| 1 | 1 | | 87R1258 MEW-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 259 |
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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 the establishment of a grant program to provide |
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| 8 | 8 | | additional resources for public school students with disabilities. |
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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. GRANT PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) In this section, "student with a disability" means a student who |
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| 14 | 14 | | is: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) eligible to participate in a school district's |
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| 16 | 16 | | special education program under Section 29.003; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) covered by Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 |
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| 18 | 18 | | (29 U.S.C. Section 794); or |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) covered by the Individuals with Disabilities |
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| 20 | 20 | | Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400 et seq.). |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) From funds appropriated for the purposes of this |
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| 22 | 22 | | section, federal funds, or any other funds available, not later |
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| 23 | 23 | | than August 1 of each year, the commissioner shall distribute money |
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| 24 | 24 | | to each school district in a manner that provides each district an |
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| 25 | 25 | | equal amount of money for each student with a disability enrolled in |
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| 26 | 26 | | the district. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (c) Funds provided to a school district under Subsection (b) |
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| 28 | 28 | | must be used by the district to establish a program under which the |
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| 29 | 29 | | district issues grants to students with disabilities enrolled in |
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| 30 | 30 | | the district. Funds received by a student under this section may |
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| 31 | 31 | | only be used to provide additional: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) learning resources at the student's residence; or |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) assistance for remote or virtual learning. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (d) A school district shall adopt procedures creating an |
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| 35 | 35 | | application and selection process for grants awarded under |
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| 36 | 36 | | Subsection (c). The procedures must require the parent or legal |
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| 37 | 37 | | guardian of a student with a disability to provide a detailed |
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| 38 | 38 | | description of the proposed use of the grant money. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (e) A school district shall determine the amount of each |
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| 40 | 40 | | grant awarded under Subsection (c). |
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| 41 | 41 | | (f) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 42 | 42 | | administer this section. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
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| 44 | 44 | | school year. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 46 | 46 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 47 | 47 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 48 | 48 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 49 | 49 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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