Proposed Rule Amendments: Chapter 4-A Procedural Rule: Equal Educational Opportunity – A Joint Rule of the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Human Rights Commission

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INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 48
POLICY CODE: JB

TO: Superintendents of Schools
FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner
DATE: November 18, 2009
SUBJECT: Proposed Rule Amendments: Chapter 4-A Procedural Rule: Equal Educational Opportunity – A Joint Rule of the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Human Rights Commission

As required by The Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the Department of Education hereby serves notice of proposed amendments to Chapter 4-A Procedural Rule: Equal Educational Opportunity – A Joint Rule of the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Human Rights Commission.

These amendments make changes to the joint Maine Human Rights Commission and Maine Department of Education procedural rule concerning education discrimination complaints filed pursuant to the Maine Human Rights Act. The proposed amendments implement new statutory provisions; create greater consistency between the education procedural rule and the Commission’s general procedural rule; add a provision on advisory rulings; and clarify the roles of Maine Human Rights Commission staff.

The current rule and the proposed amendments are available on line at: http://www.maine.gov/education/rulechanges.htm and www.maine.gov/mhrc . A Public Hearing on the proposed changes is scheduled on December 7, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. at the Senator Inn and Conference Center, Embassy Room, 284 Western Avenue, Augusta, Maine. Written comments will be accepted by the Maine Human Rights Commission until December 17, 2009.

Specific questions concerning the proposed changes should be addressed to:

Maine Human Rights Commission: John P. Gause, Esq. Commission Counsel, MHRC, 51 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0051. Telephone: (207) 624-6050. E-mail: John.P.Gause@Maine.gov .

Maine Department of Education: Susan Corrente, Esq., DOE, 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Telephone: (207) 624-6620. E-mail: Susan.Corrente@Maine.gov .