1-1 By: Cain S.B. No. 870 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 4, 1999; March 8, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 7, 1999, 1-4 reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 7, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 870 By: Cain 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to the right of parents to information concerning special 1-10 education. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Chapter 26, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-13 Section 26.0081 to read as follows: 1-14 Sec. 26.0081. RIGHT TO INFORMATION CONCERNING SPECIAL 1-15 EDUCATION. (a) The agency shall produce and provide to school 1-16 districts sufficient copies of a comprehensive, easily understood 1-17 document that explains the process by which an individualized 1-18 education program is developed for a student in a special education 1-19 program and the rights and responsibilities of a parent concerning 1-20 the process. The document must include information a parent needs 1-21 to effectively participate in an admission, review, and dismissal 1-22 committee meeting for the parent's child. 1-23 (b) The agency will ensure that each school district 1-24 provides the document required under this section to the parent as 1-25 provided by 20 U.S.C. Section 1415(b): 1-26 (1) as soon as practicable after a child is referred 1-27 to determine the child's eligibility for admission into the 1-28 district's special education program, but at least five school days 1-29 before the date of the initial meeting of the admission, review, 1-30 and dismissal committee; and 1-31 (2) at any other time on reasonable request of the 1-32 child's parent. 1-33 SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Education Agency shall ensure that 1-34 each school district provides the document required under Section 1-35 26.0081, Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than June 1-36 1, 2001, to the parent of or the person standing in parental 1-37 relation to each child participating in the district's special 1-38 education program. 1-39 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-40 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-41 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-42 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-43 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-44 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-45 * * * * *