Sec. 152b.
(1) From the general fund money appropriated under section 11, there is allocated an amount not to exceed $1,000,000.00 for 2021-2022 to reimburse actual costs incurred by nonpublic schools in complying with a health, safety, or welfare requirement mandated by a law or administrative rule of this state.
(2) By January 1 of each applicable fiscal year, the department shall publish a form for reporting actual costs incurred by a nonpublic school in complying with a health, safety, or welfare requirement mandated under state law containing each health, safety, or welfare requirement mandated by a law or administrative rule of this state applicable to a nonpublic school and with a reference to each relevant provision of law or administrative rule for the requirement. The form shall be posted on the department's website in electronic form.
(3) By June 30 of each applicable fiscal year, a nonpublic school seeking reimbursement for actual costs incurred in complying with a health, safety, or welfare requirement under a law or administrative rule of this state during each applicable school year shall submit a completed form described in subsection (2) to the department. This section does not require a nonpublic school to submit a form described in subsection (2). A nonpublic school is not eligible for reimbursement under this section if the nonpublic school does not submit the form described in subsection (2) in a timely manner.
(4) By August 15 of each applicable fiscal year, the department shall distribute funds to each nonpublic school that submits a completed form described under subsection (2) in a timely manner. The superintendent shall determine the amount of funds to be paid to each nonpublic school in an amount that does not exceed the nonpublic school's actual costs in complying with a health, safety, or welfare requirement under a law or administrative rule of this state. The superintendent shall calculate a nonpublic school's actual cost in accordance with this section.
(5) If the funds allocated under this section are insufficient to fully fund payments as otherwise calculated under this section, the department shall distribute funds under this section on a prorated or other equitable basis as determined by the superintendent.
(6) The department may review the records of a nonpublic school submitting a form described in subsection (2) only for the limited purpose of verifying the nonpublic school's compliance with this section. If a nonpublic school does not allow the department to review records under this subsection, the nonpublic school is not eligible for reimbursement under this section.
(7) The funds appropriated under this section are for purposes related to education, are considered to be incidental to the operation of a nonpublic school, are noninstructional in character, and are intended for the public purpose of ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of the children in nonpublic schools and to reimburse nonpublic schools for costs described in this section.
(8) Funds allocated under this section are not intended to aid or maintain any nonpublic school, support the attendance of any student at a nonpublic school, employ any person at a nonpublic school, support the attendance of any student at any location where instruction is offered to a nonpublic school student, or support the employment of any person at any location where instruction is offered to a nonpublic school student.
(9) For purposes of this section, "actual cost" means the hourly wage for the employee or employees performing a task or tasks required to comply with a health, safety, or welfare requirement under a law or administrative rule of this state identified by the department under subsection (2) and is to be calculated in accordance with the form published by the department under subsection (2), which shall include a detailed itemization of costs. The nonpublic school shall not charge more than the hourly wage of its lowest-paid employee capable of performing a specific task regardless of whether that individual is available and regardless of who actually performs a specific task. Labor costs under this subsection shall be estimated and charged in increments of 15 minutes or more, with all partial time increments rounded down. When calculating costs under subsection (4), fee components shall be itemized in a manner that expresses both the hourly wage and the number of hours charged. The nonpublic school may not charge any applicable labor charge amount to cover or partially cover the cost of health or fringe benefits. A nonpublic school shall not charge any overtime wages in the calculation of labor costs.
(10) For the purposes of this section, the actual cost incurred by a nonpublic school for taking daily student attendance shall be considered an actual cost in complying with a health, safety, or welfare requirement under a law or administrative rule of this state. Training fees, inspection fees, and criminal background check fees are considered actual costs in complying with a health, safety, or welfare requirement under a law or administrative rule of this state.
(11) The funds allocated under this section for 2017-2018 are a work project appropriation, and any unexpended funds for 2017-2018 are carried forward into 2018-2019. The purpose of the work project is to continue to reimburse nonpublic schools for actual costs incurred in complying with a health, safety, or welfare requirement mandated by a law or administrative rule of this state. The estimated completion date of the work project is September 30, 2022.
(12) The funds allocated under this section for 2018-2019 are a work project appropriation, and any unexpended funds for 2018-2019 are carried forward into 2019-2020. The purpose of the work project is to continue to reimburse nonpublic schools for actual costs incurred in complying with a health, safety, or welfare requirement mandated by a law or administrative rule of this state. The estimated completion date of the work project is September 30, 2022.
(13) The funds allocated under this section for 2021-2022 are a work project appropriation, and any unexpended funds for 2021-2022 are carried forward into 2022-2023. The purpose of the work project is to continue to reimburse nonpublic schools for actual costs incurred in complying with a health, safety, or welfare requirement mandated by a law or administrative rule of this state. The estimated completion date of the work project is September 30, 2023.
(14) The department shall reimburse nonpublic schools for actual costs incurred in complying with health, safety, or welfare requirements under a law or administrative rule of this state from 2018-2019 through 2020-2021 using work project funds or, if those funds are insufficient to fund reimbursements under this subsection, from the allocation under subsection (1).
History: Add. 2016, Act 249, Eff. Oct. 1, 2016 ;-- Am. 2017, Act 108, Imd. Eff. July 14, 2017 ;-- Am. 2018, Act 265, Imd. Eff. June 28, 2018 ;-- Am. 2021, Act 48, Eff. Oct. 1, 2021
Compiler's Notes: Sec. 152b, as amended by Act 165 of 2020, was vetoed by the governor on September 30, 2020.