Bill Text: IA HF326 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act requiring each area education agency to employ a dyslexia specialist subject to an appropriation by the general assembly.

Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-02 - Passed subcommittee. [HF326 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-HF326-Introduced.html

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House File 326 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  STAED, HIGHFILL,
                                     KOESTER, STECKMAN,
                                     DUNKEL, and KELLEY

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act requiring each area education agency to employ a
  2    dyslexia specialist subject to an appropriation by the
  3    general assembly.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 2261HH (4) 86
    kh/nh

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 273.3, Code 2015, is amended by adding
  1  2 the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  25.  Employ, subject to an appropriation
  1  4 of funds for such purpose by the general assembly, at least
  1  5 one dyslexia specialist to provide technical assistance
  1  6 for dyslexia and related disorders to school districts and
  1  7 accredited nonpublic schools pursuant to section 273.2,
  1  8 subsection 3, or to school districts under section 273.7,
  1  9 or to school districts and other area education agencies
  1 10 under section 273.7A.  For purposes of this subsection, a
  1 11 "dyslexia specialist" is a person who is trained and certified
  1 12 in a multisensory structured language program that meets the
  1 13 level II specialist criteria set forth in the knowledge and
  1 14 practice standards for teachers of reading published by the
  1 15 international dyslexia association, and who has a minimum of
  1 16 three years of field experience in screening, identifying,
  1 17 and treating dyslexia and related disorders utilizing best
  1 18 practices for interventions and services.
  1 19                           EXPLANATION
  1 20 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  1 21 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  1 22    This bill directs the board of directors of each area
  1 23 education agency (AEA) to employ, subject to an appropriation
  1 24 of funds for such purpose by the general assembly, at least
  1 25 one dyslexia specialist to provide technical assistance
  1 26 for dyslexia and related disorders to school districts and
  1 27 accredited nonpublic schools as a special education service, or
  1 28 if requested by 60 percent of the number of local school boards
  1 29 located in the AEA or by school boards representing 60 percent
  1 30 of the enrollment of all school districts in the AEA, or under
  1 31 contract with a school district or other AEA.
  1 32    The bill provides that a "dyslexia specialist" is a person
  1 33 who is trained and certified in a multisensory structured
  1 34 language program that meets the level II specialist criteria
  1 35 set forth in the knowledge and practice standards for teachers
  2  1 of reading published by the international dyslexia association,
  2  2 and who has a minimum of three years of field experience in
  2  3 screening, identifying, and treating dyslexia and related
  2  4 disorders utilizing best practices for interventions and
  2  5 services.
       LSB 2261HH (4) 86
       kh/nh