Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

Texas House Bill HB357 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	82R20737 CAE-F
2	2	By: Rodriguez H.B. No. 357
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 357:
4	4	By: Dutton C.S.H.B. No. 357
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to transition and employment services for public school
10	10	students enrolled in special education programs.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 29.011, Education Code, is amended to
13	13	read as follows:
14	14	Sec. 29.011. TRANSITION PLANNING. (a) The commissioner
15	15	shall by rule adopt procedures for compliance with federal
16	16	requirements relating to transition services for students who are
17	17	enrolled in special education programs under this subchapter. The
18	18	procedures must:
19	19	(1) provide that appropriate state transition
20	20	planning begins for a student not later than when the student
21	21	reaches 14 years of age; and
22	22	(2) specify the manner in which a student's admission,
23	23	review, and dismissal committee must consider, and if appropriate,
24	24	address the following issues in the student's individualized
25	25	education program:
26	26	(A) [(1)] appropriate student involvement in the
27	27	student's transition to life outside the public school system;
28	28	(B) [(2)] if the student is younger than 18 years
29	29	of age, appropriate parental involvement in the student's
30	30	transition;
31	31	(C) [(3)] if the student is at least 18 years of
32	32	age, appropriate parental involvement in the student's transition,
33	33	if the parent is invited to participate by the student or the school
34	34	district in which the student is enrolled;
35	35	(D) [(4)] any postsecondary education options;
36	36	(E) [(5)] a functional vocational evaluation;
37	37	(F) [(6)] employment goals and objectives;
38	38	(G) [(7)] if the student is at least 18 years of
39	39	age, the availability of age-appropriate instructional
40	40	environments;
41	41	(H) [(8)] independent living goals and
42	42	objectives; and
43	43	(I) [(9)] appropriate circumstances for
44	44	referring a student or the student's parents to a governmental
45	45	agency for services.
46	46	(b) The commissioner shall require each school district or
47	47	shared services arrangement to designate at least one employee to
48	48	serve as the district's or shared services arrangement's designee
49	49	on transition and employment services for students enrolled in
50	50	special education programs under this subchapter. The commissioner
51	51	shall develop minimum training guidelines for a district's or
52	52	shared services arrangement's designee. An individual designated
53	53	under this subsection must provide information and resources about
54	54	effective transition planning and services and interagency
55	55	coordination to ensure that local school staff communicate and
56	56	collaborate with:
57	57	(1) students enrolled in special education programs
58	58	under this subchapter and the parents of those students; and
59	59	(2) as appropriate, local and regional staff of the:
60	60	(A) Health and Human Services Commission;
61	61	(B) Department of Aging and Disability Services;
62	62	(C) Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative
63	63	Services;
64	64	(D) Department of State Health Services; and
65	65	(E) Department of Family and Protective
66	66	Services.
67	67	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
68	68	amended by adding Section 29.0111 to read as follows:
69	69	Sec. 29.0111. TRANSITION AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDE. (a) The
70	70	agency, with assistance from the Health and Human Services
71	71	Commission, shall develop a transition and employment guide for
72	72	students enrolled in special education programs and their parents
73	73	to provide information on statewide services and programs that
74	74	assist in the transition to life outside the public school system.
75	75	The agency may contract with a private entity to prepare the guide.
76	76	(b) The transition and employment guide must contain
77	77	information specific to this state regarding:
78	78	(1) transition services;
79	79	(2) employment and supported employment services;
80	80	(3) social security programs;
81	81	(4) community and long-term services and support;
82	82	(5) postsecondary educational programs and services;
83	83	(6) information sharing with health and human services
84	84	agencies and providers;
85	85	(7) guardianship and alternatives to guardianship;
86	86	(8) self-advocacy, person-directed planning, and
87	87	self-determination; and
88	88	(9) contact information for all relevant state
89	89	agencies.
90	90	(c) The transition and employment guide must be produced in
91	91	an electronic format and posted on the agency's website in a manner
92	92	that permits the guide to be easily identified and accessed.
93	93	(d) The agency must update the transition and employment
94	94	guide posted on the agency's website at least once every two years.
95	95	(e) A school district shall:
96	96	(1) post the transition and employment guide on the
97	97	district's website if the district maintains a website; and
98	98	(2) provide written information and, if necessary,
99	99	assistance to a parent regarding how to access the electronic
100	100	version of the guide at:
101	101	(A) the first meeting of the student's admission,
102	102	review, and dismissal committee at which transition is discussed;
103	103	or
104	104	(B) the first committee meeting that occurs after
105	105	the date the guide becomes available, if a student has already had
106	106	an admission, review, and dismissal committee meeting discussing
107	107	transition.
108	108	SECTION 3. The Texas Education Agency, with assistance from
109	109	the Health and Human Services Commission, shall complete
110	110	development of the guide required by Section 29.0111, Education
111	111	Code, as added by this Act, not later than September 1, 2012. A
112	112	school district shall comply with Section 29.0111(e), Education
113	113	Code, as added by this Act, beginning on the date the guide is
114	114	available.
115	115	SECTION 4. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this
116	116	Act applies beginning with the 2011-2012 school year.
117	117	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
118	118	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
119	119	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
120	120	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
121	121	Act takes effect September 1, 2011.