Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB172 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R3969 MEW-D
2	2	By: Menéndez S.B. No. 172
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the employment of a special education liaison at public
10	10	schools.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 29.005(a), Education Code, is amended to
13	13	read as follows:
14	14	(a) Before a child is enrolled in a special education
15	15	program of a school district, the district shall establish a
16	16	committee composed of the persons required under 20 U.S.C. Section
17	17	1414(d) to develop the child's individualized education program.
18	18	If the district employs a special education liaison under Section
19	19	29.029, the special education liaison shall serve as the district's
20	20	representative on the committee. If a committee is required to
21	21	include a regular education teacher, the regular education teacher
22	22	included must, to the extent practicable, be a teacher who is
23	23	responsible for implementing a portion of the child's
24	24	individualized education program.
25	25	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
26	26	amended by adding Section 29.029 to read as follows:
27	27	Sec. 29.029. SPECIAL EDUCATION LIAISON. (a) From money
28	28	appropriated or otherwise available for the purpose, the
29	29	commissioner shall provide money to school districts to employ one
30	30	or more educators to serve as a special education liaison for the
31	31	district.
32	32	(b) A special education liaison employed under this section
33	33	shall:
34	34	(1) perform duties concerning individualized
35	35	education programs under Section 29.005, including:
36	36	(A) serving as an expert in the development,
37	37	implementation, and assessment of individualized education
38	38	programs for students in the district;
39	39	(B) serving as the representative of the
40	40	district, as necessary, on a committee established under Section
41	41	29.005 to develop an individualized education program for a student
42	42	enrolled at the district;
43	43	(C) reviewing individualized education program
44	44	documents for compliance with federal and state laws and related
45	45	procedural guidelines;
46	46	(D) if a change in educational setting is
47	47	proposed for a student with an individualized education program
48	48	based on the student's violation of the district's student code of
49	49	conduct, conducting a manifestation determination hearing in
50	50	accordance with 20 U.S.C. Section 1415(k) to determine whether the
51	51	violation was a manifestation of the student's disability;
52	52	(E) conducting a functional behavioral
53	53	assessment and implementing a behavioral intervention plan in
54	54	accordance with 20 U.S.C. Section 1415(k) for a student:
55	55	(i) if a violation described by Paragraph
56	56	(D) is determined to be a manifestation of the student's
57	57	disability; or
58	58	(ii) on the request of a committee
59	59	established under Section 29.005; and
60	60	(F) providing general case management for
61	61	students for whom an individualized education program has been
62	62	developed;
63	63	(2) communicate verbally and in writing with campus
64	64	administrators regarding policies and procedures necessary to
65	65	ensure compliance with legal and policy requirements involving
66	66	special education programs;
67	67	(3) communicate with educators, staff, and parents of
68	68	students at district campuses to provide guidance, mentoring, and
69	69	information about special education policies and procedures;
70	70	(4) provide guidance, mentoring, and training to
71	71	special education teachers and staff in the provision of special
72	72	education services to students in accordance with the Individuals
73	73	with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400 et seq.);
74	74	(5) become familiar with the specific duties and
75	75	responsibilities of any providers of services that are ancillary to
76	76	special education services provided by the district;
77	77	(6) provide assistance to parents of students in
78	78	special education programs in making complaints or reporting
79	79	allegations of violations of state or federal law relating to
80	80	special education programs by the district;
81	81	(7) conduct inquiries to address concerns brought by
82	82	family members of students in special education programs; and
83	83	(8) conduct home visits as necessary to maintain
84	84	quality communication between district educators and staff and
85	85	family members of students in special education programs.
86	86	(c) The commissioner may adopt rules to implement this
87	87	section.
88	88	SECTION 3. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
89	89	date of this Act, the commissioner of education shall provide money
90	90	identified as available for purposes of Section 29.029, Education
91	91	Code, as added by this Act, to school districts and open-enrollment
92	92	charter schools.
93	93	(b) As soon as practicable after receiving money under
94	94	Subsection (a) of this section, a school district or
95	95	open-enrollment charter school shall employ a person qualified to
96	96	serve as special education liaison.
97	97	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
98	98	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
99	99	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
100	100	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
101	101	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.