| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
| |
|
|
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th |
|
|
Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, That Senate Rule 12.03 be |
|
|
suspended in part as provided by Senate Rule 12.08 to enable the |
|
|
conference committee appointed to resolve the differences on Senate |
|
|
Bill 568 (relating to special education in public schools, |
|
|
including funding for special education under the Foundation School |
|
|
Program) to consider and take action on the following matters: |
|
|
(1) Senate Rule 12.03(1) is suspended to permit the |
|
|
committee to change, alter, or amend text not in disagreement in |
|
|
proposed SECTION 5 of the bill, by amending added Section |
|
|
29.001(c)(6)(C), Education Code, to read as follows: |
|
|
(C) appropriately trained personnel are |
|
|
available to students with disabilities who have significant |
|
|
behavioral support needs, including by making behavioral support |
|
|
training available to each paraprofessional or teacher placed in a |
|
|
classroom or other setting that is intended to provide specialized |
|
|
behavioral supports to a student with a disability, as needed or at |
|
|
regular intervals as provided in the student's individualized |
|
|
education program; |
|
|
Explanation: This change is necessary to clarify to whom |
|
|
behavioral support training must be made available to ensure |
|
|
appropriately trained personnel are available to students with |
|
|
disabilities who have significant behavioral support needs. |
|
|
(2) Senate Rule 12.03(4) is suspended to permit the |
|
|
committee to add text on a matter not included in either the house |
|
|
or senate version of the bill in proposed SECTION 12 of the bill, in |
|
|
amended Section 29.008(c), Education Code, to read as follows: |
|
|
If a [residential] placement primarily for care or treatment |
|
|
reasons involves a private [residential] facility in which the |
|
|
education program is provided by the school district, the portion |
|
|
of the costs that includes appropriate education services, as |
|
|
determined by the school district's admission, review, and |
|
|
dismissal committee, shall be paid from local, state, and federal |
|
|
education funds. |
|
|
Explanation: This change is necessary to allow school |
|
|
districts to pay the cost for certain placements in a private |
|
|
facility from local funds. |
|
|
(3) Senate Rule 12.03(2) is suspended to permit the |
|
|
committee to omit text not in disagreement by omitting the portion |
|
|
of proposed SECTION 24 of the bill that adds Section 29.024, |
|
|
Education Code. The omitted text reads: |
|
|
Sec. 29.024. GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDING TRAINING IN DYSLEXIA |
|
|
FOR TEACHERS AND STAFF. (a) From money appropriated or otherwise |
|
|
available for the purpose, the commissioner shall establish a |
|
|
program to award grants each school year to school districts and |
|
|
open-enrollment charter schools to increase local capacity to |
|
|
appropriately serve students with dyslexia. |
|
|
(b) A school district, including a school district acting |
|
|
through a district charter issued under Subchapter C, Chapter 12, |
|
|
or an open-enrollment charter school, including a charter school |
|
|
that primarily serves students with disabilities, as provided under |
|
|
Section 12.1014, is eligible to apply for a grant under this section |
|
|
if the district or school submits to the commissioner a proposal on |
|
|
the use of grant funds that: |
|
|
(1) incorporates evidence-based and research-based |
|
|
design; and |
|
|
(2) increases local capacity to appropriately serve |
|
|
students with dyslexia by providing: |
|
|
(A) high-quality training to classroom teachers |
|
|
and administrators in meeting the needs of students with dyslexia; |
|
|
or |
|
|
(B) training to intervention staff resulting in |
|
|
appropriate credentialing related to dyslexia, with priority for |
|
|
training staff to earn the credentials necessary to become a |
|
|
licensed dyslexia therapist or certified academic language |
|
|
therapist. |
|
|
(c) The commissioner shall create an external panel of |
|
|
stakeholders, including parents of students with disabilities, to |
|
|
provide assistance in the selection of applications for the award |
|
|
of grants under this section. |
|
|
(d) A grant awarded to a school district or open-enrollment |
|
|
charter school under this section is in addition to the Foundation |
|
|
School Program money that the district or charter school is |
|
|
otherwise entitled to receive. A grant awarded under this section |
|
|
may not come out of Foundation School Program money. |
|
|
(e) The commissioner and any grant recipient selected under |
|
|
this section may accept gifts, grants, and donations from any |
|
|
public or private source, person, or group to implement and |
|
|
administer the grant. The commissioner and any grant recipient |
|
|
selected under this section may not require any financial |
|
|
contribution from parents to implement and administer the grant. |
|
|
(f) A regional education service center may administer |
|
|
grants awarded under this section. |
|
|
Explanation: This change is necessary to omit language that |
|
|
would authorize the commissioner of education to establish a grant |
|
|
program to provide training in serving students with dyslexia to |
|
|
school district and open-enrollment charter school teachers and |
|
|
staff. |
|
|
(4) Senate Rule 12.03(1) is suspended to permit the |
|
|
committee to change, alter, or amend text not in disagreement in |
|
|
proposed SECTION 27 of the bill, by amending Section 29.042(a), |
|
|
Education Code, to read as follows: |
|
|
Subject to Subsection (c), the agency shall provide each student |
|
|
approved as provided by this subchapter a grant of not more than |
|
|
$1,500 to purchase supplemental [special education] services and |
|
|
supplemental [special education] instructional materials. |
|
|
Explanation: This change is necessary to provide the amount |
|
|
of the grant provided under Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, Education |
|
|
Code. |
|
|
(5) Senate Rule 12.03(4) is suspended to permit the |
|
|
committee to add text on a matter not included in either the house |
|
|
or senate version of the bill in proposed SECTION 27 of the bill, by |
|
|
adding Section 29.042(f), Education Code, to read as follows: |
|
|
(f) A regional education service center designated to |
|
|
administer the program under this subchapter for a school year is |
|
|
entitled to receive not more than four percent of the amount |
|
|
appropriated for purposes of making grants under this subchapter |
|
|
for that school year for the costs of administering the program. |
|
|
Explanation: This change is necessary to clarify the amount |
|
|
of money a regional education service center may receive for |
|
|
administering the program under Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, |
|
|
Education Code. |
|
|
(6) Senate Rule 12.03(1) is suspended to permit the |
|
|
committee to change, alter, or amend text not in disagreement in |
|
|
proposed SECTION 28 of the bill, in amended Section 29.045, |
|
|
Education Code, to read as follows: |
|
|
Subject to available funding the agency shall approve each student |
|
|
who meets the program eligibility criteria established under |
|
|
Section 29.044 and assign to the student an account maintained |
|
|
under Section 29.042(b). |
|
|
Explanation: This change is necessary to ensure that the |
|
|
approval of and assignment of accounts to eligible students under |
|
|
the program under Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, Education Code, are |
|
|
subject to available funding. |
|
|
(7) Senate Rule 12.03(2) is suspended to permit the |
|
|
committee to omit text not in disagreement by omitting the portion |
|
|
of proposed SECTION 63 of the bill that adds Section 48.306, |
|
|
Education Code. The omitted text reads: |
|
|
Sec. 48.306. PARENT-DIRECTED SERVICES FOR STUDENTS |
|
|
RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES GRANT. (a) A student to whom |
|
|
the agency awards a grant under Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, is |
|
|
entitled to receive an amount of $1,500 or a greater amount provided |
|
|
by appropriation. |
|
|
(b) The legislature shall include in the appropriations for |
|
|
the Foundation School Program state aid sufficient for the agency |
|
|
to award grants under Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, in the amount |
|
|
provided by this section. |
|
|
(c) A student may receive one grant under Subchapter A-1, |
|
|
Chapter 29, unless the legislature appropriates money for an |
|
|
additional grant in the General Appropriations Act. |
|
|
(d) A regional education service center designated to |
|
|
administer the program under Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, for a |
|
|
school year is entitled to an amount equal to four percent of each |
|
|
grant awarded under that subchapter for that school year. |
|
|
(e) Notwithstanding Section 7.057, a determination of the |
|
|
commissioner under this section is final and may not be appealed. |
|
|
Explanation: This change is necessary to omit language that |
|
|
would provide an entitlement to a grant under Subchapter A-1, |
|
|
Chapter 29, Education Code, or to an amount for administering the |
|
|
program under that subchapter. |