HB3191: Incarcerated persons; access to online GED courses thereby.

HOUSE BILL NO. 3191
Offered January 19, 2007
A BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-343 of the Code of Virginia, relating to access to online GED courses by incarcerated persons.
Patrons-- McClellan and Ebbin

Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 22.1-343 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 22.1-343. Powers and duties of Board.

The Board shall have the following powers and duties:

1. To adopt and enforce all necessary rules and regulations for the management and operation of the schools in the Department except that the rules and regulations adopted hereunder shall not conflict with rules and regulations relating to security adopted by the institutions to which the pupils are committed;

2. To visit and inspect the schools at reasonably frequent intervals;

3. To establish schools of the appropriate grades, levels and types in the institutions and community-based programs for adults as set forth in §§ 53.1-67.7 and 53.1-67.8 comprising the Department and to adopt regulations for the admission of pupils thereto;

4. To enter into such agreements with private entities, nonprofit civic organizations, school divisions, and public and private two-year and four-year institutions of higher education as it may deem necessary to provide age appropriate educational programs and training, including career and technical education, career development opportunities, public service projects, access to restricted Internet access to approved or accredited online secondary education or adult education and literacy programs leading to a diploma or the General Education Development (GED) program and testing, and other learning experiences in the furtherance of its duties and responsibilities under this chapter for persons committed to the institutions comprising the Department;

5. To promulgate regulations, in cooperation with the Board of Education, for the reenrollment in the public schools of students who have been in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice. Such regulations shall include the components required in a reenrollment plan and shall provide for consistency in the curricula, standards and policies between the educational programs required by this chapter, and those of the Board of Education;

6. To name the various individual schools, but such names need not be associated or identified with the institution or facility within which they are located;

7. To receive and disburse funds from any source for the purposes of providing education in such Department; and

8. To provide technical assistance to local correctional facilities which house convicted state felons, upon request of any such facility, in establishing or improving career and technical, adult and special education programs.