HOUSE BILL NO. 6536

December 17, 2020, Introduced by Reps. Gay-Dagnogo, Jones, Sneller, Cherry, Yancey, Guerra, Hood, Camilleri, Anthony, Brenda Carter, Garrett, Kuppa, Cynthia Neeley and Stone and referred to the Committee on Education.

"The revised school code,"

(MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1179c.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 1179c. (1) The office of the public school ombudsman is created within the department.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction shall designate an individual as the public school ombudsman, who shall serve as the principal executive officer of the office of the public school ombudsman. The department may appoint employees and other agents of the office of the public school ombudsman and prescribe their duties, consistent with this section.

(3) The duties of the office of the public school ombudsman include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(a) Serve as a provider of centralized information for the parents and legal guardians of pupils, pupils, public school teachers, school districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies to aid those persons in addressing concerns and grievances related to public schools through appropriate local channels and provide follow-up services to ensure that those concerns and grievances are addressed.

(b) Assist the parents and legal guardians of pupils, pupils, public school teachers, school districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies in understanding their rights and responsibilities under local, state, and federal law.

(c) Subject to state and federal privacy laws, based on a request as described in subsection (4) or at the direction of the superintendent of public instruction, investigate and report to all interested parties and the superintendent of public instruction findings of potential violations of local, state, or federal law.

(4) The parent or legal guardian of a pupil, a pupil, a public school teacher, a school district, an intermediate school district, or a public school academy may submit a request, in the form and manner prescribed by the office of the public school ombudsman, to the office of the public school ombudsman seeking aid in addressing concerns and grievances as described in subsection (3)(a).

(5) Subject to state and federal privacy laws, a school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy, the board of a school district or intermediate school district or the board of directors of a public school academy, and an individual employed by or at a public school shall cooperate with the office of the public school ombudsman for an investigation conducted under this section and release all information requested by the office for an investigation conducted under this section to the office.