Senate File 2018 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2018 BY DONAHUE A BILL FOR An Act relating to special education, including by requiring 1 accredited nonpublic schools to provide special education 2 services to students enrolled in the school who require 3 such services and modifying the responsibilities of area 4 education agencies, and including effective date provisions. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 5156XS (2) 91 jda/jh
S.F. 2018 Section 1. Section 256.12, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 1 2026, is amended to read as follows: 2 a. This section does not deprive the respective boards of 3 public school districts of any of their legal powers, statutory 4 or otherwise, and in accepting the specially enrolled students, 5 each of the boards shall prescribe the terms of the special 6 enrollment, including but not limited to scheduling of courses 7 and the length of class periods. In addition, the board of the 8 affected public school district shall be given notice by the 9 department of its decision to permit the special enrollment 10 not later than six months prior to the opening of the affected 11 public school district’s school year, except that the board of 12 the public school district may waive the notice requirement. 13 School districts and area education agency boards shall make 14 public school services, which shall include special education 15 programs and services and may include health services, services 16 for remedial education programs, guidance services, and school 17 testing services, available to children attending nonpublic 18 schools in the same manner and to the same extent that they are 19 provided to public school students. Service activities shall 20 be similar to those undertaken for public school students. 21 Health services , special education support, and related 22 services provided by area education agencies for the purpose 23 of identifying children with disabilities, assistance with 24 physical and communications needs of students with physical 25 disabilities, and services of an educational interpreter may be 26 provided on nonpublic school premises with the permission of 27 the lawful custodian of the property. Other special education 28 services may be provided on nonpublic school premises at the 29 discretion of the school district or area education agency 30 provider of the service and with the permission of the lawful 31 custodian of the property. 32 Sec. 2. Section 256B.9, subsection 4, Code 2026, is amended 33 to read as follows: 34 4. On December 1, 1987, and no later than December 1 every 35 -1- LSB 5156XS (2) 91 jda/jh 1/ 7
S.F. 2018 two years thereafter, for the school year commencing the 1 following July 1, the director of the department of education 2 shall report to the school budget review committee the average 3 costs of providing instruction for children requiring special 4 education in the categories of the weighting plan established 5 under this section , and for providing services to nonpublic 6 school students pursuant to section 256.12, subsection 2 , 7 and the director of the department of education shall make 8 recommendations to the school budget review committee for 9 needed alterations to make the weighting plan suitable for 10 subsequent school years. The school budget review committee 11 shall establish the weighting plan for each school year and 12 shall report the plan to the director of the department of 13 education. The school budget review committee may establish 14 weights to the nearest hundredth. The school budget review 15 committee shall not alter the weighting assigned to pupils 16 in a regular curriculum, but it may increase or decrease the 17 weighting assigned to each category of children requiring 18 special education by not more than two-tenths of the weighting 19 assigned to pupils in a regular curriculum. The state board of 20 education shall adopt rules under chapter 17A to implement the 21 weighting plan for each year and to assist in identification 22 and proper indexing of each child in the state who requires 23 special education. 24 Sec. 3. Section 273.2, subsection 3, paragraph a, Code 2026, 25 is amended to read as follows: 26 a. The area education agency shall furnish educational 27 services and programs as provided in section 273.1 , this 28 section , sections 273.3 through 273.8 , and chapter 256B to 29 pupils enrolled in public or nonpublic schools which are on the 30 list of accredited schools pursuant to section 256.11 , which 31 request to receive such services. The programs and services 32 provided shall be at least commensurate with programs and 33 services existing on July 1, 1974. The programs and services 34 provided to pupils enrolled in nonpublic schools shall be 35 -2- LSB 5156XS (2) 91 jda/jh 2/ 7
S.F. 2018 comparable to programs and services provided to pupils enrolled 1 in public schools within constitutional guidelines. 2 Sec. 4. Section 280.8, Code 2026, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 280.8 Special education. 5 1. The board of directors of each public school district 6 shall make adequate educational provisions for each resident 7 child requiring special education appropriate to the nature 8 and severity of the child’s disability pursuant to rules 9 promulgated by the department under the provisions of chapters 10 256B and 273 . 11 2. a. The authorities in charge of each accredited 12 nonpublic school shall do all of the following: 13 (1) Identify and evaluate each student who is enrolled in 14 the accredited nonpublic school to determine if the student 15 requires special education. 16 (2) Make adequate educational provisions for each student 17 enrolled in the accredited nonpublic school who requires 18 special education that is appropriate to the nature and 19 severity of the student’s disability and that is comparable to 20 programs and services provided to students enrolled in school 21 districts, within constitutional guidelines, pursuant to rules 22 promulgated by the department under the provisions of chapter 23 256B. 24 (3) Employ, or retain the services of, appropriately 25 licensed special education teachers, therapists, guidance 26 counselors, and related service providers to provide special 27 education services to each student enrolled in the accredited 28 nonpublic school who requires special education. 29 (4) Develop and implement a written plan for each student 30 enrolled in the accredited nonpublic school who requires 31 special education that is substantially similar to an 32 individualized education program, as described in the federal 33 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §1400 et 34 seq. The written plan must require the accredited nonpublic 35 -3- LSB 5156XS (2) 91 jda/jh 3/ 7
S.F. 2018 school to provide to each student enrolled in the accredited 1 nonpublic school who requires special education all of the 2 following transportation services and equipment: 3 (a) Travel to and from school and between schools. 4 (b) Travel in and around school buildings. 5 (c) Specialized equipment, including special or adapted 6 buses, lifts, and ramps, if required to provide special 7 transportation for the student. 8 (5) Maintain documentation and submit reports to the 9 department of education. 10 (6) Assume all costs associated with the activities 11 described in subparagraphs (1) through (5). 12 b. The authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic 13 school shall not do any of the following: 14 (1) Access or utilize special education services or 15 staffing provided by an area education agency under chapter 273 16 for purposes of carrying out the activities of the accredited 17 nonpublic school that are required under this subsection. 18 (2) Access any state or area education agency funding for 19 purposes of carrying out the activities of the accredited 20 nonpublic school that are required under this subsection. 21 c. (1) The state board of education shall ensure accredited 22 nonpublic schools comply with this subsection, and with 23 all applicable federal laws related to special education, 24 by overseeing and monitoring the activities of accredited 25 nonpublic schools that are required under this subsection and 26 by providing technical assistance to such accredited nonpublic 27 schools. 28 (2) The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant 29 to chapter 17A to administer this subsection, including but not 30 limited to rules related to all of the following: 31 (a) Recordkeeping, documentation, and reporting 32 requirements. 33 (b) Compliance monitoring. 34 (c) Accreditation standards concerning the delivery of 35 -4- LSB 5156XS (2) 91 jda/jh 4/ 7
S.F. 2018 special education services. 1 (3) The state board of education may adopt rules pursuant 2 to chapter 17A that establish procedures allowing accredited 3 nonpublic schools to directly access moneys available under the 4 federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. 5 §1400 et seq., consistent with federal law and guidance issued 6 by the United States department of education. 7 d. This subsection shall not be construed to limit the 8 ability of a child to access a free appropriate public 9 education directly from a school district, as required under 10 the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 11 U.S.C. §1400 et seq. 12 e. For purposes of this subsection, “special education” 13 means the same as defined in the federal Individuals with 14 Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §1401. 15 Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect July 1, 2027. 16 EXPLANATION 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 18 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 19 This bill relates to special education, including by 20 requiring accredited nonpublic schools to provide special 21 education services to students enrolled in the school who 22 require such services and by modifying the responsibilities of 23 area education agencies. 24 Current law requires school districts and area education 25 agencies to make special education programs and services 26 available to children attending nonpublic schools and requires 27 the director of the department of education to report to the 28 school budget review committee the average cost of providing 29 such special education programs and services. The bill strikes 30 these provisions. 31 Current law requires area education agencies to furnish 32 educational services and programs as provided in Code sections 33 273.1 through 273.8, and Code chapter 256B (special education) 34 to pupils enrolled in nonpublic schools which are on the list 35 -5- LSB 5156XS (2) 91 jda/jh 5/ 7
S.F. 2018 of accredited schools pursuant to Code section 256.11, which 1 request to receive such services. The bill strikes this 2 provision. 3 The bill requires the authorities in charge of each 4 accredited nonpublic school to: identify and evaluate each 5 student who is enrolled in the school to determine if the 6 student requires special education; make adequate educational 7 provisions for each student enrolled in the school who requires 8 special education that is appropriate to the nature and 9 severity of the student’s disability; employ, or retain the 10 services of, appropriately licensed special education teachers, 11 therapists, guidance counselors, and related service providers 12 to provide special education services to each student enrolled 13 in the school who requires special education; develop and 14 implement a written plan for each student enrolled in the 15 school who requires special education that is substantially 16 similar to an individualized education program; maintain 17 documentation and submit reports to the department of 18 education; and assume all costs associated with all of these 19 activities. 20 The bill prohibits the authorities in charge of an 21 accredited nonpublic school from accessing or utilizing 22 special education services or staffing provided by an area 23 education agency for purposes of carrying out the activities 24 of the school that are required under the bill’s provisions. 25 In addition, the authorities in charge of an accredited 26 nonpublic school are prohibited from accessing any state or 27 area education agency funding for purposes of carrying out the 28 activities of the school that are required under the bill’s 29 provisions. 30 The bill requires the state board of education to ensure 31 accredited nonpublic schools comply with the bill’s provisions, 32 and with all applicable federal laws related to special 33 education, by overseeing and monitoring the activities of 34 schools that are required under the bill’s provisions and by 35 -6- LSB 5156XS (2) 91 jda/jh 6/ 7
S.F. 2018 providing technical assistance to such schools. The state 1 board of education is required to adopt rules to administer the 2 bill’s provisions, including rules related to recordkeeping, 3 documentation, and reporting requirements; compliance 4 monitoring; and accreditation standards concerning the delivery 5 of special education services. The bill authorizes the state 6 board of education to adopt rules that establish procedures 7 allowing accredited nonpublic schools to directly access moneys 8 available under the federal Individuals with Disabilities 9 Education Act, consistent with federal law and guidance issued 10 by the United States department of education. 11 The bill does not limit the ability of a child to access 12 a free appropriate public education directly from a school 13 district, as required under the federal Individuals with 14 Disabilities Education Act. 15 The bill defines “special education” to mean the same as 16 defined in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education 17 Act, which states that the term means specially designed 18 instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of 19 a child with a disability, including instruction conducted in 20 the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and 21 in other settings; and instruction in physical education. 22 -7- LSB 5156XS (2) 91 jda/jh 7/ 7