Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB35 Compare Versions

The same version is selected twice. Please select two different versions to compare.

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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