Brief ⁽¹⁾

SB 25 pertains to selection and compensation of hearing officers under the general teacher due process law. The amendments do the following:

Reduce from nine to five the number of potential hearing officers on the listing that the Commissioner of Education is required to send to the teacher and school district.

Eliminate from the law the amount of per diem compensation ($240 per day) that the hearing officer receives for attendance at the hearing or for any meeting held for the purpose of performing the hearing officer's official duties.

Background

SB 25 was recommended by the State Board of Education. The State Board explained that the current law requires the Commissioner of Education to send to the teacher and the school district a list of nine potential hearing officers. Either the teacher or the district may reject the entire list and request a new list of nine hearing officers. The State Board simply has not been able to maintain a list of 18 people willing to serve in this capacity. Currently, the Board's list contains 15 names. The second amendment is designed to remove the financial impediment to maintaining such a list. The Board reports that the work associated with this service extends well beyond the actual meeting days, but that the hearing officer is paid only for meeting days. The amendment would leave determination of compensation to the affected parties. The Kansas National Education Association and Kansas Association of School Boards spoke in support of the bill. There were no opponents.

According to the State Department of Education, enactment of SB 25 would have no fiscal effect.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext.cgi