ENROLLED
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ACT No. 424
Regular Session, 2012
HOUSE BILL NO. 911
BY REPRESENTATIVE FOIL AND SENATOR WALSWORTH
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact the heading of Part II of Chapter 43 of Title 17 of the Louisiana2
Revised Statutes of 1950 and R.S. 17:4031(A), (B), and (E), relative to the School3
Choice Pilot Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities; to remove the4
limitation that the program be a two-year pilot program; to provide relative to student5
eligibility; to remove certain reporting requirements; and to provide for related6
matters.7
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:8
Section 1. The heading of Part II of Chapter 43 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised9
Statutes of 1950 and R.S. 17:4031(A), (B), and (E) are hereby amended and reenacted to10
read as follows: 11
PART II. SCHOOL CHOICE PILOT PROGRAM12
ยง4031. School choice program; students with exceptionalities; pilot program;13
establishment; purpose; student eligibility; nonpublic school eligibility;14
educational certificates; administration; implementation; reporting15
A. The purpose of the pilot program established in this Section is to provide16
certain students with exceptionalities the opportunity to attend schools of their17
parents' choosing that provide educational services that specifically address the needs18
of such students.19
B.(1) The School Choice Pilot Program for Certain Students with20
Exceptionalities, hereinafter referred to as the "program", is hereby established as a21
two-year pilot program in each parish having a population in excess of one hundred22
ninety thousand persons according to the most recent federal decennial census. The23
program shall be implemented beginning with the 2011-2012 school year.24 ENROLLEDHB NO. 911
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(2) Any student who meets all of the following criteria is an eligible student:1
(a) The student has been evaluated by a local education agency as defined2
in R.S. 17:1942, is determined to be in need of services for autism, a mental3
disability, emotional disturbance, developmental delay, other health impairment,4
specific learning disability, or traumatic brain injury, and has an Individual5
Education Plan or a services plan in accordance with Title 34 of the Code of Federal6
Regulations Part 300.37.7
(b) The student is residing within a pilot program parish.8
(c) The student is eligible to attend public school and is entering9
kindergarten or grades one through eight.10
(d) (c) The student is not deemed to be gifted or talented.11
* * *12
E.(1) The department shall submit a report to the House Committee on13
Education and the Senate Committee on Education not later than August 1, 2012, on14
the implementation of the program. The report shall include but shall not be limited15
to the number of eligible students participating in the program, the name of each16
participating nonpublic school, and the number of eligible students each such school17
enrolled for participation in the program, and the department's recommendations as18
to whether the pilot program should continue on a pilot basis or be implemented19
statewide after the initial two-year pilot has ended.20
(2) The department shall submit a report to the House Committee on21
Education and the Senate Committee on Education not later than December 1, 2014,22
on the implementation of the program. The report shall include but shall not be23
limited to the same information required in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection and also24
shall include the department's recommendations as to whether the program should25
continue in the program eligible parishes or be implemented statewide.26 ENROLLEDHB NO. 911
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Section 2. This Act shall be implemented beginning with the 2013-2014 school year1
and shall terminate at the end of the 2014-2015 school year.2
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: