| 1 | 1 | | By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 1602 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to information regarding career and employment skills |
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| 7 | 7 | | development required to be included with a written statement of an |
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| 8 | 8 | | individualized education program developed for certain public |
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| 9 | 9 | | school students. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 29.0113 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 29.0113. CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) For students eligible to begin transition planning under |
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| 15 | 15 | | sections 29.011 and 29.0111, the strategies described in this |
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| 16 | 16 | | subsection shall be considered, and, when needed, addressed in the |
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| 17 | 17 | | individualized education program. The district shall prepare a |
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| 18 | 18 | | supplement to be included with the written statement of the |
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| 19 | 19 | | individualized education program developed for the child under |
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| 20 | 20 | | Section 29.005(b). The supplement must include information |
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| 21 | 21 | | indicating: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) the need for and use of age-appropriate transition |
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| 23 | 23 | | assessments that collect data on the student's needs, preferences |
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| 24 | 24 | | and interests regarding employment, self-determination and |
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| 25 | 25 | | self-advocacy, independent living and study skills; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) the development of appropriate employment goals |
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| 27 | 27 | | and objectives; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (3) the need for and development of independent living |
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| 29 | 29 | | goals and objectives; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (4) the need for and use of supplementary aids, |
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| 31 | 31 | | services, curricula, and other opportunities to assist the student |
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| 32 | 32 | | in developing decision-making skills, and the supports and services |
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| 33 | 33 | | needed to foster the student's independence and |
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| 34 | 34 | | self-determination, including a supported decision-making |
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| 35 | 35 | | agreement under Chapter 1357, Estates Code; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (5) the need for and use of age-appropriate |
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| 37 | 37 | | instructional environments, including community settings to |
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| 38 | 38 | | prepare the student for postsecondary education or training, or |
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| 39 | 39 | | competitive integrated employment; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (6) the development of appropriate measurable |
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| 41 | 41 | | postsecondary goals based on transition assessments related to |
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| 42 | 42 | | training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, |
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| 43 | 43 | | independent living skills; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (7) the need to facilitate a referral of a student or |
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| 45 | 45 | | the student's parents to a governmental agency for services or |
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| 46 | 46 | | public benefits, including a referral to a governmental agency for |
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| 47 | 47 | | public benefits available to the student, such as a waiver program |
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| 48 | 48 | | established under Section 1915(c), Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. |
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| 49 | 49 | | Section 1396n(c)), including supported employment and employment |
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| 50 | 50 | | assistance services; |
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| 51 | 51 | | (8) the transition services, including courses of |
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| 52 | 52 | | study, needed to assist the student in reaching the postsecondary |
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| 53 | 53 | | goals developed under this subsection; |
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| 54 | 54 | | (9) the job exploration activities available to and |
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| 55 | 55 | | utilized by the student; |
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| 56 | 56 | | (10) the need for a referral to vocational |
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| 57 | 57 | | rehabilitation services; |
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| 58 | 58 | | (11) the need to invite the student's vocational |
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| 59 | 59 | | rehabilitation counselor to the student's admission, review, and |
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| 60 | 60 | | dismissal committee meeting and opportunities for collaboration |
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| 61 | 61 | | between the district and vocational rehabilitation; and |
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| 62 | 62 | | (12) training needed for teachers, counselors, |
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| 63 | 63 | | parents and other school staff needed to implement the students |
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| 64 | 64 | | transition and employment goals. |
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| 65 | 65 | | (b) A student's admission, review, and dismissal committee |
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| 66 | 66 | | shall annually review the issues described by Subsection (a) and, |
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| 67 | 67 | | if necessary, update the portions of the student's individualized |
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| 68 | 68 | | education program that address those issues. |
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| 69 | 69 | | (c) The written statement of the individualized education |
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| 70 | 70 | | program must document the decisions of the admission, review, and |
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| 71 | 71 | | dismissal committee with respect to issues discussed at each |
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| 72 | 72 | | admission, review, and dismissal committee meeting. |
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| 73 | 73 | | (d) Section 29.005(f) and Section 29.0051 do not apply to a |
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| 74 | 74 | | supplement prepared for inclusion with a written statement of an |
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| 75 | 75 | | individualized education program, as required by this section. |
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| 76 | 76 | | (e) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 77 | 77 | | implement this section. |
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| 78 | 78 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 79 | 79 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 80 | 80 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 81 | 81 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 82 | 82 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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