Senate Bill sb2550c1

    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2550

    By the Committee on Education; and Senator Wise





    581-2041-05

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to assistive technology devices

  3         and services; requiring interagency agreements

  4         to ensure that assistive technology devices be

  5         retained for use by a person with disabilities

  6         as he or she makes certain transitions;

  7         providing an effective date.

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  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  Accessibility, utilization, and

12  coordination of appropriate assistive technology devices and

13  services are essential as a young person with disabilities

14  moves from preschool to school, from one school to another,

15  and from school to employment or independent living. To ensure

16  that an assistive technology device issued to a young person

17  as part of his or her individualized family support plan or

18  individual education plan remains with the individual through

19  such transitions, interagency agreements shall be developed

20  and executed. The request that an assistive technology device

21  be retained for use by an individual as he or she moves

22  through the continuum from home to school to postschool must

23  be made to the owner by the individual or his or her parent or

24  guardian. Interagency agreements shall be entered into by the

25  following:

26         (1)  The Florida Infants and Toddlers Early

27  Intervention Program in the Division of Children's Medical

28  Services of the Department of Health.

29         (2)  The Division of Blind Services, the Bureau of

30  Exceptional Education and Student Services, and the Division

31  of Vocational Rehabilitation of the Department of Education.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                           CS for SB 2550
    581-2041-05




 1         (3)  The Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program

 2  administered by the Department of Education and the Agency for

 3  Workforce Innovation.

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 5  Interagency agreements shall provide a system for ensuring

 6  that young persons with disabilities and their families,

 7  educators, and employers are informed about the utilization

 8  and coordination of assistive technology devices and services

 9  that may assist in meeting transition needs.

10         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

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12          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
13                         Senate Bill 2550

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15  The committee substitute clarifies who receives the request
    for retaining use of an assistive technology device and
16  conforms a reference to a plan for a person with a disability
    to federal law.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.