(a) The Legislature finds that the excessive paperwork required of teachers and other public education employees hinders the prime responsibility of public education: The education of the children of Alabama. The Legislature also finds that excessive and time-consuming reporting requirements levied on school systems requires automation in order to for timely reporting to occur. The Legislature further finds that the excessive paperwork required of teachers has become so burdensome that teachers do not have adequate time to prepare lesson plans or to devote individual attention to those students who require special assistance. The Legislature further finds that, for teachers to have time to teach, it is imperative that all unnecessary paperwork be eliminated from our public schools and necessary paperwork be automated to the maximum practical extent.

(b) The Paperwork Reduction Committee is created. The membership of the committee shall consist of twenty persons as follows:

(1) Ten members appointed by the Governor, including the chair of the committee and at least five members who are administrators or supervisors in a public school system. The chair of the committee shall call a meeting of the committee within 15 calendar days after June 11, 2001, and the committee shall determine rules and begin deliberations.

(2) Ten persons appointed by the Executive Secretary of the Alabama Education Association.

(c) The terms of office of the members of the committee shall commence on July 1, 2001, and continue through January 31, 2002. Thereafter, a new committee shall be appointed at the beginning of any new gubernatorial administration to serve from July 1 through March 31 of the year following appointment.

(d)(1) The committee shall study the paperwork required of public school employees and prepare a report on how to reduce and automate that paperwork.

(2) The State Department of Education shall provide all necessary assistance, including clerical support, to the committee in order for the committee to perform its work.

(3) The State Superintendent of Education shall timely provide any information, reports, and documents to the committee from the State Department of Education and any local board of education, as requested by the committee.

(4) The report or reports of the committee and any recommendations of the committee shall be delivered to the State Superintendent of Education and the Legislative Council not later than the first day of the applicable regular session of the Legislature.

(5) Any action or inaction by the State Superintendent of Education, any local board of education, or any local superintendent of education in implementing the prior recommendations of the committee shall be reported in writing by the committee to the Legislative Council.

(6) Upon the recommendation of the committee, the Legislative Council may require that further paperwork reduction and automation be implemented by the State Superintendent of Education and local education officials, if not in conflict with this code or the Constitution of Alabama of 1901.

(7) The State Superintendent of Education shall expeditiously implement the recommendations of the Legislative Council.