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).