Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 110 Part 2.djvu/265

 PUBLIC Li^W 104-134—APR. 26, 1996 110 STAT. 1321-118 With Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1411 et seq.) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (20 U.S.C. 794), and notwithstanding any other provision of law the eligible chartering authority shall not have the authority to approve or disapprove such election. SEC. 2203. PROCESS FOR APPROVING OR DENYING PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL PETITIONS. (a) SCHEDULE.— An eligible chartering authority shall establish a schedule for receiving petitions to establish a public charter school and shall publish any such schedule in the District of Columbia Register and newspapers of general circulation. (b) PUBLIC HEARING. —Not later than 45 days after a petition to establish a public charter school is filed with an eligible charter- , ing authority, the eligible chartering authority shall hold a public hearing on the petition to gather the information that is necessary for the eligible chartering authority to make the decision to approve or deny the petition. (c) NOTICE.— Not later than 10 days prior to the scheduled date of a public hearing on a petition to establish a public charter school, an eligible chartering authority— (1) shall publish a notice of the hearing in the District of Columbia Register and newspapers of general circulation; and (2) shall send a written notification of the hearing date to the eligible applicant who filed the petition. (d) APPROVAL.— Subject to subsection (i), an eligible chartering authority may approve a petition to establish a public charter school, if— (1) the eligible chartering authority determines that the petition satisfies the requirements of this subtitle; (2) the eligible applicant who filed the petition agrees to satisfy any condition or requirement, consistent with this subtitle and other applicable law, that is set forth in writing by the eligible chartering authority as an amendment to the petition; and (3) the eligible chartering authority determines that the public charter school has the ability to meet the educational objectives outlined in the petition. (e) TIMETABLE. —An eligible chartering authority shall approve or deny a petition to establish a public charter school not later than 45 days after the conclusion of the public hearing on the petition. (f) EXTENSION. —An eligible chartering authority and an eligible applicant may agree to extend the 45-day time period referred to in subsection (e) by a period that shall not exceed 30 days. (g) DENIAL EXPLANATION.— If an eligible chartering authority denies a petition or finds the petition to be incomplete, the eligible chartering authority shall specify in writing the reasons for its decision and indicate, when the eligible chartering authority determines appropriate, how the eligible applicant who filed the petition may revise the petition to satisfy the requirements for approval. (h) APPROVED PETITION.— (1) NOTICE. —Not later than 10 days after an eligible chartering authority approves a petition to establish a public charter school, the eligible chartering authority shall provide a written notice of the approval, including a copy of the

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