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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the development of an individualized education program |
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for a public school student with a visual impairment. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 30.002, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (f) and adding Subsection (f-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(f) In the development of the individualized education |
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program for a [functionally blind] student with a visual |
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impairment, proficiency in [braille] reading and writing is a |
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significant indicator of [presumed to be essential for] the |
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student's satisfactory educational progress. The individualized |
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education program for a student with a visual impairment must |
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include instruction in [Each functionally blind student is entitled
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to] braille and the use of braille unless the student's admission, |
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review, and dismissal committee determines and documents that |
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braille is not an appropriate literacy medium for the student. The |
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committee's determination must be based on an evaluation of the |
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student's appropriate literacy media and literacy skills and the |
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student's current and future instructional needs [reading and
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writing instruction that is sufficient to enable the student to
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communicate with the same level of proficiency as other students of
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comparable ability who are at the same grade level]. Braille |
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instruction: |
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(1) may be used in combination with other special |
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education services appropriate to the student's educational needs; |
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and |
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(2) shall be provided by a teacher certified to teach |
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students with visual impairments[.
The assessment of each
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functionally blind student for the purpose of developing the
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student's individualized education program must include
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documentation of the student's strengths and weaknesses in braille
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skills]. |
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(f-1) Each person assisting in the development of the [a
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functionally blind student's] individualized education program for |
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a student with a visual impairment shall receive information |
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describing the benefits of braille instruction. [Each functionally
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blind student's individualized education program must specify the
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appropriate learning medium based on the assessment report and
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ensure that instruction in braille will be provided by a teacher
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certified to teach students with visual impairments.
For purposes
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of this subsection, the agency shall determine the criteria for a
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student to be classified as functionally blind.] |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |