BILL NUMBER: SB 1071INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Allen FEBRUARY 16, 2016 An act to amend Section 56441 of, and to add Section 56440.1 to, the Education Code, relating to special education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1071, as introduced, Allen. Special education funding: preschool-age individuals with exceptional needs. Existing law requires a special education local plan area (SELPA) to submit to the Superintendent of Public Instruction information for providing special education and services to individuals with exceptional needs who are between the ages of three and five years old. Existing law requires these individuals to be served by the local educational agencies within each SELPA, as provided. Existing law establishes apportionments to SELPAs for special education programs to be calculated by the Superintendent, as provided. This bill would establish a new formula for a permanent one-time total adjustment to the SELPA base funding calculation, to be calculated by the Superintendent, to support special education and related services as required under the individualized education program for each 3-and 4-year-old preschool individual with exceptional needs, upon an appropriation in the Budget Act, as provided. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 56440.1 is added to the Education Code, to read: 56440.1. (a) Upon an appropriation in the Budget Act, there shall be a permanent one-time total adjustment to the base funding calculation established pursuant to Section 56836.08 to support special education and related services as required under the individualized education program for each three and four year old preschool individual with exceptional needs. (b) Commencing with the ____ fiscal year, for purposes of computing an apportionment for each special education local plan area, the Superintendent shall use the following formula: (1) Divide the dollar amount, as appropriated in the Budget Act pursuant to subdivision (a), by the December 2015 count of three and four year old individuals with exceptional needs throughout the state to establish a preschool rate per pupil. (2) Multiply the amount computed in paragraph (1) by each special education local plan area's December 2015 count of three and four year old individuals with exceptional needs. The product of this amount shall be added to each special education local plan area's base calculation computed pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 56836.08 as a permanent adjustment. SEC. 2. Section 56441 of the Education Code is amended to read: 56441. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that early education programs for individuals with exceptional needs between the ages of three and five years, inclusive, that provide special education and related services within the typical environment appropriate for young children, and include active parent involvement, may do the following:(a)(1) Significantly reduce the potential impact of any disabling conditions.(b)(2) Produce substantial gains in physical development, cognitive development, language and speech development, psychosocial development, and self-help skills development.(c)(3) Help prevent the development of secondary disabling conditions.(d)(4) Reduce family stresses.(e)(5) Reduce societal dependency and institutionalization.(f)(6) Reduce the need for special class placement in special education programs once a child reaches school age.(g)(7) Save substantial costs to society and our schools. (b) The Legislature finds and declares that there has been a significant increase in the population of preschool-age individuals with exceptional needs, many of whom require intensive services and that the adoption of a state funding mechanism for preschool-age individuals with exceptional needs is necessary to establish new or expand existing high-quality preschool programs to ensure preschool-age individuals with exceptional needs are provided the best chance for educational success in the most cost-efficient manner.