SRC-TAG C.S.S.B. 589 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterC.S.S.B. 589 By: Zaffirini Education 3/12/2003 Committee Report (Substituted) DIGEST AND PURPOSE C.S.S.B. 589 clarifies the roles of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Texas School for the Deaf. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 30.021, Education Code, by amending Subsections (a) and (c) [deletes reference to adding Subsection (g)], as follows: (a) Provides that the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (school) is a state agency established to serve as special school in the continuum of statewide placements for students who are 21 years of age or younger on September 1 of any school year and who have a visual impairment and who may have one or more other disabilities. Requires the school to provide comprehensive educational services to students who require specialized or intensive education or related services or related to the visual impairment. Provides the school is not intended to serve certain students. (c) Requires the school to provide short-term programs, such as summer programs, to enable and prepare visually impaired students to benefit from other educational programs and independent functioning. Deletes text referencing student exchange programs and the requirement to consider information from sources throughout the state. (g) [Substitute as drafted deletes Subsection (g), which the original bill proposed.] SECTION 2. Amends Section 30.051, Education Code, as follows: Sec. 30.051. PURPOSE OF TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF. (a) Provides that the Texas School for the Deaf (school) is a state agency established to serve as a special school in the continuum of statewide placements for students who are 21 years of age or younger on September 1 of any school and who are deaf or hard of hearing and who may have one or more other disabilities. Provides that certain provisions apply to the school. (b) Adds a specific list of services to the existing mandate that the school serve as primary statewide resource center promoting excellence in education for students who are deaf or hard of hearing through research, training, and demonstration projects. (c) [Substitute as drafted deletes proposed Subsection (c) as drafted in the original bill.] (c) [Substitute as drafted deletes proposed Subsection (c) as currently in statute, without relettering subsequent subsection. (d) Adds compensatory skills and remedial academic skills to the list of needs for which the school may conduct a cooperative program with other agencies. Makes a nonsubstantive change. (e) [Substitute as drafted deletes proposed Subsection (e) as drafted in the original bill.] SECTION 3. Provides that this Act applies with the beginning of the 2003-2004 school year. SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES SECTION . Differs from original bill in Section 30.021(a) by deleting the proposed word "may" and adding the words " is" and "intended," so that the substitute reflects the current statute rather than amending it. Differs from original bill in Section 30.021(c) by replacing the word "including" with "such as," so that the substitute reflects the current statute rather than amending it. Differs from original bill in Section 30.021 by deleting proposed Subsection (g). SECTION 2. Differs from original bill in Section 30.051(a) by replacing the phrase "the school shall provide" with "the following provisions apply to the school." Differs from original bill in Section 30.051(a)1 and (a) (2) by adding the phrase "the school shall provide" to the two listed provisions. Differs from original bill in Section 30.051 by adding a new Subsection (a) 3 and by deleting Subsections (c) and (e).