(a) (1) (A) The Department of Education or the Department of Career Education may require a school district or public school to submit data and other information deemed necessary to assure that a school district or public school is in compliance with federal and state law and rule.

(B) A required submission may be made using the Arkansas Public School Computer Network or another system specified by the Department of Education or the Department of Career Education.

(2)

(A) All divisions of the Department of Education and the Department of Career Education shall have access to data and other information that is submitted to the Department of Education or the Department of Career Education respectively.

(B) An employee of the Department of Education or the Department of Career Education or a contractor acting on behalf of the Department of Education or the Department of Career Education may only access data that is necessary to perform his or her duties.

(b) As used in this section, "data and other information" that is considered submitted includes information that is:

(1) Maintained by a school district or public school in E-School, E-Finance, or the Arkansas Public School Computer Network;

(2) Contained in any statewide data system or successor program; and

(3) Delivered to the Department of Education or the Department of Career Education in paper format.

(c)

(1) The Department of Education or the Department of Career Education may require a school district or public school to resubmit or explain data and other information if the data or other information is determined to be inaccurate, incomplete, unclear, or not in compliance with federal or state law or rule.

(2) Except as provided under subdivision (c)(1) of this section, data and other information shall not have to be resubmitted or explained in its original format or any other format.

(d) If the Department of Education or the Department of Career Education requires data or other information to be compiled into a format that is different from what was originally submitted by a school district or public school, the Department of Education or the Department of Career Education shall make the necessary format changes.

(e)

(1) A school district or public school may submit by electronic means any signatures required when submitting reports or data and other information to the Department of Education and the Department of Career Education.

(2) As used in this subsection, "electronic means" means any of the following:

(A) A scanned and emailed version of a paper document;

(B) A document submitted by facsimile transmission;

(C) An electronic signature system that includes a passcode and is administered by the Department of Education; or

(D) Other technological means approved by the Department of Education.