1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; requiring recommendations regarding certain charter 
1.3 	school authorizers.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. TERMINATED AND WITHDRAWING AUTHORIZERS; 
1.6 	RECOMMENDATIONS.
 1.7 	(a) The commissioner of education must develop and submit recommendations to the 
1.8 	K-12 education policy and finance committees of the legislature by February 15, 2016, to 
1.9 	address circumstances where a charter school authorizer is terminated or withdraws as an 
1.10 	authorizer, either unilaterally or under a mutual agreement with affected charter schools, 
1.11 	and how charter schools are closed and dissolved. In developing recommendations about 
1.12 	how to operate a charter school when an authorizer is terminated or withdraws, the 
1.13 	commissioner, at a minimum, must address the following:
1.14 	(1) how to operate a charter school having a terminated or withdrawing authorizer 
1.15 	and, if an interim authorizer and contract are recommended, what entities may serve as 
1.16 	an interim authorizer, what standards and process for approving that interim authorizer 
1.17 	apply, the extent of an interim authorizer's responsibilities for a charter school, and the 
1.18 	remaining obligations of the terminated or withdrawing authorizer toward the charter 
1.19 	school and interim authorizer, including reports and fees and any other obligations of the 
1.20 	terminated or withdrawing authorizer to continue to perform under the charter school 
1.21 	contract until a date certain;
1.22 	(2) how a poorly performing charter school might be operated differently than 
1.23 	other charter schools in this circumstance, including how an interim and any successor 
1.24 	authorizer might intervene with a poorly performing charter school;
2.1 	(3) what is and what happens with a poorly performing interim authorizer;
2.2 	(4) whether the charter school must close and be dissolved if no qualified authorizer 
2.3 	is available when the interim period expires; and
2.4 	(5) the Department of Education's role under this paragraph.
2.5 	(b) The commissioner of education must consult with the Minnesota Association of 
2.6 	Charter Schools, the Minnesota Association of Charter School Authorizers, Charter School 
2.7 	Partners, the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, 
2.8 	and other interested education stakeholders in developing the recommendations under 
2.9 	paragraph (a).

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