_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REQUIRING SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDS OF TRUSTEES TO ADOPT A GRIEVANCE POLICY; PROVIDING PARAMETERS FOR THE GRIEVANCE POLICY; AMENDING SECTION 20-3-323, MCA; and PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

Section 1. Section 20-3-323, MCA, is amended to read:

"20-3-323. District policy and record of acts. (1) The trustees of each district shall prescribe and enforce policies for the government of the district. In order to provide a comprehensive system of governing the district, the trustees shall:

(a)        adopt the policies required by this title; and

(b)        adopt policies to implement or administer the requirements of the general law, this title, the policies of the board of public education, and the rules of the superintendent of public instruction; and

(c)        adopt a grievance policy that provides for informal and formal resolutions of a complaint, informs a grievant about the grievance policy, provides a printed version of the grievance policy on request, and accepts a formal complaint submitted within at least 30 days of the completion of an informal resolution.

(2)        The trustees shall keep a full and permanent record of all adopted policies and all other acts of the trustees. Minutes of each regular and special board meeting shall include wording of motions, voting records of each trustee present, and all other pertinent information, including a detailed statement of all expenditures of money with the name of any person or business to whom payment is made and showing the service rendered or goods furnished. A written copy of the minutes shall be made available within 5 working days following the approval of the minutes by the board at a cost of no more than 15 cents a page to be paid by those who request such a copy. One free copy of the minutes shall be provided to the local press within 5 working days following the approval of the minutes by the board. The board shall approve the minutes of each special and regular meeting no later than 1 month following the meeting if it meets on a regular monthly basis. If a board does not regularly meet on a monthly basis, it shall approve the minutes of each special and regular meeting at the next regular or special meeting. The approval of the minutes of a prior meeting shall not occur more than 40 days after the meeting, except that no board shall be required to meet to approve the minutes of a meeting at which no substantive business was conducted."

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2023.