Bill Text: TX SB55 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to a study and report by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board regarding best practices for assisting students with autism spectrum disorder.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-18 - Effective immediately [SB55 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB55-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 55 | ||
|
|
||
| relating to a study and report by the Texas Higher Education | ||
| Coordinating Board regarding best practices for assisting students | ||
| with autism spectrum disorder. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 61.06694 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 61.06694. STUDY AND REPORT ON ASSISTING STUDENTS WITH | ||
| AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. (a) The board, with the assistance of | ||
| the advisory council on postsecondary education for persons with | ||
| intellectual and developmental disabilities established under | ||
| Section 61.06641, shall conduct a study to determine best practices | ||
| for assisting students with autism spectrum disorder who are | ||
| enrolled at institutions of higher education. | ||
| (b) The study must: | ||
| (1) identify and track: | ||
| (A) the number of students with autism spectrum | ||
| disorder who graduate from secondary schools in this state; | ||
| (B) the number of students with autism spectrum | ||
| disorder who are enrolled at institutions of higher education; | ||
| (C) the student financial assistance available | ||
| to students with autism spectrum disorder who enroll at | ||
| institutions of higher education; and | ||
| (D) the graduation rates of students with autism | ||
| spectrum disorder who enroll at institutions of higher education; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) identify and examine best practices and program | ||
| modules from public and private institutions of higher education | ||
| outside this state that have achieved successful results in working | ||
| with students with autism spectrum disorder. | ||
| (c) In conducting the study, the board: | ||
| (1) shall collaborate with the Texas Education Agency | ||
| regarding specialized programs offered by elementary or secondary | ||
| schools for students with autism spectrum disorder to determine how | ||
| those programs could be replicated at or extended to postsecondary | ||
| institutions; and | ||
| (2) may not request, require, or use personally | ||
| identifiable student information. | ||
| (d) Not later than December 1, 2025, the board shall submit | ||
| to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house | ||
| of representatives, and the commissioner of education a written | ||
| report that includes the study's findings and any recommendations | ||
| for legislative or other action. | ||
| (e) This section expires January 1, 2026. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 55 passed the Senate on | ||
| April 20, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 55 passed the House on | ||
| May 24, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 108, Nays 30, one | ||
| present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
