(a) The Legislature hereby finds that the clothing and footwear worn by students in public schools often preoccupy and distract students from their major purpose for being in school, which is obtaining an education. The Legislature finds that in schools that have adopted a dress code requiring students to wear school uniforms, disparities in student socioeconomic levels are less obvious and disruptive incidents are less likely to occur.

(b) The state board shall promulgate rules in accordance with article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code that allow a county board to implement a dress code requiring students to wear a school uniform. The uniforms may be required by the county board for either a school district, or for any certain school within the district. The rules shall provide at least the following:

(1) The county board may create an advisory committee comprised of parents, school employees and students for the purpose of considering whether the board should adopt a dress code requiring school uniforms for students in the district;

(2) The county board may create an advisory committee comprised of parents, school employees and students for the purpose of considering whether the board should adopt a dress code requiring school uniforms for students in any certain school within the district;

(3) If the advisory committee recommends to the board that a dress code requiring school uniforms for students be adopted either for the district or for any certain school within the district, the advisory committee also shall make recommendations on alternative methods of paying for the school uniforms; and

(4) If the advisory committee recommends to the board that a dress code requiring school uniforms for students be adopted either for the district or for any certain school within the district and if the advisory committee reports its recommendations on alternative methods of paying for the school uniforms to the board, the board may adopt a dress code requiring school uniforms for students.

(c) Nothing in this section requires a county board to adopt a dress code requiring school uniforms for students.

(d) Nothing in this section requires any level of funding by the Legislature, boards of education or any other agency of government.