Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

H.B. 260
                         GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
                                                                                          Mar 10, 2021
                                     SESSION 2021                                    HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
     H                                                                                             D
                                  HOUSE BILL DRH40157-MKa-84
     Short Title:   Fees for Advanced Courses/UNC.                                            (Public)
     Sponsors:      Representatives Hardister, Blackwell, Zenger, and Meyer (Primary Sponsors).
     Referred to:
                                      A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO EXEMPT STUDENTS ENROLLED IN
     SECONDARY SCHOOLS OPERATED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
     FROM PAYING FEES RELATED TO ADVANCED COURSES.
 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
             SECTION 1. Part 5 of Article 1 of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes is amended
 by adding a new section to read:
 "§ 116-43.30. Advanced courses for secondary school students.
     (a)     It is the intent of the State to enhance accessibility and encourage secondary school
 students to enroll in and successfully complete more rigorous advanced courses to enable success
 in postsecondary education for all students. For the purposes of this section, an advanced course
 is an Advanced Placement course, an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme course,
 or a Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) course, including an
 AS-Level or A-Level course. To attain this goal, to the extent funds are made available for this
 purpose, secondary school students enrolled in the North Carolina School of Science and
 Mathematics and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts shall be exempt from
 paying any fees for administration of examinations for advanced courses and registration fees for
 advanced courses in which the student is enrolled regardless of the score the student achieves on
 an examination.
     (b)     The University of North Carolina System Office shall report annually by December
 15 to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on advanced courses by students
 enrolled in the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and the University of North
 Carolina School of the Arts. The report shall include, at a minimum, the following information
 from the prior fiscal year:
             (1)      Number of students enrolled in advanced courses and participating in
                      advanced course examinations, including demographic information by
                      gender, race, and free and reduced-price lunch status.
             (2)      Student performance on advanced course examinations, including information
                      by course and school.
             (3)      Amount of State funds expended for fees for advanced courses by school."
             SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors
 of The University of North Carolina the sum of ninety thousand dollars ($90,000) in recurring
 funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to be used to pay for the fees for the administration of
 examinations for advanced courses and registration fees for advanced courses for students
 enrolled in the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and the University of North
 Carolina School of the Arts, as provided in G.S. 116-43.30, as enacted by this act.
                                  *DRH40157-MKa-84*
    General Assembly Of North Carolina                                         Session 2021
            SECTION 3. The initial report required pursuant to G.S. 116-43.30(b) shall be
 submitted to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by December 15, 2022.
            SECTION 4. This act becomes effective July 1, 2021.
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