Bill Text: CA AB996 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 996 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Special education: pilot program.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Failed) 2020-02-03 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB996 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB996-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 996

Introduced by Assembly Member Bigelow

February 21, 2019

An act to add and repeal Section 56047 of the Education Code, relating to special education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 996, as introduced, Bigelow. Special education: pilot program.

Existing law requires that every individual with exceptional needs, as defined, who is eligible be provided with educational instruction, services, or both, at no cost to their parent or guardian or, as appropriate, to them. A free appropriate public education is required to be made available to individuals with exceptional needs in accordance with specified federal regulations adopted pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

This bill, until January 1, 2023, would establish a pilot program to be administered by the county offices of education in the Counties of El Dorado, Monterey, Sacramento, San Diego, and Sonoma to improve the social and behavioral skills of pupils who are autistic or have other special needs, as specified. The bill would require those county offices of education and school districts to submit a specified report to the Assembly Budget Subcommittee 2 on Education Finance no later than January 1, 2022. By requiring the county offices of education in the Counties of El Dorado, Monterey, Sacramento, San Diego, and Sonoma, to participate in the pilot program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 56047 is added to the Education Code, to read:

56047.

(a) (1) There is hereby established a pilot program to improve the social and behavioral skills of pupils who are autistic or have other special needs. The pilot program shall be established in the following counties:

(A) El Dorado.

(B) Monterey.

(D) San Diego.

(E) Sonoma.

(2) A county office of education shall contract with a provider to provide all of the following:

(A) Facially expressive, humanoid social robots.

(B) A curriculum with embedded evidence-based practices.

(D) Video modeling.

(E) An automated data collection system for learners with autism.

(F) A comprehensive curriculum facilitator.

(G) An activity manual with extension activities.

(b) A school district applying to participate in the pilot program shall demonstrate all of the following:

(1) A special education teacher or specialist teacher will be located on the campus where the program is implemented.

(2) The school district has the highest percentage or second highest percentage of autistic or socially impaired pupils, as identified through an individualized education program, enrolled in the county.

(3) The school district has the capacity to accrue and maintain data over the course of the pilot program.

(c) No later than January 1, 2022, the county offices and school districts participating in the pilot program shall submit to the Assembly Budget Subcommittee 2 on Education Finance data on the progression of each participating pupil’s achievement on the pupil’s individualized education program and social integration through the measured mastery of generalized targeted behaviors.

(d) This section shall become inoperative on January 1, 2023, and, as of January 1, 2025, is repealed.

SEC. 2.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.