ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor                             Ch. 307.

(ii) the new State and local cost-share formula adopted under this
section shall ensure that during fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2008, no county
has a State share that is less than the county's State share in fiscal year 2005.

SECTION 8. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the State Department
of Education shall adopt regulations that provide for periodic surveys of the condition
of public school facilities in Maryland at least every 4 years. The surveys should be
similar to the Facility Assessment Survey that the State Department conducted, at
the direction of the Task Force to Study Public School Facilities, in 2003. The State
shall provide funds necessary to conduct the survey.

SECTION 9. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That it is the intent of the
General Assembly that the Board of Public Works and the Interagency Committee on
School Construction establish an emergency repair fund to finance renovations and
improvements to public schools that resolve deficiencies that present an immediate
hazard to the health or safety of the students or staff of the schools, as certified by
local education agencies and approved by the Interagency Committee on School
Construction. By July 1, 2004, the Board of Public Works and the Interagency
Committee on School Construction shall develop procedures for use of the emergency
repair fund to resolve deficiencies that present an immediate health or safety hazard
and to resolve deficiencies that, if not corrected, may present an immediate health or
safety hazard. It is the intent of the General Assembly that at least $2 million be
provided for the emergency repair fund in fiscal year 2005.

SECTION 10. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That it is the intent of the
Governor and the General Assembly that the State should pursue a goal of fully
funding by fiscal 2013 a minimum of $3.85 billion in school facility needs, as
identified by the 2003 School Facility Assessment Survey of minimum standards
conducted at the request of the Task Force to Study Public School Facilities.
Achieving this goal in light of the fiscal outlook will be challenging and will require a
significant commitment by the State to provide approximately $2 billion and by local
governments to provide approximately $1.85 billion over the next 8 years for school
construction projects. It is recognized that this amount does not include many projects
that local education agencies believe are necessary, but it does include basic,
minimum facility standards for all public schools in Maryland.

SECTION 11. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That in 2005, and each year
thereafter, the Capital Debt Affordability Committee shall review the additional
school construction funding needs as identified in the 2004 Task Force to Study Public
School Facilities report and shall make a specific recommendation regarding
additional funding for school construction when recommending the State's annual
debt limit. The recommendation by the Capital Debt Affordability Committee shall
include a multiyear funding recommendation that will provide stability in the annual
funding for school construction.

SECTION 12. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That notwithstanding any
private ownership of public schools authorized under this Act, all certificated and
noncertificated employees of local school systems shall remain employees of the local
school system.

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