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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 1886

By: Miller

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Interested parties note the prevalence of dyslexia in school-aged children, but express concern that some children miss early opportunities for assistance by not being tested soon enough. C.S.H.B. 1886 seeks to provide for the early identification of and intervention for a child with dyslexia to improve the child’s academic success. 

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

C.S.H.B. 1886 amends the Education Code to require each regional education service center to employ as a dyslexia specialist a person licensed as a dyslexia therapist to provide school districts served by the center with support and resources that are necessary to assist students with dyslexia and the families of students with dyslexia. The bill requires the State Board of Education program for the screening and treatment of dyslexia and related disorders to include, beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, screening at the end of the school year of each student in kindergarten and each student in the first grade. The bill requires the Texas Education Agency to annually develop a list of training opportunities regarding dyslexia that satisfy certain continuing education requirements and requires the list to include at least one opportunity that is available online. The bill requires a training opportunity included in the list to comply with the knowledge and practice standards of an international organization on dyslexia and to enable an educator to understand and recognize dyslexia and implement instruction that is systematic, explicit, and evidence-based to meet the educational needs of a student with dyslexia.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.H.B. 1886 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

INTRODUCED

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

No equivalent provision. (But see Sec. 38.0032(a) in SECTION 2 below.)

 

SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 8, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 8.061 to read as follows:

Sec. 8.061.  DYSLEXIA SPECIALIST.  Each regional education service center shall employ as a dyslexia specialist a person licensed as a dyslexia therapist under Chapter 403, Occupations Code, to provide school districts served by the center with support and resources that are necessary to assist students with dyslexia and the families of students with dyslexia.

 

SECTION 1.  Section 38.003(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

 

(a)  Students enrolling in public schools in this state shall be tested for dyslexia and related disorders at appropriate times in accordance with a program approved by the State Board of Education. 

The program must include testing each student on enrollment in kindergarten and testing each student in the first grade at the end of the school year.

 

SECTION 2.  Sections 38.003(a) and (b-1), Education Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a)  Students enrolling in public schools in this state shall be screened or tested, as appropriate, for dyslexia and related disorders at appropriate times in accordance with a program approved by the State Board of Education.  The program must include screening at the end of the school year of each student in kindergarten and each student in the first grade.

(b-1)  Unless otherwise provided by law, a student determined to have dyslexia during screening or testing under Subsection (a) or accommodated because of dyslexia may not be rescreened or retested for dyslexia for the purpose of reassessing the student's need for accommodations until the district reevaluates the information obtained from previous screening or testing of the student.

 

SECTION 2.  Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 38.0032 to read as follows:

Sec. 38.0032.  DYSLEXIA SPECIALIST; DYSLEXIA TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.

(a) The agency shall designate an agency employee as a dyslexia specialist to provide school districts with support and resources that are necessary to assist students with dyslexia and the families of students with dyslexia.

(b)  The agency shall annually develop a list of training opportunities regarding dyslexia that satisfy the requirements of Section 21.054(b).  The list of training opportunities must include at least one opportunity that is available online.

(c)  A training opportunity included in the list developed under Subsection (b) must:

(1)  comply with the knowledge and practice standards of an international organization on dyslexia; and

(2)  enable an educator to:

(A)  understand and recognize dyslexia; and

(B)  implement instruction that is systematic, explicit, and evidence-based to meet the educational needs of a student with dyslexia.

 

SECTION 3.  Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 38.0032 to read as follows:

Sec. 38.0032.  DYSLEXIA TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.

 

(See SECTION 1 above.)

 

 

 

 

 

(a) The agency shall annually develop a list of training opportunities regarding dyslexia that satisfy the requirements of Section 21.054(b).  The list of training opportunities must include at least one opportunity that is available online.

(b)  A training opportunity included in the list developed under Subsection (a) must:

(1)  comply with the knowledge and practice standards of an international organization on dyslexia; and

(2)  enable an educator to:

(A)  understand and recognize dyslexia; and

(B)  implement instruction that is systematic, explicit, and evidence-based to meet the educational needs of a student with dyslexia.

 

SECTION 3.  Section 38.003(a), Education Code, as amended by this Act, applies beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

 

SECTION 4.  Section 38.003, Education Code, as amended by this Act, applies beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

 

SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

 

SECTION 5. Same as introduced version.