Arkansas 2023 2023 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1030 Draft / Bill

Filed 03/16/2023

                    Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law. 
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed:  H2/14/23 H2/23/23 S3/16/23  1 
94th General Assembly A Bill     2 
Regular Session, 2023  	HOUSE BILL 1030 3 
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By: Representative S. Meeks 5 
By: Senator J. English 6 
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8 
AN ACT CONCERNING AG E AND RESIDENCY REQU IREMENTS FOR 9 
ATTENDING PUBLIC SCH OOLS; TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF 10 
INDIVIDUALS FOR WHOM PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHALL BE OPEN AND 11 
FREE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.  12 
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Subtitle 15 
CONCERNING AGE AND RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS 16 
FOR ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS; AND TO 17 
EXPAND THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS FOR WHOM 18 
PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHALL BE OPEN AND FREE. 19 
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22 
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 SECTION 1.  Arkansas Code § 6-18-202(b)(1) and (2), concerning the 24 
individuals for whom public schools of any school district in the State of 25 
Arkansas shall be open and free, are amended to read as follows: 26 
 (b)(1)  The public schools of any school district in this st ate shall 27 
be open and free through completion of the secondary program to all persons 28 
in this state between five (5) and twenty -one (21) years of age whose: 29 
 (A)  Whose parent, legal guardian, person having lawful 30 
control of the person, or person standin g in loco parentis resides within the 31 
school district; and to all persons between those ages who  32 
 (B)  Who have been legally transferred to the school 33 
district for education purposes. 34 
 (2)  For purposes of this section, a student may use the 35 
residential address of a legal guardian, person having legal, lawful control 36   As Engrossed:  H2/14/23 H2/23/23 S3/16/23 	HB1030 
 
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of the student under order of a court, or person standing in loco parentis 1 
only if the student: 2 
 (A)  Student resides at the same residential address ; and 3 
if the guardianship 4 
 (B)(i)  Guardianship or other legal authority of the 5 
student is not granted solely for educational needs or school attendance 6 
purposes. 7 
 (ii)  However, subdivision (b)(2)(B)(i) of this 8 
section shall not apply to a host family of an international exchange student 9 
placed by an international student exchange visitor placement organization 10 
under the International Student Exchange Visitor Placement Organization 11 
Registration Act, § 6 -18-1701 et seq. 12 
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 SECTION 2.  Arkansas Code § 6 -18-202(g), concerning age and residenc e 14 
for attending public schools and students' ability to participate in the 15 
Public School Choice Act of 2015, is amended to add an additional subsection 16 
to read as follows: 17 
 (g)  This section shall not be construed to restrict a student's 18 
ability to participate: 19 
 (1)  Participate in a tuition agreement with a nonresident school 20 
district; or to officially  21 
 (2)  Officially transfer to another school district pursuant to 22 
the Public School Choice Act of 2015, § 6 -18-1901 et seq.; or 23 
 (3)  Attend school as an international exchange student placed 24 
with a host family by an international student exchange visitor placement 25 
organization under the International Student Exchange Visitor Placement 26 
Organization Registration Act, § 6 -18-1701 et seq. 27 
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 SECTION 3.  Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 2, is amended 29 
to add an additional section to read as follows: 30 
 6-18-234.  Attendance of international exchange student — Required — 31 
Definitions. 32 
 (a)  As used in this section: 33 
 (1)  "Host family" means the individu al or family with whom an 34 
international exchange student is placed by an international student exchange 35 
visitor placement organization under the International Student Exchange 36  As Engrossed:  H2/14/23 H2/23/23 S3/16/23 	HB1030 
 
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Visitor Placement Organization Registration Act, § 6 -18-1701 et seq.; and 1 
 (2)  "International exchange student" means a student who is 2 
placed with a host family by an international student exchange visitor 3 
placement organization under the International Student Exchange Visitor 4 
Placement Organization Registration Act, § 6 -18-1701 et seq. 5 
 (b)  A public school in the public school district in which a host 6 
family resides shall admit for enrollment and attendance at the public school 7 
an international exchange student who has been placed with the host family.  8 
 (c)  A public school distri ct that admits an international exchange 9 
student may: 10 
 (1)(A)  Upon his or her arrival, require the international 11 
exchange student to submit to quarantine to prevent the spread of infectious 12 
diseases as may be necessary. 13 
 (B)  A quarantine required under subdivision (c)(1)(A) of 14 
this section shall not exceed seven (7) days unless otherwise recommended by 15 
the Department of Health or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 16 
 (2)  Expel or suspend the international exchange student from the 17 
public school based on a: 18 
 (A)  Violation of the school district's written student 19 
discipline policies, as required under § 6 -18-507; or 20 
 (B)  Danger that the international exchange student 21 
presents to the students attending a nd individuals employed by the school 22 
district; and 23 
 (3)(A)  Establish a limit on the total number of international 24 
exchange students each public school within the public school district may 25 
accept for enrollment in each public school. 26 
 (B)  A limit established for a public school under 27 
subdivision (c)(3)(A) of this section shall be no fewer than one (1) 28 
international exchange student per fifty (50) students enrolled in the public 29 
school in which the international exchange student intends to enroll 30 
according to the school's average daily membership in the school year 31 
immediately preceding the current school year. 32 
 (d)  A public school district shall have the option of whether or not 33 
to: 34 
 (1)(A)  Include test results achieved by an international 35 
exchange student enrolled in the public school district in state -mandated 36  As Engrossed:  H2/14/23 H2/23/23 S3/16/23 	HB1030 
 
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assessments. 1 
 (B)  A public school district shall include or exclude the 2 
test results achieved by each international exchange student enrolled in the 3 
public school as a group; and 4 
 (2)  Provide English-language services. 5 
 (e)  Before a public school district is required to accept an 6 
international exchange student under this section, the public school district 7 
may require the international student exchange visitor placement organization 8 
under the International Student Exchange Visitor Placement Organization 9 
Registration Act, § 6 -18-1701 et seq., that is placing the international 10 
exchange student to: 11 
 (1)  Be certified by the Council on Standards for International 12 
Educational Travel; 13 
 (2)  Provide documented proof of the international exchange 14 
student's English proficiency; and 15 
 (3)  Notify the public school district at least three (3) weeks 16 
before the beginning of the academic semester in which the international 17 
exchange student is planning to enroll in the public school district. 18 
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/s/S. Meeks 20 
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