Bill Text: GA HB181 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Special needs scholarship program; waiver one requirement; provide

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 7-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2012-05-07 - Veto V3 [HB181 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-HB181-Comm_Sub.html

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11 LC 33 4129S

The House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to HB 181:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Article 33 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the scholarship program for special needs students, so as to provide for the waiver of one of the scholarship requirements under certain conditions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Article 33 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the scholarship program for special needs students, is amended by revising subsection (a) of Code Section 20-2-2114, relating to qualifications for the scholarship, as follows:

"(a) A student shall qualify for a scholarship under this article if:

(1) The student's parent currently resides within Georgia and has been a Georgia resident for at least one year;

(2) The student has one or more of the following disabilities:

(A) Autism;

(B) Deaf/blind;

(C) Deaf/hard of hearing;

(D) Emotional and behavioral disorder;

(E) Intellectual disability;

(F) Orthopedic impairment;

(G) Other health impairment;

(H) Specific learning disability;

(I) Speech-language impairment;

(J) Traumatic brain injury; or

(K) Visual impairment;

(3) The student has spent the prior school year in attendance at a Georgia public school and shall have had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) written by the school in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations; provided, however, that the State Board of Education shall be authorized to require a local board of education to expedite the development of an Individualized Education Program and to waive the prior school year requirement contained in this paragraph, in its sole discretion, on a case-by-case basis for specific medical needs of the student upon the request of a parent or guardian in accordance with state board procedures. If an expedited Individualized Education Program is required by the state board pursuant to this paragraph, the state board may additionally require such expedited process to be completed prior to the beginning of the school year. The State Board of Education shall provide an annual report by December 31 of each year through December 31, 2015, regarding the number of waivers approved pursuant to this paragraph to the General Assembly;

(4) The parent obtains acceptance for admission of the student to a participating school; and

(5) The parent submits an application for a scholarship to the department no later than the deadline established by the department."

SECTION 2.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.