secondary education academic data considered necessary by the board to provide information

regarding each student's academic performance, subject to applicable health confidentiality laws

and regulations.

      (d)(e) The board of regents council on elementary and secondary education, in

consultation with the department of behavioral health, developmental disabilities and hospitals

shall promulgate rules and regulations as necessary to implement and carry out the intent of this

chapter.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - RECOVERY HIGH SCHOOLS ACT

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     This act would remove school district approval from the enrollment process for recovery

high school students and would require the transfer of the per pupil core instructional amount.

The act would also require the state to annually provide no less than five hundred thousand

dollars ($500,000) to each recovery high school.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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