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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="5-304" title_number="5" title_name="Financing" subtitle_number="3" subtitle_name="State Aid for School Construction">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Interagency Commission shall prepare projections of school construction and capital improvement needs for submission to the Capital Debt Affordability Committee under § 8–112(c)(3) of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The projections shall be prepared in accordance with the regulations adopted by the Interagency Commission under § 5–303 of this subtitle.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Interagency Commission shall notify each county board and each local governing body of the annual allocation of school construction funds recommended by the Governor under § 8–113 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The notification shall be made immediately after the Governor has recommended the allocations so that each county may structure its respective school construction and capital improvement priorities in accordance with the annual allocation and any amendments.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Before May 1 each year, the Interagency Commission may not approve public school construction projects that comprise more than 75% of the preliminary school construction allocation, determined under § 8–113 of the State Finance and Procurement Article, for the following fiscal year.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>On or before March 1 each year, the Interagency Commission shall provide recommendations to the presiding officers and the budget committees of the General Assembly and the Department of Legislative Services for public school construction projects that comprise 90% of the school construction allocation included in the capital budget submitted by the Governor for the following fiscal year.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Interagency Commission shall establish an appeal process to allow local jurisdictions to request funding for projects that were not approved by the Interagency Commission under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>On or after May 1 each year, the Interagency Commission shall approve 100% of the school construction allocation included in the capital budget bill as enacted.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <level label="i">
        <text>On or before November 30 each year, the Interagency Commission shall provide to each county board and each local governing body a report containing the following information for each project that a local education agency has requested for State funding in the capital budget bill:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The status of the request; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>If available, the maximum State award estimated or adopted by the Interagency Commission.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>On or before December 31 and January 31 each year, the Interagency Commission shall provide to each county board and each local governing body a report containing the following information for each project that a local education agency has requested for State funding in the capital budget bill:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The status of the request;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>If available, the maximum State award estimated or adopted by the Interagency Commission; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>The projected 100% capital award.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The following actions by the Interagency Commission are final and are not subject to additional appeals or approvals by another unit of the Executive Branch of State government:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>A decision made by the Interagency Commission under the appeal process established by the Interagency Commission; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The approval of public school construction projects under this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Interagency Commission shall allow any documents or data required by the Interagency Commission from any source, including local education agencies and State agencies, to be submitted electronically to the Interagency Commission.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Interagency Commission shall be a central repository for information on:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The use of pre–fab and building system options;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Procurement methods;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>School facility design and construction; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Best practices in school construction.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>In consultation with the Maryland Stadium Authority, the Interagency Commission shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Provide technical assistance and support to local education agencies on the use of alternative financing and alternative project delivery methods for school construction;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Develop a public–private partnership pilot program that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Provides financial assistance that shall be supplemental to and may not take the place of funding that would otherwise be appropriated for school construction to assist local education agencies interested in pursuing alternative financing to cover the cost of associated risks; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Requires local education agencies that use alternative financing to fully document the process, expectations, and results;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Provide technical support for agreements between and among local education agencies and county governing bodies, including regional partnerships, to promote efficiency;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Utilize and promote technological advances to make school building design more efficient and innovative; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Utilize and promote technology to streamline compliance review and project deliveries.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The Interagency Commission shall work with a local education agency with declining enrollment to identify buildings for consolidation or find alternative uses for underutilized school buildings, subject to the approval of the county board.</text>
  </level>
</section>
