SB 12 - This act shall be known as the Smart and Safe Schools Act. Under this act, any student eligible for enrollment in the federal free or reduced-price lunch program shall continue to receive meals under the program during any period of time when the student's school is closed or the student is required or chooses to receive instruction remotely due to the spread of COVID-19. (Section 160.2800)
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall provide funds to each school district from federal CARES Act funds to purchase personal protective equipment for use by teachers, school employees, and students. Such funds shall also be used by each school district to provide active COVID-19 testing for teachers, school employees, and students at no cost to such teachers, school employees, and students.
Each school district shall report to the Department non-personally identifiable information aggregated by district on the number of tests provided, the positivity rate of such tests, and any resulting absences. Such information shall be reported on a weekly basis. (Section 161.295)
This act creates the Smart and Safe Schools Task Force to provide all Missouri public schools with guidelines and resources to promote a safe return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. The membership of the Task Force is set forth in the act. Members shall be appointed within ten days of the effective date of the act. The Task Force shall create recommended procedures, guidelines, and criteria that all school districts should implement to open as safely as possible, and shall support the review of school districts' readiness by considering a number of relevant areas as set forth in the act. The Task Force shall provide expertise and resources to schools on how to fully utilize all grants and federal funds available to help cover in full or in part the costs of implementing COVID-19 safety and health measures in schools.
The Task Force shall finalize and publish recommended procedures, guidelines, and criteria within thirty days of the formulation of the Task Force with a two business day public comment period. The final procedures and plans shall then be published and distributed to all school districts across the state within seven days after the end of the comment period.
The Task Force shall dissolve at the later of December 31, 2021, or the termination of the period of time in which the Governor has declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19. (Section 161.300)
This act provides that the state revenue received by a school district under the foundation formula shall not be reduced due to the absence of a student who ceases attending in-person due to a COVID-19 illness or who must quarantine due to a COVID-19 diagnosis or exposure or potential exposure to COVID-19. (Section 163.031)
During the 2020-2021 school year, students enrolled in a school district who attend in-person for at least five school days and who cease attending in-person due to a COVID-19 illness or who must quarantine due to a COVID-19 diagnosis or exposure or potential exposure to COVID-19 may be included in the district's weighted average daily attendance during the time the student is unable to attend in-person for COVID-19 related reasons. (Section 163.036)
This act requires the Department to provide funds to each school districts from federal CARES Act funds that may be used by each school district to provide a bonus in compensation to teachers and school employees who are employed by a school district that provides in-person instruction during the 2020-2021 school year. The bonus shall be paid on a monthly basis for each month where in-person instruction is provided. (Section 168.900)
Any teacher or school employee who has contracted or is quarantined due to COVID-19 is presumed to have an occupational disease arising out of and in the course of their employment for purposes of workers' compensation laws. A teacher or school employee is not entitled to this presumption if a subsequent medical determination establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the teacher or school employee did not actually have COVID-19, or contracted or was quarantined for COVID-19 resulting from exposure that was not related to the teacher or school employee's employment. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations may use any federal CARES Act funds to pay for claims arising out of this provision. (Section 287.064)
An employer shall not reduce the wages of any teacher or school employee who has taken leave because such teacher or school employee has contracted or is quarantined for COVID-19. An employer shall not require a teacher or school employee to use paid time off if a teacher or school employee has taken leave due to contracting or being quarantined for COVID-19. (Section 290.160)
This act contains an emergency clause.
JIM ERTLE