Section 388.1766a - Instruction in reproductive health or other sex education; complaint process.
THE STATE SCHOOL AID ACT OF 1979 (EXCERPT)
Act 94 of 1979
388.1766a Instruction in reproductive health or other sex education; complaint process.
Sec. 166a.
(1) In order to avoid forfeiture of state aid under subsection (2), the board of a district or intermediate district providing reproductive health or other sex education instruction under section 1169, 1506, or 1507 of the revised school code, MCL 380.1169, 380.1506, and 380.1507, or under any other provision of law, shall ensure that all of the following are met:
(a) That the district or intermediate district does not provide any of the instruction to a pupil who is less than 18 years of age unless the district or intermediate district notifies the pupil's parent or legal guardian in advance of the instruction and the content of the instruction, gives the pupil's parent or legal guardian a prior opportunity to review the materials to be used in the instruction, allows the pupil's parent or legal guardian to observe the instruction, and notifies the pupil's parent or legal guardian in advance of his or her rights to observe the instruction and to have the pupil excused from the instruction.
(b) That, upon the written request of a pupil's parent or legal guardian or of a pupil if the pupil is at least age 18, the pupil shall be excused, without penalty or loss of academic credit, from attending class sessions in which the instruction is provided.
(c) That the sex education instruction includes age-appropriate information clearly informing pupils at 1 or more age-appropriate grade levels that having sex or sexual contact with an individual under the age of 16 is a crime punishable by imprisonment, and that 1 of the other results of being convicted of this crime is to be listed on the sex offender registry on the internet for up to 25 years.
(2) If a parent or legal guardian of a pupil enrolled in a district or intermediate district believes that the district or intermediate district has violated this section or section 1169, 1506, or 1507 of the revised school code, MCL 380.1169, 380.1506, and 380.1507, he or she may file a complaint with the superintendent or chief administrator of the district or intermediate district in which the pupil is enrolled. Upon receipt of the complaint, the superintendent or chief administrator of the district or intermediate district shall investigate the complaint and, within 30 days after the date of the complaint, provide a written report of his or her findings to the parent or legal guardian who filed the complaint and to the superintendent of public instruction. If the investigation reveals that 1 or more violations have occurred, the written report shall contain a description of each violation and of corrective action the district or intermediate district will take to correct the situation to ensure that there is no further violation. The district or intermediate district shall take the corrective action described in the written report within 30 days after the date of the written report.
(3) If a parent who has filed a complaint with a district under subsection (2) believes that the district is still not in compliance with law based on the findings made by the superintendent or chief administrator of the district, the parent may appeal the findings to the intermediate district in which the district is located. If there is an appeal to an intermediate district under this subsection, the intermediate superintendent of the intermediate district shall investigate the complaint and, within 30 days after the date of the appeal, provide a written report of his or her findings to the parent or legal guardian who filed the appeal and to the superintendent of public instruction. If the investigation by the intermediate superintendent reveals that 1 or more violations have occurred, the intermediate superintendent in consultation with the local district shall develop a plan for corrective action for the district to take to correct the situation to ensure that there is no further violation, and shall include this plan for corrective action with the written report provided to the parent or legal guardian and the superintendent of public instruction. The district shall take the corrective action described in the plan within 30 days after the date of the written report.
(4) If a parent who has filed a complaint with an intermediate district under subsection (2) or a parent who has filed an appeal with an intermediate district under subsection (3) believes that the district or intermediate district is still not in compliance with law based on the findings made by the intermediate superintendent of the intermediate district, the parent may appeal the findings to the department. If there is an appeal to the department under this subsection, the department shall investigate the complaint and, within 90 days after the date of the appeal, provide a written report of its findings to the parent or legal guardian who filed the appeal, to the superintendent of public instruction, and to the district and intermediate district. If the department finds 1 or more violations as a result of its investigation, then all of the following apply:
(a) The department shall develop a plan for corrective action for the district or intermediate district to take to correct the situation to ensure that there is no further violation, and shall include this plan for corrective action with the written report provided to the parent or legal guardian, the superintendent of public instruction, and the district or intermediate district. The district or intermediate district shall take the corrective action described in the plan within 30 days after the date of the written report.
(b) In addition to withholding the percentage of state school aid forfeited by the district or intermediate district under subsection (5), the department may assess a fee to the district or intermediate district that committed the violation in an amount not to exceed the actual cost to the department of conducting the investigation and making the reports required under this subsection.
(5) If an investigation conducted by the department under subsection (4) reveals that a district or intermediate district has committed 1 or more violations of this section or section 1169, 1506, or 1507 of the revised school code, MCL 380.1169, 380.1506, and 380.1507, the district or intermediate district shall forfeit an amount equal to 1% of its total state school aid allocation under this act.
(6) The department, with the approval of the superintendent of public instruction, shall establish a reasonable process for a complainant to appeal to the department under subsection (4). The process shall not place an undue burden on the complainant, the district or intermediate district, or the department.
(7) The department shall track the number of complaints and appeals it receives under this section for the 2004-2005 school year and, not later than the end of that school year, shall submit a report to the standing committees and appropriations subcommittees of the legislature having jurisdiction over education legislation and state school aid that details the number and nature of those complaints and appeals and the cost to the department of handling them.
History: Add. 1993, Act 175, Eff. Oct. 1, 1993 ;-- Am. 1993, Act 336, Eff. Mar. 15, 1994 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 300, Eff. Oct. 1, 1996 ;-- Am. 2003, Act 158, Eff. Oct. 1, 2003 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 166, Imd. Eff. June 24, 2004