| TO: | Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on Education |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB35 by Zaffirini (Relating to the financing of assessments performed by the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Texas School for the Deaf.), As Introduced |
This bill would codify a provision currently in the General Appropriations Act, Special Provision for the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Texas School for the Deaf #6, which states the following:
"Assessments for LEA's (local educational agencies). For any assessments on students from local education agencies, the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Texas School for the Deaf shall make a reasonable charge for these services to the local education agencies. A
reasonable effort to collect for the assessments will be made by the schools."
The only change between the special provision and the bill is that the bill states that the schools "may" charge for assessments conducted at the request of school districts and other public entities and the special provision states that the schools "shall" charge for these assessments. The schools would then have discretionary authority to charge for assessments and maintain the ability to provide services without costs, if possible.
| Source Agencies: | 701 Central Education Agency, 771 School For The Blind And Visually Impaired, 772 School For The Deaf
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| LBB Staff: | JK, CT, UP, PQ
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