| 1 | 1 | | 87R7162 CXP-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lucio S.B. No. 688 |
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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 development of a special education services matrix. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 29.0012 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 29.0012. SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES MATRIX. (a) The |
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| 12 | 12 | | commissioner shall develop and periodically update materials for |
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| 13 | 13 | | use in evaluating the special education services provided to a |
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| 14 | 14 | | student under this subchapter, including: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) a special education services matrix that: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (A) identifies categories for special education |
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| 17 | 17 | | services; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (B) assigns intensity levels for the services in |
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| 19 | 19 | | each category; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (C) produces an aggregate score to assign to each |
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| 21 | 21 | | student enrolled in a special education program under this |
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| 22 | 22 | | subchapter based on the intensity level of services the student |
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| 23 | 23 | | requires across the categories; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) a handbook for using the special education |
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| 25 | 25 | | services matrix to assist school districts in determining the |
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| 26 | 26 | | nature and intensity levels of the special education services |
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| 27 | 27 | | provided to a student under this subchapter. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (b) In developing the materials under Subsection (a), the |
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| 29 | 29 | | commissioner shall: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) review and adapt, as appropriate, special |
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| 31 | 31 | | education services matrixes used by other states; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) consult with stakeholders, including: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (A) public school finance experts; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (B) directors of school district special |
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| 35 | 35 | | education programs; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (C) superintendents of school districts; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (D) public school campus administrators; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (E) teachers certified in special education; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (F) teachers certified in general education; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (G) providers of special services that are |
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| 41 | 41 | | described as "related services" under Section 29.002(2); |
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| 42 | 42 | | (H) representatives of advocacy organizations |
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| 43 | 43 | | with an interest in special education; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (I) parents of students receiving special |
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| 45 | 45 | | education services under this subchapter; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (J) any other person or organization the |
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| 47 | 47 | | commissioner considers appropriate. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (c) The commissioner of education shall develop a proposal |
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| 49 | 49 | | for a method of funding for special education services based on the |
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| 50 | 50 | | special education matrix developed under Subsection (a). The |
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| 51 | 51 | | proposal must include: |
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| 52 | 52 | | (1) recommendations to the legislature for changes to |
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| 53 | 53 | | the public school finance system necessary to transition the |
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| 54 | 54 | | financing of special education services provided by school |
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| 55 | 55 | | districts from the special education allotment under Section 49.102 |
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| 56 | 56 | | to an allotment based on the nature and intensity levels of the |
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| 57 | 57 | | special education services provided by districts; and |
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| 58 | 58 | | (2) a transition plan for implementing the |
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| 59 | 59 | | recommendations under Subdivision (1), including a recommended |
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| 60 | 60 | | timeline for implementation. |
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| 61 | 61 | | (d) The commissioner shall confer with the Legislative |
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| 62 | 62 | | Budget Board to develop the proposal under Subsection (c). |
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| 63 | 63 | | (e) Not later than September 1, 2022, the commissioner shall |
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| 64 | 64 | | submit written or electronic copies of the materials developed |
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| 65 | 65 | | under Subsections (a) and (c) to the lieutenant governor, the |
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| 66 | 66 | | speaker of the house of representatives, and the members of the |
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| 67 | 67 | | standing legislative committees with primary jurisdiction over |
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| 68 | 68 | | public education, and shall provide revised materials as soon as |
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| 69 | 69 | | practicable after each periodic update of the materials. |
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| 70 | 70 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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