1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; limiting teacher leave to teach 
  1.3             in charter schools; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, 
  1.4             section 124D.10, subdivision 20. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 124D.10, 
  1.7   subdivision 20, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subd. 20.  [LEAVE TO TEACH IN A CHARTER SCHOOL.] If a 
  1.9   teacher employed by a district makes a written request for an 
  1.10  extended leave of absence to teach at a charter school, the 
  1.11  district must grant the leave.  The district must grant a leave 
  1.12  for any the number of years requested by the teacher, and must 
  1.13  extend the leave at the teacher's request, provided that the 
  1.14  initial leave and, if any, the extended leaves are for a 
  1.15  combined total of no more than five years for teaching at the 
  1.16  same charter school.  The district may agree with the teacher to 
  1.17  extend a leave longer than five years with the benefits provided 
  1.18  in this section.  The district may require that the request for 
  1.19  a leave or extension of leave be made up to 90 days before the 
  1.20  teacher would otherwise have to report for duty.  Except as 
  1.21  otherwise provided in this subdivision and except for section 
  1.22  122A.46, subdivision 7, the leave is governed by section 
  1.23  122A.46, including, but not limited to, reinstatement, notice of 
  1.24  intention to return, seniority, salary, and insurance. 
  1.25     During a leave, the teacher may continue to aggregate 
  2.1   benefits and credits in the teachers' retirement association 
  2.2   account by paying both the employer and employee contributions 
  2.3   based upon the annual salary of the teacher for the last full 
  2.4   pay period before the leave began.  The retirement association 
  2.5   may impose reasonable requirements to efficiently administer 
  2.6   this subdivision.