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CS/CS/HB 173 — Individual Education Plan Requirements for Students with Disabilities
by Education and Employment Committee; Secondary Education and Career Development Subcommittee; and Rep. Tant and others
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Education Committee (ED)
The bill modifies communication and timeline provisions to facilitate quality planning for a successful transition of a student with a disability to postsecondary education and career opportunities. Specifically, the bill requires:
- An Individual Education Plan (IEP) team to start the transition process during the student’s seventh grade year or when the student attains the age of 12, whichever occurs first.
- An IEP team to have an operational plan in place that is implemented on the first day of the student’s first year in high school or when he or she attains the age of 14, whichever occurs first.
- School districts to provide to a student with a disability and his or her parent the following information on:
- The school district's high school-level transition services, career and technical education, and collegiate programs available to such students, and how to access such programs.
- School-based transition programs and programs and services available through Florida’s Center for Student’s with Unique Abilities, the Florida Centers for Independent Living, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and the Division of Blind Services.
- A statement of the student’s intent to pursue a standard high school diploma must document discussion of the process of deferment of a standard high school diploma and a signed statement of the student’s intention to defer the high school diploma, if applicable.
- The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) to conduct a review, in conjunction with the Project 10: Transition Education Network, of existing transition services and programs to establish uniform best practices for such programs to deliver appropriate employment, pre-employment, and independent living skills education to enrolled students. The FDOE must establish and publish on its website uniform best practices by July 1, 2022.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2021.
Vote: Senate 39-0; House 118-0