Bill Amendment: AZ HB2250 | 2015 | Fifty-second Legislature 1st Regular
Bill Title: Empowerment scholarship accounts; applications
Status: 2015-04-03 - House final reading , voting: (29-27-4-0) [HB2250 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2015-HB2250-SENATE_PROPOSED_AMENDMENT_Education.html
Fifty-second Legislature Education
First Regular Session H.B. 2250
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
SENATE AMENDMENTS TO H.B. 2250
(Reference to House engrossed bill)
Page 7, after line 32, insert:
"Sec. 4. Empowerment scholarship account special education study committee; membership; powers and duties; report; definition; delayed repeal
A. The empowerment scholarship account special education study committee is established consisting of the following members:
1. Two members of the house of representatives who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who are members of different political parties.
2. Two members of the senate who are appointed by the president of the senate and who are members of different political parties.
3. Two members who currently work as special education teachers, one of whom is from a county with a population of at least one million two hundred thousand persons and who is appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one of whom is from a county with a population of less than one million two hundred thousand persons and who is appointed by the president of the senate.
4. Two public school psychologists, one of whom is from a county with a population of at least one million two hundred thousand persons and who is appointed by the president of the senate and one of whom is from a county with a population of less than one million two hundred thousand persons and who is appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
5. Two parents of current empowerment scholarship account recipients.
6. The superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee.
B. The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives shall each designate one of the legislative members to serve as a cochairperson of the committee. The cochairpersons shall be members of different political parties.
C. The commission shall:
1. Identify, examine and evaluate the needs of qualified students who receive an empowerment scholarship account.
2. Review the funding levels, process, duration and execution of and the authority by which qualified students receive special education services through the empowerment scholarship account program pursuant to section 15‑2402, Arizona Revised Statutes.
3. Research and evaluate the differences between receiving special education services through a public or charter school and the empowerment scholarship account program.
4. Provide analyses and recommendations to improve delivery of special education services to qualified students.
5. Examine whether a child with special needs who receives an empowerment scholarship account monies should be allowed to continue to receive monies allocated pursuant to title 15, chapter 19, Arizona Revised Statutes, until the child reaches twenty-two years of age if the child's individualized education program team determines that the child is likely to graduate from high school by the time the child reaches twenty-two years of age.
D. The empowerment scholarship account special education study committee may:
1. Request information, data and reports from any county or state agency or political subdivision of this state. If possible, information shall be provided electronically.
2. Hold hearings and take testimony from stakeholders who may assist the committee in fulfilling its responsibilities.
E. On the request of the empowerment scholarship account special education study committee, an agency of this state shall provide to the committee its services, equipment, documents, personnel and facilities to the extent possible without cost to the committee.
F. The legislature and the department of education shall provide staff and support services to the study committee.
G. All meetings of the study committee shall be open to the public.
H. Members of the study committee are not eligible to receive compensation but are eligible for reimbursement of expenses pursuant to title 38, chapter 4, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes.
I. On or before December 31, 2015, the study committee shall submit a report regarding its findings and recommendations to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate and the superintendent of public instruction and shall provide a copy of the report to the secretary of state.
J. For the purpose of this section, "qualified student" means a student who received a scholarship pursuant to section 15-2401, paragraph 6, subdivision (a), item (i), (ii) or (iii), Arizona Revised Statutes.
K. This section is repealed from and after September 30, 2016."
Amend title to conform
DAVID BRADLEY |
2250db.doc
03/18/2015
03:31 PM
C: tdb
