March 16, 2001

Mr. Speaker:

Your CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred

has had it under consideration and reports same with the following recommendations:

1. House Appropriations and Finance Committee Amendments 1 and 2 be APPROVED.

and that the bill be amended further as follows:

2. On page 7, between lines 11 and 12, insert the following new subsection:

"C. Three million dollars ($3,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the state department of public education for expenditure in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 to fund a voluntary teacher incentive pay pilot program. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2003 shall revert to the general fund.".

3. On page 7, lines 13 and 14, strike the money amount and insert in lieu thereof "five million five hundred thousand dollars ($5,500,000)".

4. On page 8, between lines 1 and 2, insert the following new subsection:

"C. One million dollars ($1,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the reading proficiency fund for expenditure in fiscal year 2001 and subsequent fiscal years to carry out the purposes of the fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund.".

5. On page 8, line 19, strike "and".

6. On page 8, line 23, strike the period, insert in lieu thereof a semicolon and between lines 23 and 24, insert the following new subsections:

"D. eight million dollars ($8,000,000) for expenditure in fiscal years 2001 through 2003 to develop criterion-referenced testing in four content areas, and any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2003 shall revert to the general fund;

E. one million dollars ($1,000,000) to purchase commercially available criterion-referenced end-of-course tests for designated core high school courses required for graduation; and

F. six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000) to the probationary school intervention fund for expenditure in fiscal year 2001 and subsequent fiscal years to carry out the purposes of the Probationary School Intervention Act.".

7. On page 10, line 4, strike "and".

8. On page 10, line 8, strike the period, insert in lieu thereof a semicolon and between lines 8 and 9, insert the following:

"D. two million seven hundred fifty-five thousand dollars ($2,755,000) to public schools that are participating in a rapid response intervention pilot project designed to test the efficacy of focusing state resources on those public schools in need of improvement that have five percent or higher Native American student populations. The appropriation shall be used by the department to conduct reading, writing and professional development needs assessments and for grants to participating public schools; and

E. three million five hundred thousand dollars ($3,500,000) for expenditure in fiscal year 2002 to continue the rapid response intervention pilot project if the federal government fails to allow the state to calculate disparity on the unit value instead of the per MEM value. If the federal government allows the state to calculate the impact aid disparity on the unit value instead of the MEM value and House Appropriations and Finance Committee Substitute for House Bill 949 of the first session of the forty-fifth legislature or similar legislation is enacted into law, this appropriation shall be transferred to the state equalization guarantee distribution to fund the impact aid credit reduction provided for in that law.".

9. On page 11, between lines 13 and 14, insert the following new section:

"Section 13. FEDERAL IMPACT AID STUDY.--One hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative council service for expenditure in fiscal year 2002 to contract for a study of impact aid funding of public schools and the state equalization guarantee funding formula. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2002 shall revert to the general fund.".

10. Renumber the succeeding section accordingly.

Respectfully submitted,

_____________________________

Rick Miera

_____________________________

Mimi Stewart

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Earlene Roberts

Adopted____________________ Not Adopted_____________________

(Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk)

Date ______________