Rep. Lisa Dunkley

State of Israel; Expresses support for State of Israel.

Certified Peer Specialist Gateway Pilot Program; Creates pilot program within DOC; provides purpose of & requirements for pilot program; requires DOC to develop criteria for selecting qualified applicants; exempts persons who complete pilot program's requirements from specified background screening requirements for peer specialists; authorizes pilot program to offer funding to potential employers to cover specified costs; requires persons who have completed pilot program's requirements to provide prospective employers with incarceration records; requires such persons to receive signed informed consent form from any potential clients.

Dental Services for Veterans; Establishes Veterans Dental Care Grant Program within DVA; specifies purpose of program; requires DVA to contract with direct-support organization to administer program; provides program funding is subject to legislative appropriation.

Death Benefits for Active Duty Servicemembers; Revises amount & conditions of payment of death benefits; requires payment be made to beneficiary through process set out by DMA; removes provisions relating to payment when beneficiary is not designated; requires proof of residency or duty post to be provided to DMA; requires DMA to request CFO to draw warrant for payment of benefits from General Revenue Fund.

Interstate Education Compacts; Creates Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact for the purpose of authorizing teachers licensed in one member state to become licensed in another member state; provides requirements for such compact; & revises cross-references in Interstate compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

Menstrual Hygiene Products in Public Schools; Authorizing school districts to make menstrual hygiene products available, at no charge, in schools within the district and at certain locations within such schools; specifying requirements for the menstrual hygiene products and the dispensers of such products; requiring participating schools to notify students of the availability and locations of such products; encouraging school districts to partner with specified organizations to supply and maintain such menstrual hygiene products, etc.

Required African-American Instruction; Requires each school district to certify & provide certain evidence to DOE regarding certain instruction; authorizes DOE to seek input from & contract with certain educational organizations for specified purposes; requires each school district to submit implementation plan to Commissioner of Education & post plan on its website; provides requirements for plan; requires commissioner or DOE to provide certain notification; provides timeframe within which school district must submit revisions to its plan; authorizes SBE to take certain actions.

Education; Requiring school districts to annually review and confirm that specified information is accurate and up to date; creating the Year-round School Pilot Program for a period of 4 school years beginning with a specified school year; requiring the Commission for Independent Education to annually prepare an accountability report by a specified date; providing requirements for searches of students’ personal belongings; requiring dual enrollment courses to be age and developmentally appropriate; authorizing students to use a combination of volunteer service hours and paid work hours to meet certain program eligibility requirements; providing an appropriation, etc. APPROPRIATION: $6,800,000

Veterans' Assistance Grants; Requires DVA, subject to appropriation, to award grants to certain entities for purpose of increasing public awareness of benefits & services available to veterans; provides requirements for initial grant recipients; requires report to DVA as condition for consideration for subsequent grants; requires DVA to adopt rules.

Property Tax Exemptions; Specifies that veterans & surviving spouses are entitled to certain refund; specifies that surviving spouse may choose to transfer certain exemptions.