S.B. No. 139
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to a notice of educational rights for certain student
  evaluations.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 29.023 to read as follows:
         Sec. 29.023.  NOTICE OF RIGHTS. (a)  The agency shall
  develop a notice for distribution as provided by Subsection (c) and
  posting on the agency's Internet website that indicates:
               (1)  the change made from 2016 to 2017 in reporting
  requirements for school districts and open-enrollment charter
  schools regarding the special education representation indicator
  adopted in the Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System
  Manual; and
               (2)  in plain language, the rights of a child under both
  federal and state law and the general process available to initiate
  a referral of a child for a full individual and initial evaluation
  under Section 29.004 to determine the child's eligibility for
  special education services.
         (b)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
  shall include in the notice developed by the agency under
  Subsection (a) information indicating where the local processes and
  procedures for initiating a referral for special education services
  eligibility evaluation may be found.
         (c)  By a date established by the commissioner, each school
  district or open-enrollment charter school shall provide the notice
  to the parent of each child who attends school in the district or at
  the school at any time during the 2019-2020 school year. A school
  district or open-enrollment charter school shall also make the
  notice available on request to any person. The notice must be
  available in English and Spanish, and a school district or
  open-enrollment charter school shall make a good faith effort to
  provide the notice in the parent's native language if the parent's
  native language is a language other than English or Spanish.
         (d)  The notice is in addition to requirements imposed by
  Section 26.0081.
         (e)  The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement
  this section.
         (f)  This section expires September 1, 2023.
         SECTION 2.  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, 2019.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 139 passed the Senate on
  May 10, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 28, Nays 3.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 139 passed the House on
  May 21, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 0, one
  present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor