Florida Senate - 2015 SB 1466
By Senator Bean
4-01091-15 20151466__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to students with disabilities;
3 amending s. 1002.20, F.S.; providing that parents of
4 students with learning disabilities are entitled to
5 the same notice and due process as parents of students
6 with other disabilities; providing for the development
7 of an individual education plan team and, if
8 appropriate, an individual education plan; amending s.
9 1009.286, F.S.; exempting certain students from an
10 excess hour surcharge for college credit hours
11 exceeding baccalaureate degree program requirements;
12 providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Subsection (8) and paragraph (a) of subsection
17 (21) of section 1002.20, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
18 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
19 school students must receive accurate and timely information
20 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
21 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
22 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
23 rights including, but not limited to, the following:
24 (8) STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.—Parents of public school
25 students with disabilities, including learning disabilities,
26 which include, but are not limited to, dyslexia, dyscalculia, or
27 developmental aphasia, and parents of public school students in
28 residential care facilities are entitled to notice and due
29 process in accordance with the provisions of ss. 1003.57 and
30 1003.58. Public school students with disabilities must be
31 provided the opportunity to develop an individual education plan
32 (IEP) team and, if appropriate, an IEP in accordance with State
33 Board of Education rules. Public school students with
34 disabilities must be provided the opportunity to meet the
35 graduation requirements for a standard high school diploma as
36 set forth in s. 1003.4282 in accordance with the provisions of
37 ss. 1003.57 and 1008.22. Pursuant to s. 1003.438, certain public
38 school students with disabilities may be awarded a special
39 diploma upon high school graduation.
40 (21) PARENTAL INPUT AND MEETINGS.—
41 (a) Meetings with school district personnel.—Parents of
42 public school students may be accompanied by another adult of
43 their choice at a meeting with school district personnel. School
44 district personnel may not object to the attendance of such
45 adult or discourage or attempt to discourage, through an action,
46 statement, or other means, the parents of students with
47 disabilities from inviting another person of their choice to
48 attend a meeting. Such prohibited actions include, but are not
49 limited to, attempted or actual coercion or harassment of
50 parents or students or retaliation or threats of consequences to
51 parents or students.
52 1. Such meetings include, but are not limited to, meetings
53 related to: the eligibility for exceptional student education or
54 related services; the development of an individual family
55 support plan (IFSP); the development of an individual education
56 plan (IEP) in accordance with subsection (8); the development of
57 a 504 accommodation plan issued under s. 504 of the
58 Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the transition of a student from
59 early intervention services to other services; the development
60 of postsecondary goals for a student with a disability and the
61 transition services needed to reach those goals; and other
62 issues that may affect the educational environment, discipline,
63 or placement of a student with a disability.
64 2. The parents and school district personnel attending the
65 meeting shall sign a document at the meeting’s conclusion which
66 states whether any school district personnel have prohibited,
67 discouraged, or attempted to discourage the parents from
68 inviting a person of their choice to the meeting.
69 Section 2. Present subsection (6) of section 1009.286,
70 Florida Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (7), and a new
71 subsection (6) is added to that section, to read:
72 1009.286 Additional student payment for hours exceeding
73 baccalaureate degree program completion requirements at state
74 universities.—
75 (6) This section does not apply to a student who had an
76 active individual education plan in place upon receipt of a
77 standard high school diploma.
78 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.