| TO: | Honorable Rob Eissler, Chair, House Committee on Public Education |
| FROM: | John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB357 by Rodriguez, Eddie (Relating to transition and employment services for public school students enrolled in special education programs.), As Introduced |
| Fiscal Year | Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds |
|---|---|
| 2012 | ($1,205,668) |
| 2013 | ($236,950) |
| 2014 | ($64,738) |
| 2015 | ($64,738) |
| 2016 | ($64,738) |
| Fiscal Year | Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1 |
|---|---|
| 2012 | ($1,205,668) |
| 2013 | ($236,950) |
| 2014 | ($64,738) |
| 2015 | ($64,738) |
| 2016 | ($64,738) |
The bill would require procedures adopted by commissioner rules to provide for transition services planning to begin at age 14 for students receiving special education services.
The bill would require the Texas Education Agency to develop a new indicator for the Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System (PBMAS) regarding the preparation by school districts of students enrolled in special education programs for their transition to life outside the public school system.
The bill would require the TEA, with assistance from the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), to develop a comprehensive transition and employment manual for students and parents with updates every two years. The TEA would be authorized to contract with a private entity to prepare the manual. In addition, the bill would require the TEA to develop a summary document of the manual.
The bill would require TEA to develop an indicator regarding the preparation of students enrolled in special education programs to transition to life outside of the public school system. According to the agency, the development would require nine contractor positions in FY 2012, 1.25 contractor positions in FY 2013 and one contractor position in FY 2014 through FY 2016. In FY 2012, estimated costs include nine contractor positions which total $1,047,200 and $14,468 for software licenses. Costs in FY 2013 would decrease to $236,950 for 1.25 contractor positions and would decrease further to $56,738 for one contractor position in each subsequent year for system maintenance.
According to the TEA, these costs are required to modify and expand the data elements in the PBMAS system to provide the necessary information currently not collected.
Other operating costs for cubicle, phone, PC lease, and supplies are estimated at $16,000 each for nine contractors for fiscal year 2012. Estimated operating costs for fiscal year 2013 total $10,000 and would decrease to $8,000 in each subsequent year.
TEA estimates a cost of $150,000 in 2012 to develop and produce a comprehensive transition and employment manual, $75,000 in 2013 and $75,000 in every other year for manual updates. The agency expects these costs could be absorbed by Federal Funds.
The TEA assumes school districts would incur one-time costs to print one manual summary document for each parent of a student or each adult student enrolled in a special education program. Costs assume approximately 350,000 summary documents at $0.40 each totaling $140,000 statewide.
| Source Agencies: | 701 Central Education Agency
|
| LBB Staff: | JOB, LXH, JGM, JW
|