1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; modifying certain charter school provisions;amending 
1.3 	Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 124E.05, subdivisions 4, 5.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 124E.05, subdivision 4, is 
1.6 	amended to read:
1.7 		Subd. 4.Application content. (a) An applicant must include in its application to 
1.8 	the commissioner to be an approved authorizer at least the following:
1.9 	(1) how chartering schools is a way for the organization to carry out its mission;
1.10 	(2) a description of the capacity of the organization to serve as an authorizer, 
1.11 	including the personnel who will perform the authorizing duties, their qualifications, the 
1.12 	amount of time they will be assigned to this responsibility, and the financial resources 
1.13 	allocated by the organization to this responsibility;
1.14 	(3) a description of the application and review process the authorizer will use to 
1.15 	make decisions regarding the granting of charters;
1.16 	(4) a description of the type of contract it will arrange with the schools it charters 
1.17 	that meets the provisions of section 124E.10;
1.18 	(5) the process to be used for providing ongoing oversight of the school consistent 
1.19 	with the contract expectations specified in clause (4) that assures that the schools chartered 
1.20 	are complying with both the provisions of applicable law and rules, and with the contract;
1.21 	(6) a description of the criteria and process the authorizer will use to grant expanded 
1.22 	applications under section 124E.06, subdivision 5;
1.23 	(7) the process for making decisions regarding the renewal or termination of 
1.24 	the school's charter based on evidence that demonstrates the academic, organizational, 
2.1 	and financial competency of the school, including its success in increasing student 
2.2 	achievement and meeting the goals of the charter school agreement; and
2.3 	(8) an assurance specifying that the organization is committed to serving as an 
2.4 	authorizer for the full five-year term.
2.5 	(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), an authorizer that is a school district may satisfy 
2.6 	the requirements of paragraph (a), clauses (1) and (2), and any requirement governing 
2.7 	a conflict of interest, an ongoing evaluation, or continuing education by submitting a 
2.8 	"statement of assurances" of legal compliance to the commissioner.

2.9 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.10 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 124E.05, subdivision 5, is 
2.11 	amended to read:
2.12 		Subd. 5.Review by commissioner. (a) The commissioner shall review an 
2.13 	authorizer's performance every five years in a manner and form determined by the 
2.14 	commissioner, subject to paragraph (b), and may review an authorizer's performance 
2.15 	more frequently at the commissioner's own initiative or at the request of a charter school 
2.16 	operator, charter school board member, or other interested party. The commissioner, after 
2.17 	completing the review, shall transmit a report with findings to the authorizer.
2.18 	(b) The commissioner's form must use existing department data on the authorizer to 
2.19 	minimize duplicate reporting to the extent practicable. When reviewing an authorizer's 
2.20 	performance under this subdivision, the commissioner must not (1) fail to credit, (2) 
2.21 	withhold points, or (3) otherwise penalize an authorizer for failing to charter additional 
2.22 	schools or for the absence of complaints against the authorizer's current portfolio of 
2.23 	charter schools.

2.24 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.