By Greenberg                                    H.B. No. 1167

      75R5619 CAS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to dyslexia coordinators for school districts and regional

 1-3     education service centers.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 38.003, Education Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 38.003.  SCREENING AND TREATMENT FOR DYSLEXIA AND

 1-8     RELATED DISORDERS.  (a) Students enrolling in public schools in

 1-9     this state shall be tested for dyslexia and related disorders at

1-10     appropriate times in accordance with a program approved by the

1-11     State Board of Education.

1-12           (b)  In accordance with the program approved by the State

1-13     Board of Education, the board of trustees of each school district

1-14     shall provide for the treatment of any student determined to have

1-15     dyslexia or a related disorder.

1-16           (c)  Each regional education service center shall employ at

1-17     least one dyslexia coordinator to assist school districts in

1-18     implementing this section and rules adopted under this section.

1-19           (d)  The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules and

1-20     standards  necessary to administer this section.

1-21           (e) [(d)]  In this section:

1-22                 (1)  "Dyslexia" means a disorder of constitutional

1-23     origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or

1-24     spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and

 2-1     sociocultural opportunity.

 2-2                 (2)  "Dyslexia coordinator" means a person who holds a

 2-3     certificate as a reading specialist issued as provided by

 2-4     Subchapter B, Chapter 21, and who is trained in the recognized,

 2-5     research-based teaching strategies needed by a student with

 2-6     dyslexia or a  related disorder.

 2-7                 (3)  "Related disorders" includes disorders similar to

 2-8     or related to dyslexia, such as developmental auditory

 2-9     imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia,

2-10     developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.

2-11           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

2-12     school year.

2-13           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-14     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-15     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-16     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-17     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-18     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-19     passage, and it is so enacted.