| 2 | | - | (In the Senate - Filed November 9, 2020; March 3, 2021, read |
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| 3 | | - | first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education; |
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| 4 | | - | May 21, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable Committee |
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| 5 | | - | Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 21, 2021, |
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| 6 | | - | sent to printer.) |
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| 7 | | - | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 8 | | - | COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 54 By: West |
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| 9 | 3 | | |
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| 10 | 4 | | |
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| 11 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 12 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 13 | 7 | | relating to a study and report by the Texas Higher Education |
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| 14 | 8 | | Coordinating Board regarding best practices for assisting students |
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| 15 | 9 | | with autism spectrum disorder. |
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| 16 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 17 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 18 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 61.06694 to read as follows: |
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| 19 | 13 | | Sec. 61.06694. STUDY AND REPORT ON ASSISTING STUDENTS WITH |
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| 20 | 14 | | AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. (a) The board shall conduct a study to |
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| 21 | 15 | | determine best practices for assisting students with autism |
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| 22 | 16 | | spectrum disorder who are enrolled at institutions of higher |
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| 23 | 17 | | education. |
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| 24 | 18 | | (b) The study must: |
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| 25 | 19 | | (1) identify and track: |
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| 26 | 20 | | (A) the number of students with autism spectrum |
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| 27 | 21 | | disorder who graduate from secondary schools in this state; |
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| 28 | 22 | | (B) the number of students with autism spectrum |
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| 29 | 23 | | disorder who are enrolled at institutions of higher education; |
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| 30 | 24 | | (C) the student financial assistance available |
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| 31 | 25 | | to students with autism spectrum disorder who enroll at |
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| 32 | 26 | | institutions of higher education; and |
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| 33 | 27 | | (D) the graduation rates of students with autism |
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| 34 | 28 | | spectrum disorder who enroll at institutions of higher education; |
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| 35 | 29 | | and |
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| 36 | 30 | | (2) identify and examine best practices and program |
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| 37 | 31 | | modules from public and private institutions of higher education |
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| 38 | 32 | | outside this state that have achieved successful results in working |
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| 39 | 33 | | with students with autism spectrum disorder. |
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| 40 | | - | (c) In conducting the study, the board: |
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| 41 | | - | (1) shall collaborate with the Texas Education Agency |
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| 42 | | - | regarding specialized programs offered by elementary or secondary |
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| 43 | | - | schools for students with autism spectrum disorder to determine how |
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| 44 | | - | those programs could be replicated at or extended to postsecondary |
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| 45 | | - | institutions; and |
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| 46 | | - | (2) may not request, require, or use personally |
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| 47 | | - | identifiable student information. |
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| 34 | + | (c) In conducting the study, the board shall collaborate |
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| 35 | + | with school districts that offer specialized programs for students |
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| 36 | + | with autism spectrum disorder to determine how those programs could |
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| 37 | + | be replicated at or extended to postsecondary institutions. |
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| 48 | 38 | | (d) Not later than December 1, 2023, the board shall submit |
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| 49 | 39 | | to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house |
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| 50 | 40 | | of representatives, and the commissioner of education a written |
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| 51 | 41 | | report that includes the study's findings and any recommendations |
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| 52 | 42 | | for legislative or other action. |
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| 53 | 43 | | (e) This section expires January 1, 2024. |
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| 54 | 44 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 55 | 45 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 56 | 46 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 57 | 47 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 58 | 48 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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