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Senate Bill 542 |
Senate Author: Watson et al. |
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Effective: 6-14-13 |
House Sponsor: Allen |
Senate Bill 542 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to provide information to parents regarding individualized education program facilitation as an alternative dispute resolution method that may be used to avoid a potential dispute between a school district and a parent of a student with a disability. The bill requires a district that chooses to use individualized education program facilitation to inform parents regarding such facilitation and sets out the manner in which the information is to be provided.
Senate Bill 542 gives a school district offering individualized education program facilitation the option of using independent contractors, district employees, or other qualified individuals as facilitators; requires the parental notification to include a description of any applicable procedures for requesting the facilitation; and requires the facilitation to be provided at no cost to a parent. The bill requires the use of alternative dispute resolution methods to be voluntary on the part of the participants and prohibits the use or availability of any of those methods from being used to deny or delay the right to pursue a special education complaint, mediation, or due process hearing in accordance with federal law.
Senate Bill 542 requires TEA to develop rules for the administration of a state individualized education program facilitation project, which must provide for an independent program facilitator to facilitate an admission, review, and dismissal committee meeting with parties in a dispute about the appropriate public education to be provided to a student with a disability. The bill authorizes the commissioner, if the commissioner determines that adequate funding is available, to use federal funds to implement the project.