Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3932 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		86R9303 MM-F
2		-	By: Guerra, Muñoz, Jr., Guillen, Longoria, H.B. No. 3932
3		-	et al.
	2	+	By: Guerra H.B. No. 3932
4	3
5	4
6	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	6		AN ACT
8	7		relating to the creation of the advisory council on postsecondary
9	8		education for persons with intellectual and developmental
10	9		disabilities.
11	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	11		SECTION 1. Section 61.0663(b), Education Code, is amended
13	12		to read as follows:
14	13		(b) The board shall:
15	14		(1) post the inventory on the board's Internet website
16	15		in an easily identifiable and accessible location;
17	16		(2) submit the inventory to the Texas Education Agency
18	17		for inclusion in the transition and employment guide under Section
19	18		29.0112; and
20	19		(3) update the inventory at least annually [once every
21	20		two years].
22	21		SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
23	22		amended by adding Section 61.06641 to read as follows:
24	23		Sec. 61.06641. ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION FOR PERSONS WITH
25	24		INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; ADVISORY COUNCIL.
26	25		(a) The board, with the assistance of the advisory council
27	26		established under this section, shall:
28	27		(1) periodically review the policies and practices
29	28		that increase access to higher education opportunities for persons
30	29		with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and
31	30		(2) distribute educational outreach materials
32	31		developed by the advisory council to increase awareness regarding
33	32		postsecondary opportunities for persons with intellectual and
34	33		developmental disabilities.
35	34		(b) The board shall establish an advisory council on
36	35		postsecondary education for persons with intellectual and
37	36		developmental disabilities, in accordance with Section 61.026, to
38	37		advise the board on policies and practices to improve postsecondary
39	38		education opportunities for persons with intellectual and
40	39		developmental disabilities.
41	40		(c) The advisory council is composed of the following
42	41		members appointed as follows:
43	42		(1) one member appointed by the executive director of
44	43		the Texas Workforce Commission;
45	44		(2) one member appointed by the commissioner of the
46	45		Texas Education Agency;
47	46		(3) a representative of the continuing advisory
48	47		committee established under Section 29.006 appointed by the
49	48		governor; and
50	49		(4) the following members appointed by the board:
51	50		(A) a representative of a University Centers for
52	51		Excellence in Developmental Disabilities program in this state;
53	52		(B) a representative of a disability advocacy
54	53		group;
55	54		(C) a parent or guardian of a person with an
56	55		intellectual or developmental disability;
57	56		(D) a parent or guardian of a person with an
58	57		intellectual or developmental disability who is currently enrolled
59	58		in an institution of higher education;
60	59		(E) a person with an intellectual or
61	60		developmental disability enrolled in an institution of higher
62	61		education;
63	62		(F) a person with an intellectual or
64	63		developmental disability who has completed a program at an
65	64		institution of higher education;
66	65		(G) a high school counselor;
67	66		(H) a specialist in the transition to employment
68	67		from a regional education service center, school district, or other
69	68		state agency; and
70	69		(I) additional representatives with relevant
71	70		experience, as needed.
72	71		(d) Members of the advisory council serve two-year terms.
73	72		(e) A member of the advisory council is not entitled to
74	73		compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and
75	74		necessary expenses incurred by the member while conducting the
76	75		business of the advisory council.
77	76		(f) The members of the advisory council shall elect a
78	77		presiding officer from among the membership.
79	78		(g) The advisory council shall:
80	79		(1) study the accessibility of higher education for
81	80		persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities;
82	81		(2) provide advice regarding resolving barriers to
83	82		accessing higher education for persons with intellectual and
84	83		developmental disabilities; and
85	84		(3) identify, evaluate, and develop recommendations
86	85		to address barriers to accessing higher education for persons with
87	86		intellectual and developmental disabilities who are or have been in
88	87		the foster care system and any data collection issues in relation to
89	88		those persons.
90	89		(h) The advisory council shall meet at least quarterly at
91	90		the call of the presiding officer.
92	91		(i) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any
93	92		other law, the advisory council may meet by telephone conference
94	93		call, videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method.
95	94		A meeting held by telephone conference call, videoconference, or
96	95		other similar telecommunication method is subject to the
97	96		requirements of Sections 551.125(c)-(f), Government Code.
98	97		(j) The advisory council shall submit a report to the board
99	98		annually, at a time determined by the board. The report must
100	99		include information regarding:
101	100		(1) the advisory council's activities;
102	101		(2) any relevant rule changes necessary to decrease
103	102		barriers to accessing higher education for persons with
104	103		intellectual and developmental disabilities; and
105	104		(3) recommendations for potential outreach and
106	105		education materials to increase public awareness of the
107	106		availability of higher education opportunities and resources for
108	107		persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities,
109	108		including information regarding available grants, loan programs,
110	109		and other resources that may require statewide outreach efforts.
111	110		(k) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
112	111		the advisory council shall provide a report to the board and to the
113	112		governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
114	113		representatives, the members of the legislature, and, as necessary,
115	114		other state agencies or relevant stakeholders. The report must
116	115		include:
117	116		(1) historic and current higher education data and
118	117		related information regarding persons with intellectual and
119	118		developmental disabilities, including:
120	119		(A) graduation rates;
121	120		(B) the geographic distribution of institutions
122	121		of higher education providing appropriate opportunities;
123	122		(C) a description of available programs; and
124	123		(D) any other relevant data; and
125	124		(2) recommendations for changes to support success and
126	125		achievement for persons with intellectual and developmental
127	126		disabilities in accessing higher education, including
128	127		recommendations for:
129	128		(A) addressing gaps in data; and
130	129		(B) identifying problems with and barriers to
131	130		accessing higher education.
132	131		(l) The board shall provide administrative support for the
133	132		advisory council.
134	133		SECTION 3. (a) Not later than January 1, 2020, the
135	134		appropriate appointing authorities shall appoint the members to the
136	135		advisory council on postsecondary education for persons with
137	136		intellectual and developmental disabilities as required by Section
138	137		61.06641, Education Code, as added by this Act.
139	138		(b) Not later than December 1, 2020, the advisory council on
140	139		postsecondary education for persons with intellectual and
141	140		developmental disabilities shall complete the initial reports
142	141		required under Sections 61.06641(j) and (k), Education Code, as
143	142		added by this Act.
144	143		SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
145	144		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
146	145		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
147	146		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
148	147		Act takes effect September 1, 2019.