LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 11, 2009

TO:	Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB987 by Shapiro (Relating to the age at which transition planning begins for a public school student receiving special education services.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill amends Section 29.011, Education Code to require that transition planning for public school students receiving special education services begin when the student reachers 14 years of age instead 16 years of age.

Local Government Impact

School districts would incur additional transition planning costs due to expansion of the requirement to initiate transition planning for an increased number of students receiving special education.  The Texas Education Agency indicates that approximately 80,000 students ages 14 and 15 currently receive special education services.

 

Administrative rules that were in place until November 2007 required transition planning to begin at age 14.  As a result, it is possible that some transition planning has already occurred for a portion of current 15-year-old special education students.  In addition, federal regulations permit transition planning to begin earlier than age 16 when appropriate.  Based on these circumstances and anecdotal information, it is reasonable to assume that the practice of transition planning for students younger than age 16 is not uncommon among districts.  However, additional local costs would be anticipated for districts that are not currently conducting transition planning at age 14 for all or a portion of students.  Additional costs associated with plan development, including interaction with local representatives of state agencies providing adult services and processes to obtain and document parental consent would be expected.

Source Agencies:

701 Central Education Agency

LBB Staff:

JOB, JSp, JGM, JW