| 1 | 1 | | 87R3392 CXP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 855 |
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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 a joint study and report by the Texas Education Agency |
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| 8 | 8 | | and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board regarding the |
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| 9 | 9 | | transition of public school students with disabilities to higher |
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| 10 | 10 | | education. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 29.0114 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 29.0114. STUDY REGARDING TRANSITION TO HIGHER |
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| 15 | 15 | | EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. (a) In this section, |
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| 16 | 16 | | "coordinating board" means the Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
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| 17 | 17 | | Board. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) The agency and the coordinating board jointly shall |
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| 19 | 19 | | conduct a study on the transition to higher education for public |
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| 20 | 20 | | school students with disabilities. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) The study must investigate and identify: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) the percentage of students enrolled in a special |
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| 23 | 23 | | education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, who graduate high |
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| 24 | 24 | | school; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) the percentage of students enrolled in a special |
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| 26 | 26 | | education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, who following |
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| 27 | 27 | | high school graduation enroll in a public or private institution of |
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| 28 | 28 | | higher education; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) for each disability category identified by the |
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| 30 | 30 | | Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400 |
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| 31 | 31 | | et seq.): |
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| 32 | 32 | | (A) appropriate supports and services for a |
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| 33 | 33 | | student who is eligible for services based on that category of |
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| 34 | 34 | | disability to facilitate the student's transition to higher |
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| 35 | 35 | | education; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | (B) whether students eligible for services based |
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| 37 | 37 | | on that category of disability currently receive the supports and |
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| 38 | 38 | | services identified under Paragraph (A); |
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| 39 | 39 | | (4) barriers that exist for students with disabilities |
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| 40 | 40 | | to transition to higher education; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (5) whether services and accommodations for students |
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| 42 | 42 | | with disabilities who enroll in public or private institutions of |
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| 43 | 43 | | higher education are accessible; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (6) whether students with disabilities currently |
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| 45 | 45 | | receive sufficient and accurate information regarding their civil |
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| 46 | 46 | | rights. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (d) Not later than September 1, 2022, the agency and the |
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| 48 | 48 | | coordinating board shall prepare a report detailing the results of |
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| 49 | 49 | | the study under this section and submit to the legislature the |
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| 50 | 50 | | report and any recommendations for legislative or other action. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (e) This section expires January 1, 2023. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 53 | 53 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 54 | 54 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 56 | 56 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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