{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-156.710","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 156.710","heading":"Interstate Compact for Education.","body":"The compact for education is hereby entered into law with all jurisdictions legally joining\ntherein, in the form substantially as follows:\nArticle I. Purpose and Policy\nA. It is the purpose of this compact to:\n1. Establish and maintain close cooperation and understanding among executive,\nlegislative, professional educational and lay leadership on a nationwide basis at the state\nand local levels.\n2. Provide a forum for the discussion, development, crystallization and\nrecommendation of public policy alternatives in the field of education.\n3. Provide a clearing house of information on matters relating to educational\nproblems and how they are being met in different places throughout the nation, so that the\nexecutive and legislative branches of state governme nt and of local communities may\nhave ready access to the experience and record of the entire country, and so that both lay\nand professional groups in the field of education may have additional avenues for the\nsharing of experience and the interchange of id eas in the formation of public policy in\neducation.\n4. Facilitate the improvement of state and local educational systems so that all of\nthem will be able to meet adequate and desirable goals in a society which requires\ncontinuous qualitative and quantitat ive advance in educational opportunities, methods\nand facilities.\nB. It is the policy of this compact to encourage and promote local and state\ninitiative in the development, maintenance, improvement and administration of\neducational systems and institutio ns in a manner which will accord with the needs and\nadvantages of diversity among localities and states.\nC. The party states recognize that each of them has an interest in the quality and\nquantity of education furnished in each of the other states, as wel l as in the excellence of\nits own educational systems and institutions, because of the highly mobile character of\nindividuals within the nation, and because the products and services contributing to the\nhealth, welfare and economic advancement of each stat e are supplied in significant part\nby persons educated in other states.\nArticle II. State Defined\nAs used in this compact, \"state\" means a state, territory or possession of the United\nStates, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.\nArticle III. The Commission\nA. The Education Commission of the States, hereinafter called \"the commission,\"\nis hereby established. The commission shall consist of seven members representing each\nparty state. One of such members shall be the Governor; two shall be members of the\nstate le gislature selected by its respective houses and serving in such manner as the\nlegislature may determine; and four shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the\nGovernor, unless the laws of the state otherwise provide. If the laws of a state preven t\nlegislators from serving on the commission, six members shall be appointed and serve at\nthe pleasure of the Governor, unless the laws of the state otherwise provide. In addition to\nany other principles or requirements which a state may establish for the appointment and\nservice of its members of the commission, the guiding principle for the composition of\nthe membership on the commission from each party state shall be that the members\nrepresenting such state shall, by virtue of their training, experience, knowledge or\naffiliations be in a position collectively to reflect broadly the interests of the state\ngovernment, higher education, the state education system, local education, lay and\nprofessional, public and non-public educational leadership. Of those appointees, one shall\nbe the head of a state agency or institution, designated by the Governor, having\nresponsibility for one or more programs of public education. In addition to the members\nof the commission representing the party states, there may be not t o exceed ten (10) non-\nvoting commissioners selected by the steering committee for terms of one (1) year. Such\ncommissioners shall represent leading national organizations of professional educators or\npersons concerned with educational administration.\nB. The members of the commission shall be entitled to one vote each on the\ncommission. No action of the commission shall be binding unless taken at a meeting at\nwhich a majority of the total number of votes on the commission are cast in favor thereof.\nAction o f the commission shall be only at a meeting at which a majority of the\ncommissioners are present. The commission shall meet at least once a year. In its bylaws,\nand subject to such directions and limitations as may be contained therein, the\ncommission may delegate the exercise of any of its powers to the steering committee or\nthe executive director, except for the power to approve budgets or requests for\nappropriations, the power to make policy recommendations pursuant to Article IV and\nadoption of the annual report pursuant to Article III J.\nC. The commission shall have a seal.\nD. The commission shall elect annually, from among its members, a chairman,\nwho shall be a governor, a vice chairman and a treasurer. The commission shall provide\nfor the appointme nt of an executive director. Such executive director shall serve at the\npleasure of the commission, and together with the treasurer and such other personnel as\nthe commission may deem appropriate shall be bonded in such amount as the commission\nshall determine. The executive director shall be secretary.\nE. Irrespective of the civil service, personnel or other merit system laws of any of\nthe party states, the executive director subject to the approval of the steering committee\nshall appoint, remove or disch arge such personnel as may be necessary for the\nperformance of the functions of the commission, and shall fix the duties and\ncompensation of such personnel. The commission in its bylaws shall provide for the\npersonnel policies and programs of the commission.\nF. The commission may borrow, accept or contract for the services of personnel\nfrom any party jurisdiction, the United States, or any subdivision or agency of the\naforementioned governments, or from any agency of two or more of the party\njurisdictions or their subdivisions.\nG. The commission may accept for any of its purposes and functions under this\ncompact any and all donations, and grants of money, equipment, supplies, materials and\nservices, conditional or otherwise, from any state, the United Stat es, or any other\ngovernmental agency, or from any person, firm, association, foundation, or corporation,\nand may receive, utilize and dispose of the same. Any donation or grant accepted by the\ncommission pursuant to this paragraph or services borrowed purs uant to paragraph F of\nthis article shall be reported in the annual report of the commission. Such report shall\ninclude the nature, amount and conditions, if any, of the donation, grant, or services\nborrowed, and the identity of the donor or lender.\nH. The commission may establish and maintain such facilities as may be\nnecessary for the transacting of its business. The commission may acquire, hold, and\nconvey real and personal property and any interest therein.\nI. The commission shall adopt bylaws for the  conduct of its business and shall\nhave the power to amend and rescind these bylaws. The commission shall publish its\nbylaws in convenient form and shall file a copy thereof and a copy of any amendment\nthereto, with the appropriate agency or officer in each of the party states.\nJ. The commission annually shall make to the Governor and legislature of each\nparty state a report covering the activities of the commission for the preceding year. The\ncommission may make such additional reports as it may deem desirable.\nArticle IV. Powers\nIn addition to authority conferred on the commission by other provisions of the\ncompact, the commission shall have authority to:\n1. Collect, correlate, analyze and interpret information and data concerning\neducational needs and resources.\n2. Encourage and foster research in all aspects of education, but with special\nreference to the desirable scope of instruction, organization, administration, and\ninstructional methods and standards employed or suitable for employment in public\neducational systems.\n3. Develop proposals for adequate financing of education as a whole and at each\nof its many levels.\n4. Conduct or participate in research of the types referred to in this article in any\ninstance where the commission finds that such r esearch is necessary for the advancement\nof the purposes and policies of this compact, utilizing fully the resources of national\nassociations, regional compact organizations for higher education, and other agencies and\ninstitutions, both public and private.\n5. Formulate suggested policies and plans for the improvement of public\neducation as a whole, or for any segment thereof, and make recommendations with\nrespect thereto, available to the appropriate governmental units, agencies and public\nofficials.\n6. Do such other things as may be necessary or incidental to the administration\nof any of its authority or functions pursuant to this compact.\nArticle V. Cooperation with Federal Government\nA. If the laws of the United States specifically so provide, or if a dministrative\nprovision is made therefor within the federal government, the United States may be\nrepresented on the commission by not to exceed ten (10) representatives. Any such\nrepresentative or representatives of the United States shall be appointed and  serve in such\nmanner as may be provided by or pursuant to federal law, and may be drawn from any\none or more branches of the federal government, but no such representative shall have a\nvote on the commission.\nB. The commission may provide information and  make recommendations to any\nexecutive or legislative agency or officer of the federal government concerning the\ncommon educational policies of the states, and may advise with any such agencies or\nofficers concerning any matter of mutual interest.\nArticle VI. Committees\nA. To assist in the expeditious conduct of its business when the full commission\nis not meeting, the commission shall elect a steering committee of thirty -two (32)\nmembers which, subject to the provisions of this compact and consistent with  the policies\nof the commission, shall be constituted and function as provided in the bylaws of the\ncommission. One-fourth (1/4) of the voting membership of the steering committee shall\nconsist of Governors, one-fourth (1/4) shall consist of legislators, a nd the remainder shall\nconsist of other members of the commission. A federal representative on the commission\nmay serve with the steering committee, but without vote. The voting members of the\nsteering committee shall serve for terms of two (2) years, exce pt that members elected to\nthe first steering committee of the commission shall be elected as follows: sixteen (16)\nfor one (1) year and sixteen (16) for two (2) years. The chairman, vice chairman, and\ntreasurer of the commission shall be members of the st eering committee and, anything in\nthis paragraph to the contrary notwithstanding, shall serve during their continuance in\nthese offices. Vacancies in the steering committee shall not affect its authority to act, but\nthe commission at its next regular ensui ng meeting following the occurrence of any\nvacancy shall fill it for the unexpired term. No person shall serve more than two (2) terms\nas a member of the steering committee; provided that service for a partial term of one (1)\nyear or less shall not be counted toward the two (2) term limitation.\nB. The commission may establish advisory and technical committees composed\nof state, local, and federal officials, and private persons to advise it with respect to any\none or more of its functions. Any advisory or t echnical committee may, on request of the\nstates concerned, be established to consider any matter of special concern to two (2) or\nmore of the party states.\nC. The commission may establish such additional committees as its bylaws may\nprovide.\nArticle VII. Finance\nA. The commission shall advise the Governor or designated officer or officers of\neach party state of its budget and estimated expenditures for such period as may be\nrequired by the laws of that party state. Each of the commission's budgets of estimated\nexpenditures shall contain specific recommendations of the amount or amounts to be\nappropriated by each of the party states.\nB. The total amount of appropriation requests under any budget shall be\napportioned among the party states. In making such apportionment , the commission shall\ndevise and employ a formula which takes equitable account of the populations and per\ncapita income levels of the party states.\nC. The commission shall not pledge the credit of any party states. The\ncommission may meet any of its obl igations in whole or in part with funds available to it\npursuant to Article III G of this compact, provided that the commission takes specific\naction setting aside such funds prior to incurring an obligation to be met in whole or in\npart in such manner. Ex cept where the commission makes use of funds available to it\npursuant to Article III G thereof, the commission shall not incur any obligation prior to\nthe allotment of funds by the party states adequate to meet the same.\nD. The commission shall keep accur ate accounts of all receipts and\ndisbursements. The receipts and disbursements of the commission shall be subject to the\naudit and accounting procedures established by its bylaws. However, all receipts and\ndisbursements of funds handled by the commission s hall be audited yearly by a qualified\npublic accountant, and the report of the audit shall be included in and become part of the\nannual reports of the commission.\nE. The accounts of the commission shall be open at any reasonable time for\ninspection by dul y constituted officers of the party states and by any persons authorized\nby the commission.\nF. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent commission\ncompliance with laws relating to audit or inspection of accounts by or on behalf of any\ngovernment contributing to the support of the commission.\nArticle VIII. Eligible Parties -- Entry into and Withdrawal\nA. This compact shall have as eligible parties all states, territories, and\npossessions of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the  Commonwealth of\nPuerto Rico. In respect of any such jurisdiction not having a Governor, the term\n\"Governor,\" as used in this compact, shall mean the closest equivalent official of such\njurisdiction.\nB. Any state or other eligible jurisdiction may enter into this compact and it shall\nbecome binding thereon when it has adopted the same: Provided that in order to enter into\ninitial effect, adoption by at least ten (10) eligible party jurisdictions shall be required.\nC. Adoption of the compact may be either by enactment thereof or by adherence\nthereto by the Governor; provided that in the absence of enactment, adherence by the\nGovernor shall be sufficient to make his state a party only until December 31, 1967.\nDuring any period when a state is participating i n this compact through gubernatorial\naction, the Governor shall appoint those persons who, in addition to himself, shall serve\nas the members of the commission from his state, and shall provide to the commission an\nequitable share of the financial support of the commission from any source available to\nhim.\nD. Except for a withdrawal effective on December 31, 1967 in accordance with\nparagraph C of this article, any party state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a\nstatute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shall take effect until one (1) year after\nthe Governor of the withdrawing state has given notice in writing of the withdrawal to the\nGovernors of all other party states. No withdrawal shall affect any liability already\nincurred by or chargeable to a party state prior to the time of such withdrawal.\nArticle IX. Construction and Severability\nThis compact shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate the purposes thereof.\nThe provisions of this compact shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or\nprovision of this compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any state or of\nthe United States, or the application thereof to any government, agency, person or\ncircumstances is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this compact and the\napplicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance shall not be\naffected thereby. If this compact shall be held contrary to the constitution of any state\nparticipating therein, the compact shall remain in full f orce and effect as to the state\naffected as to all severable matters.","path":["KRS Chapter 156"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=3240","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:51:01Z","sha256":"db78e5a843ca07451c9db88577caa3ab7fabcfba60feca42b4849c1f87eca235","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-156.690","next":"us-ky/krs-156.715"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}