| 1 | 1 | | 86R4403 JES-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Taylor S.B. No. 1452 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to designation of autism innovation zones by the |
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| 8 | 8 | | commissioner of education. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 29.028 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 29.028. AUTISM INNOVATION ZONES. (a) The |
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| 13 | 13 | | commissioner may: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) on application of a school district or |
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| 15 | 15 | | open-enrollment charter school, designate a campus of the district |
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| 16 | 16 | | or school as an autism innovation zone; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) from funds appropriated or donated for purposes of |
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| 18 | 18 | | this section, award a grant to support implementation of innovative |
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| 19 | 19 | | instruction to students with autism at the campus in accordance |
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| 20 | 20 | | with this section. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (a-1) The total amount of grants awarded under this section |
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| 22 | 22 | | during the state fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2021, may not |
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| 23 | 23 | | exceed $10 million. This subsection expires December 1, 2021. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) A campus designated as an autism innovation zone must: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) implement with fidelity an innovative |
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| 26 | 26 | | instructional program for students with autism approved by the |
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| 27 | 27 | | commissioner for purposes of this section that incorporates the |
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| 28 | 28 | | measurable annual goals contained in the students' individualized |
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| 29 | 29 | | education programs developed under Section 29.005; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) comply with objectives, metrics, and other autism |
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| 31 | 31 | | innovation zone requirements imposed by the commissioner through |
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| 32 | 32 | | rules adopted under Subsection (g); and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) provide all data relating to the autism innovation |
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| 34 | 34 | | zone requested by the agency. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (c) A campus designated as an autism innovation zone is not |
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| 36 | 36 | | subject to interventions under the state accountability system |
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| 37 | 37 | | described by Section 39A.101(a) or 39A.111 for the first two years |
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| 38 | 38 | | of the designation, provided that the campus implements the |
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| 39 | 39 | | instructional program with fidelity and complies with each autism |
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| 40 | 40 | | innovation zone requirement to the satisfaction of the |
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| 41 | 41 | | commissioner. The period that a campus is exempt from |
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| 42 | 42 | | interventions as provided by this subsection is not: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (1) included in calculating consecutive school years |
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| 44 | 44 | | under Section 39A.101(a) or 39A.111; or |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) considered a break in consecutive school years of |
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| 46 | 46 | | unacceptable ratings for purposes of determining the need for |
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| 47 | 47 | | intervention under Section 39A.101(a) or 39A.111. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (d) The commissioner may revoke designation of a campus as |
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| 49 | 49 | | an autism innovation zone and suspend associated grant funding if |
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| 50 | 50 | | the commissioner determines that the campus has failed to implement |
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| 51 | 51 | | the instructional program with fidelity or comply with any |
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| 52 | 52 | | requirement imposed under this section. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (e) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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| 54 | 54 | | use a pay for success program approved by the commissioner under |
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| 55 | 55 | | Section 44.904 to pay costs associated with designation of a campus |
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| 56 | 56 | | as an autism innovation zone. |
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| 57 | 57 | | (f) The commissioner may accept gifts, grants, or donations |
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| 58 | 58 | | from any public or private source for purposes of this section. |
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| 59 | 59 | | (g) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 60 | 60 | | administer this section. |
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| 61 | 61 | | (h) A decision or determination by the commissioner under |
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| 62 | 62 | | this section is final and may not be appealed. |
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| 63 | 63 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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